Heavy Shedding

How do I get all the hair off! Im going crazy, especally with a long hair! OMG its everywhere, is there something i can spray on his hair to make it come out easier, any advice?

Have you ever heard of the Furminator? It pulls out the undercoat without hurting the dog like a shedding rake. I think it's available at PetSmart.

i second cookie TN on the furminator. i love mine. it works best on clean DRY hair. max isnt a long hair per say, but hes i guess what you would call a plush coat? and when he gets really bad, i blow dry him with a brush. he wont tolerate it for long. but it gets ALOT out, good luck, and keep the vaccuum running=]

I don't spray anything on my dogs x) Except maybie water. But If they're sheeding allot I just brush to keep up x)

The method I use for mine is

Quick brush down with the Slicker Brush [gets most of the loose hairs off]
Thorough brush down with the FURminator [gets the undercoat and the harder to get hairs]
Another quick brush down with the Slicker [again, gets the loose hairs that the FURminator may have pulled loose]

Each grooming session can easily last an hour.

How often do your brush him now?

I'd suggest doing it a few times a week for atleast half an hour each time.

During the "blow" I spray with daily grooming spray, a light mist, then use the rake, treat, and slicker. Everyday, sometimes twice a day, and yes, we vacuum everyday during this period.

When he isn't "blowing" he gets a quick slicker after his afternoon feeding. Everyday. This really helps keep the hair bunnies away, and does make the "blow" less of a problem.

Thanks guys, im going to find a furminator right now!

You all keep mentioning the 'furminator'. Is it a good product? But the sounds of it it is, and i'm wondering if its worth ordering over from the states ^^

I dont know, but they are expensive, and me and GSDManiac-Wizbash have long haired so i hope it is good!

Yeah! x)

*Goes to see if she can find any*

Long haired or not doesnt really make a difference as the TRUE long coat GSDs dont have an undercoat. Whereas the Plush and short DO have an undercoat.

Yes, the FURminator is a wonderful tool.

I have a furminator from RetSmart that cost $69.99. But I'm very careful to use it only in heavy shedding times, otherwise it cuts the fur. I use the rake more than anything. When they are blowing I vacuum them which gets a lot of the undercoat out and helps a lot to keep them fresh. Vacuuming them everyday seems to keep the hair under control a lot more. You can put your rake in the vacuum hose and tape it and it does a great job. I have an attachment for pets with my vacuum but I find it doesn't really work.

The furminator is the best invention since, um, well ... you fill in the blank with your favorite invention. Cruiser cuts his undercoat like it was snowing fur during certain times of the year (like right now, just as an example). I could make yarn and knit a sweater out of GSD fur. It can be EVERYWHERE.

The furminator is used at the groomers. Since I don't have tons of time to keep my boy as well groomed as I would prefer (although ... he's pretty good-looking and turns heads when I take him places), I take him to the groomers every 2 - 3 months. I use the furminator occasionally in-between times, and it is an amazing Godsend. I even use it every few weeks on my Maine Coon, 'cos she sheds and her long fur mats. It is soooooo worth the $$$$.

My opinion only ...

I use a "shedding blade". Its not what it sounds like. Its a metal ring/oval shaped brush with different sized teeth on each side. You can find it at most pet stores. My groomer uses it and they highly recommend it to me. My shephard is black. My house has hardwood floors and the bedrooms have a light colored carpet. It really helps to keep the hairballs down to a minimum. Especially when Saben is "chunking" as i like to call it when he's loosing his winter coat. And an easy way when they are really shedding bad,i'll call his groomer and they'll work him in for a quick brush down. Its cheap and it works good for the inbetween bathing sessions. I let them deal with all the hair and mess.

yah i think thats maybe what I have!

Well ths is probably not for all dogs - but I actually vaccum my dogs' back with uphostery attachment. It sucks up all the loose hair. They seem to enjoy it.

Oh and collect the soft inner coat of your dogs and place them in your yard for the birds. They love using the soft hair for their nests. It's fun watching them happily collect the fur.

We get a lot of static because it's so dry so I do a very light mist of water on Dutch before combing and keep a damp towel handy to wipe down the combs.