Minimal Shedding??? - Page 1

I have a 14 month old dark sable coated DDR line female. Aside from blowing her coat in April with a pile of fur to prove it; she sheds minimally.  I had 2 stock coats and they shed continually year around.  Don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining!  She's my first coated GSD so I was just curious is the minimal shedding was a trait of the coated GSDs?  

I referred to my stock coats as German Shedders and was always brushing them and cleaning the hardwoods.  Even when I brush her - very little fur is on the brush.  I have really fallen in love with these fuzzy dogs and I wouldn't hesitate to get another one...even if they shed like crazy.  Was just curious if she's the exception and not the norm?
 

I've had both stock coats and long coats and for certain the longcoats shed a lot less. At least that is my experience.

Longcoats SHED a bit less;  but the problem with longcoats
is their tendency to matt.  Even when regularly groomed, a
little running around in the wet, for instance, can result in
tangles of the long 'trousers' , tail and chest hair that are a
real bugger to comb out, and can hurt the dog when you are
trying to extricate the knots, bits of twig and leaf, brambles
etc that brush off/out much more easily from a stock coat.
Heavy matting underneath if a dog is insufficiently groomed
can lead to you missing hidden nasties.   Give me a standard
coat length GSD any day !

Yes, brushing these coaties and checking for hair mats on a regular basis is essential. Check regularly behind the ears and the arm pits, in addition to the chest, tail and trouser area. You can not just do superficial brushing either. I have found that an equine product called Show Sheen helps the coat stay silkier and reduces matting. I brush at least twice a week. I also keep the paw feathers neatly trimmed to help prevent burs and stickers from getting stuck to them.

I love the coaties and I really don't think they are more work than the stock coats. I would rather be brushing my dog than be vacuuming any day. JMO :)

I always stand by my favorite grooming product for coated dogs. Best Shot Shampoo system. The shampoo, conditioner and finish spray work great on those fuller and longer coated shepherds. But even stock coats look better after a good bath and power drying in this stuff. Because it gets them so clean that it actually breaks the oil and static bonds that hold the coat together and add to the constant shedding. Yet it doesn't strip the coat or leave it feeling dry nor oily.
I always keep some of this stuff around even though i'm now retired from grooming.
Fry