When your dog looks great you feel proud. I know because it’s the same for me.
Our dogs love to swim in water, dig in dirt, and roll in the grass or other questionable things (like rabbit poop!).
So it’s up to us to do our bit to keep their skin, coats, nails, and ears fresh and free from debris.
And since you have a German Shepherd, this job is extra hard because of your dog’s thick, dense double coat.
So you really need the right tools for the job. And anything that can make life easier and grooming more fun is welcome!
At A Glance: Our Top 5 Picks For Grooming Tools
The problem is there are so many grooming tools it’s hard to know which ones are the best. And frankly, most of them are a bunch of junk!
So here I’ve brought together the very best grooming tools for German Shepherds. Most of these are in my own grooming tool kit.
Best Grooming Tools for German Shepherds
Quick Overview: Our Top Picks for Grooming Tools
 |
Our Top Pick
Waterpik Pet Wand Pro Dog Shower Attachment
|
View on Amazon |
 |
HandsOn Grooming Gloves
|
View on Amazon |
 |
Paw Brothers Magic Spring Undercoat Rake
|
View on Amazon |
 |
Dremel 7300-PT 4.8V Pet Nail Grooming Tool
|
View on Amazon |
The truth is that grooming a GSD is both fun and hard work. Using the right grooming tools will beef up the fun and reduce the work.
So here are the grooming tools that are a must-have for any German Shepherd owner who prefers fun to hard work!
Waterpik Pet Wand Pro Dog Shower Attachment
See the Waterpik Pet Wand Pro Dog Shower Attachment on Amazon.
Rinse, rinse, rinse.
Seriously though! If you don’t rinse ALL the soap from your pooch, they will itch and itch for days and weeks.
And the best way to ensure that you’ve rinsed them thoroughly is by getting clean water as close to their skin as possible.
Getting this right with the dense double coat of a GSD is no easy task. And hand rinsing will not do the trick.
That’s where a shower attachment comes in super handy. And this one from Waterpik has a lot to offer.
The first feature that I like is that you can switch between spray options. Water combing is a powerful setting for deep cleaning and rinsing.
And a narrow spray for gentle and soft cleaning especially around your dog’s face and sensitive bits.
And if you need both hands, just use your thumb to pause the water flow.
The Waterpik comes with everything you need to set it up permanently in your bathroom.
And if you’re going to use it outside, it comes with an outdoor adapter. And an 8-foot swivel hose for extra reach.
Because the attachment is designed especially for dogs its contoured wand shape gives maximum coverage and minimizes overspray.
There’s a lot to like about this handy grooming tool. It’s flexible for indoor and outdoor use.
It’s designed with one-handed operation in mind and you have complete control over the spray options.
If you don’t have a hand-held shower attachment in your bath or you bath your dog outside, you should consider this one from Waterpik.
HandsOn Grooming Gloves
See the HandsOn Grooming Gloves on Amazon.
I mean, these things take a lot of work out of grooming. But they have some great health benefits too.
The silicon nodules on the palms and fingers of these gloves help with blood circulation. And without even trying, you’ll aid in distributing natural oils for healthy skin and coat.
These gloves from HandsOn are super because you can use them on wet or dry fur. Which is a great benefit for our dogs who have thick double coats.
But the feature I really like about these gloves is with a simple flick of your wrist you can clear the gloves of fur and get right back to grooming your dog.
I’ve noticed that my crew are even more enthusiastic about their daily groom. And helping them shed their undercoats is so much easier.
If you’ve never tried using grooming gloves, do yourself and your dog a favor and get a pair.
Mugzy’s Mutt Towel
See Mugzy’s Mutt Towel on Amazon.
They also do a great job of trying off your pooch without trapping fur as regular towels do.
This one from Mugzy’s is generous in size, measuring 28 by 50 inches. This gives you ample covering your Shep no matter what size they are.
Microfiber is also a lot more economical to wash. So you’ll be using less water and energy.
Other dog owners are happy with the performance of this towel, saying they only need one of these instead of two regular towels.
These towels are fairly priced which makes them a must for your grooming tool kit.
Paw Brothers Magic Spring Undercoat Rake
See the Paw Brothers Magic Spring Undercoat Rake on Amazon.
It’s a very simple undercoat rake with a neat spring design. This design is why I love it so much.
The springs ensure that you don’t scrape your dog’s skin when you’re working with their undercoat.
And because there are two rows, one short and one longer, it does a great job of catching loose hairs. The hairs stay trapped on the rake so you can easily remove them.
I particularly like this brush for its thick mane and chest fur. And when your GSD is blowing their undercoat, this rake works wonders!
The only thing to keep in mind with this brush is to let the spring design do all the work. Don’t brush with any pressure, just gently move the brush from top to bottom.
Dremel 7300-PT 4.8V Pet Nail Grooming Tool
See the Dremel 7300-PT 4.8V Pet Nail Grooming Tool on Amazon.
Trying to cut through those nails is stressful for both them and me.
So, in my opinion, a Dremel is the fastest and easiest way to shape and maintain a German Shepherd’s nails.
You could go for a full Dremel set as I have, but that’s not necessary unless you’re into woodwork or pottery.
I’ve recently switched from my Dremel 4000 to the handy and quiet LuckyTail nail grinder. You can read more about the best dog nail grinders including the LuckyTail.
The Dremel 7300-PT is made for pet nails and will do the trick at a fraction of the price.
It comes with two-speed settings making it easy for you to trim and shape nails in stages. And it’s much lighter than a regular Dremel.
It’s also cordless. I like this feature because you can use it anywhere. It’s rechargeable battery will be fully charged in 3 hours.
If you’ve ever tried to trim your dog’s nails with the old-fashioned trimmers you know stressful it can be.
And you have probably cut too deep before, causing bleeding of the quick. A Dremel totally eliminates this problem.
Dermoscent PyoCLEAN Wipes
See Dermoscent PyoCLEAN Wipes on Amazon.
My vet recommend PyoCLEAN for my Shep’s ears. Although Sheps have open ears making them less prone to infections, they can develop a buildup of wax and debris.
I’m very particular about what I put inside my dog’s ears. So when I found out that PyoCLEAN is made from essential oils and it’s biodegradable I was keen to try it.
You can use these wipes once a week to clean your dog’s ear flap (ear pinna). You don’t need to clean into the canal, simply wipe the part you can see.
And work from the bottom up. This way to can move any dirt away from the ear canal up the flap and onto the wipe.
The German Shepherd Grooming Guide
Okay, so grooming a Shep is work, but although their coats need special attention, there’s nothing to it if you do so regularly.
Bathing
German Shepherds are notorious for sensitive skins. So bathing should be done sparingly.
Bathing too often can lead to dry skin by stripping your dog’s coat of its natural oils. This in turn can lead to other skin problems.
As a rule, mine get a shampoo bath 3 times a year. If they’re spending a lot of time in the pool, I like to give them a clean water rinse.
If I feel they need it, I’ll work in some conditioner and follow up with a clean water rinse.
Summer and early winter time are the most important bathtimes for the year. This is where I help my dogs blow their undercoats.
A dog’s skin has a different pH to ours. So I recommend using shampoo specially formulated for dogs. Check out these dog shampoos I recommend.
Brushing
Regular brushing is the basis for good GSD grooming. And I recommend brushing at least three times a week.
With regular brushing you’ll help remove the shedding undercoat. This will ensure ideal airflow through your dog’s coat and avoid matting.
Without regular brushing your dog can suffer from rashes, hotspots and matted fur. So take brushing seriously.
During coat-blowing season I like to use my grooming glove. It’s soft on the skin and gets rid of a lot of loose fur.
In between using the grooming gloves, I use a regular undercoat rake and my double sided brush for maintenance.
Ears Grooming
This is your dog’s ear pinna. You can easily wipe it clean of wax and debris.
Like I mentioned earlier, I clean my dog’s ears at least once a week. It’s easy if you use something like the PyoCLEAN wipes I recommend.
But you can also use a 1:1 solution of Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV) and filtered water. ACV is a great antifungal and antibacterial. You can also add a few drops of Lavender oil to this mix to soothe general ear irritation.
If you’re going to use a home made solution, dampen a cotton pad with the solution and clean from the bottom up on the inside (ear pinna). Be careful not to allow any solution to run into your dog’s ear canal.
Nail Grooming
I know nail grooming is stressful. Especially if you’re working with a regular nail clipper. That’s why I think a Dremel is the best way to go.
Although, you will have to train your pooch to be comfortable with the Dremel before using it.
In this video below I show you how I teach my dogs to be comfortable with something new. In this case the something new is a puzzle toy. But you can do this with anything new. Just replace the toy with the Dremel!
Conclusion
I’ve tried a lot of tools over the years and, from my experience, these are the best grooming tools for German Shepherds.
Our German Shepherd’s have high maintenance coats. But the truth is, with the right tools it’s pretty easy.
Now that you know what works, you can have a beautifully groomed Shep in 15 minutes flat!
