Getting the coat off a shep

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Ranyhyn

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Best method please?

Sidders is apparently carrying a hell of a coat and is moulting like hell, whats the best least invasive method of helping him lose his coat? Bath? Brushing?

Even if I don't end up with Sid its a good question to ask as I'll get my shep one day!
:D
 
Lots of grooming! I have a really good rake which I bought in Germany years ago, it really gets the tufty undercoat, I will try and find a link to something similar. A rubber curry comb is also great for removing dead hair, but hbe warned shepherds seem to moult 12 months a year when kept indoors.:D
 
I got a wonderful comb for Jack (on not a shep but Corgis are sheps on short legs :p) which has a wider toothed side then you spid it to the 'nit comb' side and it really gets all the dead undercoat out. I love it!
 
Just stick at it! I have a Mikki rake with a large and small set of teeth, which is brill, a Furminator (I know some people don't like them because they break the hair - have yet to find any broken ones, just long and wavy!) and a metal curry comb. Grooming every day at the moment and bathing at least once a week. And also plucking out tufts at every opportunity (don't do this with Sid just yet, he won't take kindly to a new person pulling lumps of hair out :p)

A lot of us are going out to the South of Spain in the Autumn for the World Championships and I don't know how the dogs will fare - a lot of them were unhappy today, for example, I think the best bet is just to keep him somewhere cool, dark and shady. If I was travelling I would be travelling in a trailer or van if possible.

One competitor I know of is going out two months early to get her dog acclimatised!
 
Oh so you think they'll acclimatise well enough if given time? ... ;) not that I'm asking for any reason you understand!

We are very close to beach and rivers, so was wondering wether a nice bath and swim would help too :)
 
It would be harder for a dog from a warmer climate but I know people who have taken dogs over to Southern Spain (and imported heavy cobs!) and they seem to do OK.
Big bugbear is seeing all the huskies and Malamutes sitting tied outside bars, sweltering, grrr!!!

Any water is good and just use your fingers while you are both in there :p to get pulling the hair out.
You know all the dogs with us, who swim at a certain place (spring water!) because they are all so shiny.
 
LOL a bald GSD, imagine the questions I'd get!!

Great!! We have a gorgeous stretch of river thats perfect for swimming, if he likes swimmning that is, otherwise its perfect for dragging unsuspecting dogs in and dunking them lol :p I wouldnt dare!!
 
It's daft to clip a shortcoated shep anyway, they have a double coat which makes them waterproof, I don't like the idea of messing with that.

Also - he will still shed, just shorter hairs!

Even if you take a brush down to the river with you :p you'll be popular, I always keep the Mikki rake in my pocket for baths and dunkings, lots more comes out when the dog is wet.
 
Kitsune said:
LOL a bald GSD, imagine the questions I'd get!!

Great!! We have a gorgeous stretch of river thats perfect for swimming, if he likes swimmning that is, otherwise its perfect for dragging unsuspecting dogs in and dunking them lol :p I wouldnt dare!!
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I have a long coated GSD - who was groomed everyday religiously - he has recently been to the groomers and been clipped off - not bald but short for the summer - ok at first he did look strange but he is soooo much happier and not hot at all as its 30 degrees here in south wales at mo! Beau mine is sooo much happier and cooler and his coat will grow back nice for next winter!! best thing I've done xx :)
 
Longcoats I don't have so much of an issue with (although I had never heard of clipping any sort of shep before I came on here, apart from welfare cases :p) although I would have thought they would suffer less in the heat from having no undercoat, but I suppose some of them do have an undercoat (the semis!) and it depends on the volume of hair they do have.

Suppose it never really gets hot enough here :p
 
I am considering having Rols clipped because he's beside himself with the heat and he just doesn't have the sense god made him with, to get out of the sun.

He's currently behind me on the leather sofa, moving constantly to find the cool spot!!

Lil on the other hand, being white, and a sun lover anyway - is in her element!
 
The mikki rake looks the nearest to the rake I use. Don't you dare clip him or I will tell the rescue people!
I suppose I can see that a very heavy long coat might benefit from being clipped although as CC says as a true l/c doesn't have an undercoat so that should help keep them cool.
 
well my longcoated is extremely happier and cooler with his coat off!! dont see why you would call the rescue people - in this weather I think its much much kinder for the summer to clip IMO
 
Chill JB, MM was joking :)

I think you may already have realised that me and MM are the old fogey division of the GSD Mafia :p :D
We're going to have to divide into new school and old school!!!
 
Oops sorry JB, as the others have said my comment was aimed at Kitty not you, and the rescue bit was a joke!:o
CC, if you are an old fogey then I hate to think what I would be classed as.:D
 
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