FAO Lakeela or other Alsatian person please ...

[Carakeel]

Evening all! A friend has asked about borrowing my pet clippers to clip her boyfriend's long haired Alsatian. I was a bit baffled, as I am not aware that they should be clipped. She is an ex-hairdresser and although she has a little dog herself, isn't terribly clued up about dogs, especially larger breeds. She wants to clip the dog as she thinks its coat is too warm for this weather. I am not an expert on Alsatians / GSDs, but have never heard of one being clipped before. I have told her that to my knowledge, the coat actually keeps the dog warm in winter and cool in summer and should be left alone. I have also told her she must make sure the dog has plenty of water at all times and access to shaded, cool areas of the house and garden. When our Wolfies get a bit hot, I sometimes gently hose them down, especially their legs. So, just wondering if perhaps I was wrong and GSDs are clipped at times ...

[woofgang]

NOt a GSD person but DON't let her do it. If the dog is hot then the loose undercoat should be raked out. There is also the risk that the coat will grow back fluffy and unmanageable.

[Psybbo]

No they should not be clipped, just regular combing or brushing.

[Psybbo]

ps I did have a long haired GSD for 11+ lovely years.

[paddywak]

Never heard of a GSD being clipped all my old boy ever had was regular grooming. Max loved the hose pipe treatment even though there's nothing as sad looking as a soggy long haired GSD on the other hand he used to look really cute and fluffy when he dried off.

[Carakeel]

Thanks everyone! Glad I was right then. I didn't let her have my clippers, as I was pretty sure she would be doing the wrong thing. I furminate our Wolfies every few weeks, but that is about it, well except for tidying up their paws and a few other places before a show. She has a little yorkie cross she also wants to practically shave, but again, I really cannot see the need as the dog doesn't have a thick or very long coat. It just needs regular brushing. Not sure if she isn't being a bit paranoid about dog hair around the house ... in which case she really shouldn't have dogs at all! Just my opinion.

[woofgang]

Clipping won't stop the shedding and if she clips a yorkie she runs a real risk of ending up with a fluffy tangly unmanageable coat. Actually you might like to tell her that clipping in dogs who shouldn't be clipped can make the shedding worse! London dog hair isn't like Tressy hair and just grows long again, the dog will have to shed the clipped hair to regrow.

[woofgang]

Arggh not London dog hair I meant long dog hair as in a yorkie coat

[Carakeel]

Many thanks Woofgang, I will tell her all of that! Hopefully she will listen.I have the feeling she thinks that if she keeps the dogs' coats short she won't have to brush them so much. Very lazy! I've told her that looking after a dog's coat is a MUST, especially if she doesn't want hairs everywhere and wants a happy, healthy dog. Have also advised she uses the brushing sessions to check the coat and skin thoroughly for any injuries, fleas, mites, ticks etc. I don't think she liked me mentioning all that, lol!

[Ratty2E]

I hope you manage to dissuade her, I can just imagine the poor thing ending up like the Collie on the Specsavers ad. My 2 hairy monsters have to be clipped every 6-8 weeks or they dissapear under a mass of fur, but I wouldn't do it for the hell of it.

[FredPuli43]

Er...what's a long-haired Alsatian? Is there a variety of GSD/ Alsatian that is long-haired or do you mean that this is a normal GSD that seems to have a rather longer coat than the average?

Anyway, a GSD isn't to be clipped. You just comb it with a stripping comb, at most, to rake out the loose undercoat and sleek the top coat.

[woofgang]

Yes there is a variety of GSD that has a long coat

[wolf63]

I'm trying to get my brain around a German Shepherd with a 'Poodle' hair cut.

I would think that there is also a potential sunburn issue if the coat was clipped too short.

My lady cat is threatened with the clippers on a regular basis - she is long haired and the hair is very fine and fizzy. I don't think that she would be amused if I actually did it.

[Carakeel]

Yes Fred, as Woofgang rightly said, there is a long haired variety. In Germany they are called "Altdeutscher Schäferhund", refering to the old type of German Sheperd.

Thank you all for your answers. I will be seeing my friend today so will pass on your messages to her.

[Carakeel]

Just to let you know, my friend actually took on board what we had advised her and is not going to do anything to either of the dog's the coats other than furminate the German Shepherd's coat and regularly brush both dogs. So thank you all for your advice and reasurance. Success is ours!! :o) xxx

[Psybbo]

Well done, I dread to think what the result would have been otherwise.

[lankeela]

Lol, only just read this. Please don't let her clip it, but encourage her to use a furminator to remove any dead undercoat. The coat acts as a vacuum keeping them cool in the warm and warm in the cold weather. There are different types of coats in GSDs, the normal coat, the same but with feathering on legs and tufty ears but with the normal undercoat and the real long coats which often don't have the double coat and lack undercoat. The long coats with an undercoat have recently started to be allowed in the show rings, but the ones lacking undercoat are considered a fault. Bottom line is if you don't like dog hair - don't get a German Shepherd!

[lankeela]

Just one other thing - the Kennel Club have finally dropped the word 'Alsatian' from the name of the German Shepherd Dog as it was never the correct name for them and only used as they believed people would be anti anything German.

[paddywak]

As lankeela says if you don't want dog hairs don't get a GSD, on the other hand, if you don't mind the hairs and you want an intelligent, handsome, faithful dog, GSD's are the only choice. I must admit however to being biased in my opinion that they're top dogs.

[woofgang]

delighted to hear of your success, Carakeel.

[tamborine]

GSDs moult their winter coat & long haired should be brushed daily to avoid tangling; they dont need clipping. Buy this:

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