How to Brush a German Shepherd: Twice Weekly

How Often to Brush a German Shepherd

Twice a week during normal months. Daily during the spring and fall coat blow, which lasts three to four weeks each time. A German Shepherd sheds year-round, but the undercoat releases in large volumes twice a year when daylight hours shift.

The frequency changes with the season because the volume of loose hair changes. In January or July, a ten-minute session twice a week pulls enough undercoat to keep the dog comfortable and the furniture manageable. In April or October, the same ten minutes barely makes a dent. Daily brushing during the blow keeps ahead of the shed.

Skip a week outside of blow season and the dog will be fine. Skip a week during the blow and loose undercoat mats against the skin, traps heat, and comes out in clumps on the couch instead of in the brush.

The Right Tools for Double Coat Work

A German Shepherd has two coats: a topcoat of long, straight guard hairs and an undercoat of short, dense fluff. The topcoat sheds lightly. The undercoat sheds heavily. A brush that works on one does not necessarily work on the other.

Slicker brushes with fine wire pins catch loose topcoat hair but slide over the undercoat. Bristle brushes smooth and distribute oil but do not deshed. Blade-style deshedding tools cut through both coats, which thins the topcoat over time and leaves the dog looking patchy.

Nub-style deshedding tools push through the guard hairs without cutting them, then catch and pull loose undercoat. The nubs are blunt, so the tool does not slice. The spacing between nubs lets guard hairs pass through while shorter undercoat fibers catch and lift out.

A finishing brush with natural or synthetic bristles smooths the topcoat after deshedding work. Brushing the topcoat distributes the oils that keep guard hairs glossy and water-resistant.

The modular dog brush uses interchangeable heads on one handle. Deshed with the nub head, finish with the bristle head, and store both heads on the handle between sessions.

Brushing Technique: Section by Section

Start at the neck. Work in a section about the size of your palm. Brush against the grain first to lift the undercoat away from the skin, then brush with the grain to smooth and collect loose hair.

Against the grain means brushing from tail toward head, or from belly toward spine. The stroke lifts the dense undercoat so the tool can reach down to where loose fibers accumulate. One pass against the grain, then two or three passes with the grain to pull the lifted hair out and smooth the topcoat back down.

Move from neck to shoulders, then down the back toward the tail. Brush each flank, then the chest and belly if the dog tolerates it. The belly and the area behind the ears mat first because the undercoat is thickest there and the dog's movement works the hair into tangles.

Work in small sections rather than long strokes down the whole body. A small section lets you apply enough pressure to reach the undercoat without dragging the tool across the skin. Long strokes skim the topcoat and miss the layer underneath.

Getting Through to the Undercoat

The undercoat sits close to the skin, hidden under the longer guard hairs. Most brushing never reaches the undercoat. The tool glides over the topcoat, collects a few loose guard hairs, and leaves the dense fluff underneath untouched.

Press the tool down through the topcoat until the nubs or bristles make contact with the skin. Not hard enough to scrape, but firm enough that the tool does not float on top of the guard hairs. The correct pressure feels like brushing your own hair when you want the bristles to reach your scalp.

Brush against the grain first to separate the undercoat from the topcoat. The undercoat lies flat against the skin, and brushing with the grain just smooths the topcoat over the undercoat without pulling loose fibers out. Brushing against the grain lifts the undercoat up so the next pass can catch and remove the shed.

You will know the tool is reaching the undercoat when the brush fills with short, fluffy fibers instead of long guard hairs. Guard hairs are straight and coarse. Undercoat fibers are soft and crimped, like wool.

Managing the Seasonal Coat Blow

Twice a year, the undercoat releases in large volumes over three to four weeks. The spring blow happens as daylight hours lengthen. The fall blow happens as daylight hours shorten. The dog is shedding the winter undercoat in spring and the summer undercoat in fall.

During the blow, brush daily. The volume of loose undercoat is too great for twice-weekly sessions. A daily ten-minute brushing removes enough undercoat to keep the dog comfortable and prevents mats from forming.

Expect to fill the brush multiple times in one session during peak blow weeks. A grocery bag full of undercoat from one dog over one week is normal. The volume is alarming the first time, but the coat grows back and the dog is not going bald.

A warm bath before brushing loosens the undercoat and makes deshedding faster. Wet the dog thoroughly, work shampoo down to the skin, rinse completely, then towel dry and brush while the coat is still slightly damp. More loose undercoat comes out in one post-bath brushing than in three dry sessions.

Do not bathe more than once every four to six weeks outside of blow season. Frequent bathing strips the natural oils that protect the topcoat and keep the skin healthy. During the blow, one bath at the start and one at the end is enough.

Common Brushing Mistakes

Brushing only with the grain misses the undercoat. The topcoat lies smooth over the undercoat, and brushing with the grain just smooths the topcoat further without lifting the dense layer underneath. Always brush against the grain first to separate the coats.

Using too light a touch skims the topcoat and leaves the undercoat untouched. The tool needs to reach through the guard hairs to the skin. Press down until the nubs or bristles make contact with the skin, then pull the tool through the coat with steady pressure.

Switching tools mid-session breaks the rhythm and adds time. A deshedding tool and a finishing brush serve different purposes, but swapping tools every few strokes is inefficient. Deshed the entire dog first, then finish the entire dog with the bristle brush.

Brushing the same spot repeatedly irritates the skin. Two or three passes per section is enough. If loose hair is still coming out after three passes, move to the next section and come back tomorrow. Overbrushing causes redness and discomfort, and the dog will resist the next session.

Skipping the legs and tail leaves mats in hard-to-reach areas. The undercoat on the legs and tail is just as dense as the undercoat on the body, and those areas mat quickly because the dog's movement works the hair into tangles. Brush the legs and tail every session, not just when you remember.