German shepherd grooming

German shepherd grooming: a coat that sheds, on skin that reacts.

Name: Bay Area Mobile Dog Wash
Telephone: (408) 599-8317
Price range: $75–$155

Grooming a shepherd is regular undercoat brushing, a gentle wash, a long rinse, a dry that reaches the skin, and nails that actually get done. There is no haircut involved. The trick is that the coat wants more work and the skin wants less, so every step is about being thorough without being harsh.

The coat and skin

What you are working with.

Coat

Dense double coat

A thick undercoat under a coarse guard coat. It turns over all year and blows out each spring and fall.

Skin

Sensitive

Prone to allergies, dryness, and hot spots. Harsh shampoo or scrubbing harder makes it worse, not better.

Trouble spots

Rump, tail, back of the thighs

Loose undercoat packs in densest here, and it is the last place most owners brush.

Our price

$115

Most shepherds are our large tier. A smaller female under 60 lbs is $95. Nails and ears included.

Home or pro

Each part of shepherd grooming, and who does it best.

Brushing

At home: The core home job. An undercoat rake two or three times a week, working all the way back to the rump and tail, and daily during a blowout.

At our visit: A brush-out before the bath and again after the dry, with extra time on the rump, tail, and thighs.

Washing

At home: An occasional rinse after mud is fine. A full wash of a 70 to 90 lb dog in a home tub is a real undertaking, and most people under-rinse.

At our visit: A gentle shampoo worked to the skin, then a rinse that runs longer than the wash, because residue is a common cause of GSD itching.

Drying

At home: A towel dries the guard coat. It does not reach the undercoat, and a damp undercoat on this breed is how hot spots start.

At our visit: A forced-air dryer, section by section, until the undercoat is dry at the skin. Most of the loose undercoat comes out here.

Nails

At home: Many shepherd owners give up on this one. Big nails, a strong dog, and a pulled-back paw make it easy to hit the quick.

At our visit: Included in every wash, clip or grind. A dog already calm in the tub is easier to do than one on the kitchen floor.

Ears

At home: The upright ear is open and easy to see. A weekly look for dirt, wax, or redness is enough.

At our visit: Checked and cleaned at every wash, included.

The shedding itself, and which rake to buy, is on the german shepherd shedding page.

The visit

What a bath-and-brush does for a shepherd, step by step.

01
Skin and coat check
Hands through the coat down to the skin before any water, looking for hot spots, flaky patches, and packed undercoat at the rump.
02
Pre-bath brush-out
Loose undercoat worked free dry, so the shampoo can reach the skin instead of sitting on a felted layer.
03
Gentle wash
Warm water and a mild shampoo worked in by hand. If your vet has prescribed a medicated shampoo, we use yours and give it the contact time on the label.
04
The long rinse
Until the water runs completely clear. On a coat this dense, the rinse is the step that protects the skin.
05
Nails, ears, paws
Nails clipped or ground, ears cleaned, paws washed one at a time.
06
Forced-air dry and finishing brush
Dry to the skin, then a final brush. This is where the loose undercoat leaves, in the van rather than across your floors.

German shepherd mid-wash in the folding tub, shampoo worked through the head and neck by hand — One of ours: shampoo worked in by hand, down through the neck ruff to the skin.

A German shepherd's ear being handled during the rinse, close up — Same dog, ears handled during the rinse. They get checked and cleaned every visit.

Shepherd problems

Itching, hot spots, and the packed rump.

Itchy, flaky skin. The natural response to endless fur is to wash harder and more often, and with a shepherd that backfires. Stripped coat oils and leftover shampoo produce exactly the dandruff and scratching the owner was trying to fix. Our itchy-skin shampoo guide explains why switching bottles rarely helps.

Hot spots. A patch that goes red, wet, and raw within a day or two, often where the undercoat is thickest. A damp undercoat after a bath, a swim, or rain is a common trigger. An active one is a vet visit, and we will not wash over it.

The packed rump and tail. Loose undercoat felts into the back of the thighs and the base of the tail, where skin underneath stays warm and airless. It is the area we spend longest on in the brush-out and the dry. Light tangles we work free. Severe matting needs a groomer with clippers, and we will say so before we start.

When it is a vet question. If your shepherd is still scratching, flaking, or chewing a week after a gentle bath and a full dry, the cause is usually allergy, diet, or parasites, not dirt. More washing will make that dog worse. Ask your vet.

Price

$115 for most german shepherds.

Our large tier, flat. A smaller female under 60 lbs is $95. That covers the brush-out, gentle wash, long rinse, full forced-air dry, nail trim, and ear cleaning. Nails and ears are included in every wash.

During a spring or fall blowout, add the $15 de-shedding treatment for $130 total. The interval between visits is on the german shepherd bathing schedule, which is built around protecting the skin.

CALL: (408) 599-8317 Book Now

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Frequently asked

German shepherd grooming questions.

Not in the haircut sense. A shepherd never needs clipping, and shaving one damages the coat. What a pro adds is the wash done gently, a proper rinse, and a dry that reaches the skin, which a home tub and a towel cannot match on this coat. Brushing between visits stays a home job, and it is the one that matters most.

The usual causes are shampoo left in the coat, a harsh or perfumed product, or an undercoat that stayed damp. Try a gentle fragrance-free shampoo, rinse far longer than feels necessary, and dry to the skin. If the scratching, flaking, or chewing continues a week after a gentle bath and full dry, the cause is probably allergy, diet, or parasites, and that is a conversation for your vet.

Not over an active one. A raw, wet, or weeping patch needs your vet first, and washing over it can make it worse. We will tell you and rebook. Once it has healed, keeping the undercoat dry after every bath is one of the better ways to avoid the next one.

Usually yes. Nails are included in every wash, clipped or ground, and a dog that has just been washed and is standing calmly in the tub is often easier than one pinned on the floor at home. If your dog is genuinely reactive about handling, tell us when you book so we can plan for it.

That has its own page. The german shepherd breed guide covers the cadence, including when to tighten it during a blowout and when indoor dogs can stretch it. For this breed, washing more often than the skin can handle is the most common mistake.

Nails come with every wash, see nail trim and more. For a shepherd who is nervous about handling, read how we approach senior and anxious dogs.

Thorough on the coat, gentle on the skin.

Bath-and-brush for your shepherd at your driveway, $115 for most, nails and ears included. The fur leaves with us.