shedding

Our dogs are very soft and shiny. We know things are getting pretty soft in this pampered world—like blankets, they are so soft that you do not think blankets can get any softer until you touch the next one... Well, our dogs are just as soft as these blankets, partially due to the "silk gene," and partially due to care. But GSDs shed! The shedding is a problem! It's a very big problem! Please watch the video to see how much hair is coming out of this dog before you bring home a cute, fuzzy furball. Disclosure: with proper care, you will face this horror twice a year—fall and spring. The rest of the time, there will be much less shedding. After watching the video, click "Read more" to see what all is included in proper care.

Bathing
You don't need to bathe your dog very often—once every 2-3 months unless they rolled in something extremely stinky. We usually bathe them every couple of months from April to October, with no bathing in the winter unless a real bad need arises.
​Who knew that products created to soften rough horse hair can work well for your dog? You can get them at D&B Supply, Tractor Supply, or any other farm supply store. Simply shampoo your dog, rinse, then apply conditioner, leave for a few minutes, rinse again. Let them shake off excessive water, and then spray some Shine-On leave-in conditioner before drying them, and you won't want to stop petting him. Another plus of these products - they are farm supply products, not "pet care" products, so you do not have to sell your kidney to afford them. Each bottle is a little over $20 and lasts for a very long time.

Fish oil​
Another thing that helps is fish oil (click the link for the one we use). You can either buy Salmon oil in a pump bottle, or a fancier version called ShedEx - a mix of oils and supplements, or just general fish oil from herring, tilapia, or mixed fish. There are multiple brands, so do your homework to find the right one for you. We came to the conclusion that just any fish oil works great: it makes fur shinier, healthier-looking, and reduces shedding.

---

Brushing
Also, it's not a secret that German Shepherds shed; we told you all about it. However, it's not helpful when your sweet puppy starts losing fur in clumps all over your carpet, furniture, and clothes. Here are a few options on how to deal with it. If it worked for us, it should work for you.
A cheap but laborious option is brushing. It's close to a part-time job to brush your German Shepherd. So far, the best brush we have found is the Furminator double-sided.

One side has soft, long "needles" - it does not get much hair, but acts more like petting to get/keep your dog accustomed to brushing. The other side has bendable spikes that pull out undercoat as well as the top coat very well. The large surface of the brush covers large spaces on your dog's fur, but the design of the brush split in the middle allows for easy brushing, going around curves of your dog. It's a really good deal for it on Chewy.com.

Blowing  out
Now, for those who have more than one GSD and realize that brushing more than one of them is a full-time job, here is a more expensive but quick option - an animal blower (like the one you see in the video). Honestly, it's the best investment we had ever made and worth every penny. Right after washing, conditioning, and spraying Shine-On, blow-dry your doggy. Blow-drying blows out all the loose fur (wear goggles or you will be digging fur out of your eyeballs for a week), it blows away any dandruff, any weeds tangled up in your dog's fur, especially cheat grass seeds that drill into the skin and don't come out on their own. The most magical thing - your German Shepherd stops shedding for 3-4 weeks after being blown! Yes, a German Shepherd that does not shed is possible! There are many cheaper animal blowers, and they may work fine for 1-2 dogs. We had a chance to try this one, and did not want to risk it for the number of dogs we have, so we bought this bulletproof one. Check it out here, but as always, do your homework, research all options to find the right one for you. Alternatively, if you want to save your eyeballs, lungs, and neighbors from all the fuzz flying around, groomers will do it for you for $50-70.