Piles & piles of hair! Oh my!

I've had German Shepherds my entire life and like many owners I often refer to them as German Shedders.  Double coated breeds can be especially challenging in terms of keeping your house clean. Some people resort to shaving them in an effort to curb the hair. The issue is that it can ruin your dog's coat & in the long term make shedding worse. 

Double coated breeds have a harsher coat on top. These are referred to as guard hairs. They do shed but the majority of the issue comes from the softer undercoat. This is the source of the "hair bunnies" you find floating around on the floor. What can happen when you shave a double coated breed is that as the hair follicles that normally would produce guard hairs begin to grow back as undercoat. Undercoat is shed more frequently as it has a shorter growth cycle.  More undercoat=more hair around the house. 

This illustration explains how a double coat functions:
​

I am completely opposed to shaving double coated dogs unless there is a medical need or the coat is severely matted. There is a better option, deshedding. Using special tools & techniques a groomer can remove more undercoat from your dog than you typically can at home. This makes your life much easier! Check out my slideshow for before & after pictures fo just a few clients.