The long haired German Shepherd is a beautiful dog that needs special care. Such dogs are wonderful friends and can be real warriors when it comes to depending on their owners and homes.
Buying a dog is always a tough decision, especially if you are looking for a large one. Big dogs require more care, more space, and more training. You have to be 100% sure you want a large do before getting it. Shepherds love their owners and have a hard time getting used to new families. That’s why if you buy a shepherd, you have to be ready to keep it.
How to Take Care of A Long Haired German Shepherd
Taking care of any dog is complicated. Each breed requires its own approach. Here are nine important tips that can make your ownership of ling haired German Shepherd fun and easy.
Once you know how to keep the dog looking beautiful and feeling healthy, you can enjoy your relationship in full. All dogs require special attention. It’s up to you to learn how to take care of it. The savviest dog owners say that taking care of the dogs is even harder than taking care of children. So make sure you are ready for it. These tips can make your job easier.
1. Keep Your Dog Calm During Grooming
Anxious dogs are difficult to groom. For some, brushing, nail clipping, and teeth cleaning can be a stressful process. To keep your long-haired German Shepherd calm during grooming, try these steps:
- Groom your dog 15 to 30 minutes after exercise. You want your dog to have little excess energy, but not be sleepy.
- Schedule set grooming times for consistency.
- Praise your dog with a soothing tone throughout grooming.
- Start grooming in the same area every time, and follow the same path.
The more you and your German Shepherd practice, the faster this process will get.
2. Regular brushing
Long haired German Shepherds have a single coat that requires regular brushing. Get ready for the brushing sessions at least every other day. By keeping the hairbrush, you can avoid knotting and too much loose hair.
The dog sheds its coat throughout the year. Long hair can become a nuisance for homeowners since it tends to lie around and clog their vacuum cleaners. Regular brushing can diminish the amount of fur on the floor.
3. Carefully Remove Tangles
Find a brush that works well for detangling your long-haired German Shepherd’s fur. You may find that a metal grooming comb or slicker brush works well. You should also have detangler spray on hand.
Spray the detangler spray onto the brush and gently brush out the tangled or matted hair. If the knot is difficult to remove, try holding the brush vertically and brushing downward.
If you still cannot remove a tangle or mat, you can use grooming shears to cut it out. It’s important to note that you should never shave your long-haired German Shepherd without speaking to a vet.
4. Not Too Much Bathing
As an inexperienced owner, you might feel as if long-haired dogs need to be bathed often since they collect plenty of dirt on their coats.
However, frequent bathing is bad for the shepherds. They have sensitive skin that becomes dry when it comes into contact with water. It’s sufficient to bathe your dog once a month. If the dog has fleas or gets too dirty, you can wash it more often. When washing the dog with shampoo, make sure it doesn’t touch the skin.
5. Check The Teeth
German Shepherds often have problems with their teeth. Even if you feed the dog right, it can still develop harmful plaque. You need to clean the dog’s teeth every week with a special brush.
You can purchase toothpaste developed specifically for dogs. Make sure to brush the gums as well. You can also buy hard cookies that can clean the plaque off mechanically while the dog is chewing.
6. Trim the Toenails
Long toenails are any dog’s worst enemies. They can hurt you or themselves with such nails. Meanwhile, long nails tend to break. You have to check the toenails at least once a week and clip them if they are too long.
The dog might not be happy with your trimming plans, so some homeowners take their pets to professional groomers for toenail clipping. Be very careful when trimming. It’s better to leave them a little longer than cut too deep and cause bleeding.
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7. Clean the Ears
Ears are your dog’s most sensitive body part. That’s why it’s imperative to keep it clean. Check your dog’s ears at least once a week. They tend to be covered with wax and debris. Use ear drops to clean out the dirt. A few drops and a soft cloth can do the trick.
Don’t ever clean your pet’s ears with tap water. It might cause infection. Make sure you don’t start the ear cleaning until your German Shepherd is fully calm. Try to avoid loud noises and crowded areas for grooming.
8. Clean Your Long Haired German Shepherd’s Eyes
Once a week, gently wipe the inside corners of your German Shepherd’s eyes to remove small amounts of dirt and discharge. To clean your dog’s eyes you can use a dampened washcloth, sponge, or cotton ball. Keep in mind that you should not wipe both eyes with the same cotton ball, sponge section, or washcloth section. Use a clean area to wipe each eye to avoid infection.
Weekly cleaning of the eyes will alert you to any issues. Swollen or red eyes indicate that a call to the vet is in order. Some discharge from the eyes is normal, but excessive discharge also warrants a call to the vet.
9. Schedule Regular Checkups
All dogs are prone to certain diseases. Long-haired German Shepherds suffer from the same problems as regular German shepherds. Hip dysplasia, epilepsy, eczema, and stomach problems are very common for these dogs. You have to make sure you show your pet to the vet at least once a year to check out its health. The checkup may include x-rays, blood tests, and other diagnostics. German Shepherds live for 9–13 years.
10. Be Ready for Daily Exercises
German Shepherds require extensive daily exercise to stay healthy. These dogs have amazing energy that needs to be spent. They are good indoor dogs but only when you allow them to run around as much as they want.
You can satisfy the dog’s need for exercising by playing active outdoor games, running, or jogging. Your dog will love to join you when you exercise, so you can kill two birds with one stone.
11. Create Good Living Conditions
The long haired German Shepherd is an indoor dog. Even though its coat seems like good protection against weather, it isn’t.
Meanwhile, a strong emotional attachment to the owner makes it impossible to keep it separately. You have to create a place for the dog to stay indoors.
You’ll need to buy a large enough bed for the dog to lay on as well as some toys to make the dog feel that the space is its own. Some owners prefer buying or building a crate to fit a large dog.
12. Provide Human Contact
German shepherds are very emotionally attached to their owners and require plenty of attention. If you are a workaholic, who spends long hours away from home, this dog might not be suitable for your needs.
This dog is perfect for large families who are ready to play and exercise with it all day long. Shepherds are very good with children and can make amazing companions.
Long-haired German Shepherds are wonderful dogs. All you have to do is keep them clean, groomed, and happy. If you are a true dog lover, it shouldn’t take too much time and effort.
FAQs
Here are some of the most commonly asked questions about long-haired German Shepherds.
Long-haired German Shepherds were bred in Germany in the late 19th century. Although the German dog club did not initially consider these puppies to meet the standard, club breeding standards now include German Shepherds with long coats.
German Shepherds with long hair have a few name variations. These include Long Coat, Coatie, and Long Stock German Shepherds.
Yes, they are purebred dogs recognized by the American Kennel Club (AKC). German Shepherds, no matter the length of hair, all fall under the purebred breed name.
Long coats are created by a recessive gene, which means that these are rarer than short coats. About 15% of all German Shepherds have long hair, while about 85% have short hair.
You can expect long-haired German Shepherds dogs to shed all year. Following specific grooming techniques can reduce shedding. Because they have only one coat, they often shed less than short-haired ones.
The difference between long and short-haired German Shepherds lies solely in the length of their coats.
While short-haired dogs have two layers of fur and their coats are only about one inch long, long-haired Shepherds have a single coat that is more than two inches long.
Most female long-haired German Shepherds will grow to be between 22 and 24 inches, and they will weigh between 50 to 70 pounds.
Most male Shepherds will weigh somewhere between 65 and 90 pounds and stand between 24 and 26 inches tall.
Unless your vet recommends it, you should not shave your long-haired German Shepherd. Doing so will cause the coat to grow back more slowly, shorter, and lighter in color.
Plus, shaving these dogs will remove their natural heating and cooling system and place them at risk for bites and parasites.
Long-haired German Shepherds have only one coat. They do not have undercoats. Surprisingly, long-haired ones are less fit for cold than short-haired dogs for this reason.
Because long-haired German Shepherds shed so much, they are not good for people with allergies.
They are not fully hypoallergenic dogs.
However, they are more hypoallergenic than short-haired Shepherds. Specifically, long-haired ones have less dry skin and, therefore, less pet dandruff.
They can be very calm and friendly dogs. They are no more aggressive than other breeds of dogs.
Most commonly, acts of aggression occur because of a history of abuse. Dogs who have been abused will react more fearfully in stressful situations, which can present as aggression.
The cost of these dogs can vary greatly. Rescuing a puppy will likely cost you between $50 and $300. However, rescues that save German Shepherds exclusively may charge up to $400.
Breeders typically charge as low as $700 or as high as $2,500 for long-haired German Shepherd puppies. The exact price will depend on color and availability.
Yes, long-haired German Shepherds are high maintenance. This is mostly due to the excessive grooming they require. You cannot shave their coats, so routine grooming is necessary.
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