I brush and bathe him regularly and he's going to the groomers but I just want to shave it all off.
2007-08-28 01:59:08 · 13 answers · asked by jennyrose25 1 in Pets ➔ Dogs
Yes, it's bad. The thing about German shepherds is that they shed. It's part of what keeps their coats so clean (I never thought I'd be glad for all this shedding until I started grooming dog breeds that didn't shed...they are all disgusting to the touch if they don't get baths every few weeks).
Also, even if you shave the fur your dog will still shed the exact same amount. Except instead of having loose hairs roaming your house that are relatively easy to remove, now all of those hairs are too small to easily remove and will imbed themselves in clothing, furniture, etc. In addition to being nearly impossible to remove, these tiny hairs have sharp pointy ends where they were cut that will stab you and cause horrible itching. Trust me, this I know from experience!
Finally, and this is somewhat cosmetic but not entirely, the coat may not grow back correctly. While a GSD that lives inside and doesn't spend a lot of time outside in inclement weather doesn't necessarily need the protective outer coat as much as they traditionally did, it can make the dog uncomfortable outside during the witner time.
Ultimately it's up to you, but I wouldn't be able to live with my two GSDs if for some reason I had to shave them and had to live with all that shed cut hair.
2007-08-28 02:15:32 · answer #1 · answered by ainawgsd 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Before you shave it off, spend a day sunbathing in the nude, without sunscreen! That's what it will be like for your poor dog! His coat protects him from the sun as well as insulates him from heat and cold. People who shave their dogs are idiots, and committing animal cruelty!
You should have researched dog breeds before getting GS. If you can't stand dog hair, why did you even get a hairy breed? Or a dog at all?
Brush him with a shedding rake, and cut down on the baths, that's making it worse. Use oatmeal doggie shampoo when you do bathe him, so you don't dry out the skin and coat. Keep him off the furniture and invest in a sticky roller to remove the hair, and you'll be fine. Adding some amino acids to his food might help, check with your vet. Good luck!
2007-08-28 02:32:36 · answer #2 · answered by baymast13 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I have a German Shepard too, and right now he is shedding like crazy. You can't shave a dog because their fur is their insulation. Just keep brushing him daily, but I would only bathe him about every 4-5 weeks.
2007-08-28 04:42:40 · answer #3 · answered by Kris K 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I have a German Shepherd/ Siberian Husky mix puppy. Our vet told us that it's best to NOT shave this breed. When you shave them down, their undercoat that helps insulate them from heat/cold doesn't grown back as well. I would recommend only bathing him once every 4-6 weeks. Use a shampoo that's especially for dogs that shed. We've also supplemented our dogs diet with Omega 3 oil. We've tried a prescription type from the vet (it's called something like A1N) and Shed Stop (which you can buy at PetSmart) and they both help with shedding. You just squirt it on their food and it cuts down on the shedding and makes their coat shiny. Hope that this is helpful!
2007-08-28 06:50:41 · answer #4 · answered by Marsha 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Brushing is good. You might be bathing to often. That can cause dry skin and excessive shedding. I am not a fan of the shave down. It's really up to you
2007-08-28 02:10:25 · answer #5 · answered by Clueless 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The hair was put there for the dogs benefit, not yours. Do not shave the dog. Do not bathe the dog, brush for 10 minuyes daily with a rake brush. My dog sheds like crazy and there is no stopping it either. Oh, do not allow dog on furniture, I do like clean/hair free clothes. Let the dog live out side if you can.
2007-08-28 02:12:31 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
I just brought my dog in to the groomers today actually. I asked her opinion on that matter and she recommended cutting him down short, but not shaving him. My dog is a shepard/St.Bernard mix, but he is not an outdoor dog, so sunburn, etc isn't an issue for us. He also does not like to lay on the furniture, so I'm lucky there. We also wanted to have him cut down due to having non-cancerous cysts that we can better maintain with shorter fur.
2007-08-28 04:32:51 · answer #7 · answered by Lisa T (Stop BSL) 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
it is not good
the fur protects him from heat, sun, bugs, cold, etc.. they shed to a comfortable amount of fur...
a groomer can shed him out more effectively... you dont need to bathe them often...
better food = less shedding problems
(no by-products and no filler) ALL the foods from grocery store and Wal Mart are crap - too much filler not enough nutrition.. dogs eat too much junk..
brushing in the reverse direction of the hair helps shed.. 'blowing out' with a hair dryer is what will really help - the groomer will do this...
2007-08-28 03:06:30 · answer #8 · answered by CF_ 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
DON"T DO IT it makes they're skin all itchy and it takes to long to grow back, BELIEVE ME I helped my friend do this to his german shep and the poor thing was miserable, Just vaccuum 2 times a day and wipe counters and table after you vac or sweep, and adding a raw egg to his food will help with hair loss, Or at least it has worked for my dogs , Take a deep breath it will be okay lol
2007-08-28 02:40:51 · answer #9 · answered by sunshine_vermont1 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
<------------- Doesn't matter if I shave or not. I get hair everywhere. I have the hairiest house in town.
A good bath to loosen the undercoat and a good brush is the best.
2007-08-28 02:24:38 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋