8 Best Brush for German Shepherd

It’s hard to resist the charm of a German Shepherd. With the look of a wolf and the personality of a teddy bear, there is a lot to love about these animals.

Unfortunately, there is one big downside that many potential German Shepherd owners don’t consider. 

That downside, of course, is their long and thick coats.

With such a long-haired dog, you need to brush their coat regularly. While you don’t necessarily have to do this with short-haired breeds, a German Shepherd should be brushed at least twice a week.

For those who may be new to the subject, let’s look at eight of the best brushes for German Shepherd coat options we could find.

At a Glance: Here is an Overview of Our Top 8 Choices

Best for Sensitive Skin

1. Hertzko Soft Pet Brush for Dogs

This is a wide-headed slicker brush, and it offers a high degree of gentleness. 

The pins on this brush aren’t pins at all because they’re not made of metal. Instead, they are made of stiff plastic. That means they are virtually incapable of scratching your dog’s skin.

This one makes a great slicker brush for a German Shepherd, as its pins are long enough to reach all the way to the skin.

We also like the ergonomic rubberized handle.

Between the ridges on the sides and the thumb groove on top, that handle provides excellent control every time.

This one has a money-back guarantee associated with it, and that’s always a reassuring sight. If a company doesn’t stand behind its product, they probably don’t deserve your money.

Overall, there seems to be little to no risk involved in purchasing this brush. In addition, its cost is very competitive, so there’s no reason to sweat about that price tag either.

At the same time, the bristles on this brush are a little too close together. Although it’s not a huge problem, it does limit their ability to trap hair.

We also feel that the connection point between the handle and the head is too thin and weak. Since there’s nothing involved here but plastic, we feel it needs a little more.

Pros

• Pins are rounded and made of flexible plastic
• Wide brush head covers a wider area
• Very ergonomic handle
• Money-back guarantee
• Good mix of firmness and gentleness

Cons

• The plastic head can break off
• Bristles are a little too close together

Best for On the Go

2. KylePet Double Sided Pet Slicker Brush

This one might be described as a multi-tool because of the fact that it’s two brushes in one.

• On one side, you have a wire-pin brush with the usual setup.
• On the other side, you have a standard soft-bristle brush.

Between these two tools, you can do just about anything.

A brush like this can be very handy because it saves time and space. You don’t have to switch back and forth between two different tools, you are sure to shave a few minutes off of brushing time.

When you are traveling with your German Shepherd, a brush like this can help you to save valuable bag space. It might be bulkier than most brushes, but it’s still a lot smaller than any two brushes. Thus, we would recommend this one as a travel choice.

There is one thing missing from this package, and that is a rake/comb.

Of course, brushing is usually all that your dog’s fur requires, but what about those other times? When you run into a really tough tangle, you will still need to resort to the use of a comb or rake.

But to be honest, it would have been better for our purposes if they had combined a wire-pin brush with a long-toothed comb.

Pros

• It is basically two brushes in one
• Saves time and space
• Strong bamboo handle
• 30-day warranty
• Pin ends are firmly affixed

Cons

• Not much good against deep tangles
• The handle is a little bit small

Best for Shine and Loose Fur

3. FURminator Firm Grooming Slicker Brush

This is probably the most hardcore slicker brush we have seen, so its name (“the FURminator”) is quite appropriate.

However, the most distinguishing feature of this brush is the hooked pins that constitute its most important parts. These hooked pins are meant to be used with a “down and outward” motion (more about proper technique in the information section below).

When used with this kind of brushstroke, the FURminator brush effectively grabs all that loose hair and pulls it away. Because the brush is two-sided, you won’t have to clean it nearly as often.

At the same time, it’s easy to see that this brush could be very hard on your dog’s skin. If you don’t use the right kind of brushstroke, your dog is likely to hate this brush.

Also, some customers have complained that the handle is not firmly attached to the flexible head.

Let’s talk about that flexible head, as it represents another important feature of this brush. The head is split in two, allowing each side to “hug” the surface of your dog’s skin.

The idea is that you will have a little more pressure and, thus, a little more effectiveness.

Pros

• Hooked teeth do a great job of grabbing loose hair
• The entire thing is thick and sturdy
• Double-sided for less frequent cleaning
• Split-middle design allows for better movement
• The grip is exceptionally good

Cons

• Requires good technique for safety
• The handle might not be attached firmly enough

Best Self-Cleaning Brush

4. Hertzko Self-Cleaning Slicker Brush

This is the only self-cleaning brush on our list, and that is a very big advantage. 

With most German Shepherds, brushing involves a lot of stopping to pick hair from the brush. Even if you are used to this task, it is still a pain.

The handle on this brush is very nice, as it is covered in a rubber grip that gives the user great control. At the same time, we wish they had not put the self-cleaning button right where the thumb wants to sit.

Another inch or two in any direction would have done a lot to keep it out of the way.

The pins on this thing are very long and thin, which is just what we want for a German Shepherd dog. As long as they don’t get jammed in the cleaning mechanism, we guess that these teeth will do the job perfectly. 

Despite its special feature, this brush is easily used by anyone.

Pros

• No need to pick the hair out by hand
• Pins are very long and thin
• Anti-slip handle
• Easy for anyone to use

Cons

• A little bulky
• Easy to hit the clean button by accident

Best Brush for German Shepherd Puppy

5. BioSilk For Dogs Eco-Friendly Bristle Brush

This boar hair bristle brush from BioSilk is an eco-friendly dog brush perfect for grooming your German Shepherd puppy. It has an ergonomic handle that makes it easy to hold and maintain your grip as you struggle to keep your pup still.

The biggest benefit of using the best brush for German Shepherd puppy is the shininess and smoothness a bristle brush offers.

This brush is made from plant-based materials with natural boars hair bristles that effectively and gently remove loose hair, dirt, and debris from your puppy’s coat. It also helps evenly distribute the pup’s natural oils across the skin to maintain a healthy coat and sheen.

This best brush for German Shepherd puppy is intended for everyday use and is good for your pup’s hair as it grows. The Spiral Flex technology allows this bristle brush to gently contour your pup’s body to painlessly detangle fur.

Pros

• Ergonomically designed handle
• Eco-friendly
• Gentle enough for a puppy’s sensitive skin and shorter hair
• Easy to clean when done grooming

Cons

• Handle is on the shorter side
• Won’t be a good choice as the puppy grows up and the hair becomes longer and thicker

Best Brush for Shedding

6. DakPets Pet Grooming Brush

If you have a German Shepherd that sheds a lot, you need a good brush to combat the shedding and remove the loose fur. 

This DakPets Pet Grooming Brush effectively reduces shedding by up to 95%. It is a high-quality pet hair removal brush made to be non-irritating to your dog’s skin.

The rubber handle is durable and provides you with a non-slip grip. The stem handle is strong and will not break.

This dog brush allows you to remove loose dog hair quickly and effectively from the dog’s undercoat while preventing damage to its topcoat.

When you use this deshedding brush on a regular basis, you can also ensure a healthier skin and coat for your dog as well. 

It also comes with the benefit of reducing coat issues and leaving your dog with soft, smooth, and healthy fur.

In addition, the brush features a versatile detachable design. You can easily remove the stainless steel comb by simply pressing down on the Quick Release button on the tool’s head.

You can also use the detached comb on its own if you are dealing with extra-long fur or harder-to-reach places.

It is recommended that you use this brush at least three times per week for 10 to 15 minutes at a time and more frequently during shedding season.

You just have to apply a small amount of pressure and then allow the tool to do the work for you. 

It is the best brush for German Shepherd shedding you can find.

Pros

• Effectively removes a good amount of loose hair
• Gentle on the dog’s skin and non-irritating
• Affordable price compared to some other brands
• Keeps all the hair together while brushing, so there is no mess

Cons

• Not very ergonomically designed, so it may be harder to hold for longer periods of time
• Have to use the brush at specific angles to reach all areas, which isn’t always ideal

Best Mitt-Style Brush for Easy Grooming

7. Pet Grooming Glove

If you are looking for an easier way to brush and care for your German Shepherd’s coat without the hassle of having to hold a brush at awkward angles, then you definitely want to consider this grooming glove.

The grooming glove is made from rubber and silicone materials with 255 enhanced silicone grooming tips. It gently de-sheds your German Shepherd while effectively removing loose hair.

The glove mimics the touch of your hand, offering your dog a more relaxing brushing time and massage.

The gloves are also flexible, so you can easily brush away dirt and loose hair while reaching those harder-to-reach areas that would be difficult to do with a traditional dog brush.

When brushing the dog, the loose hair sticks to the glove, making it easy to clean when you are done. 

It is also skin-friendly and will not cause skin damage or irritation.

This product can be used for other grooming actions, including deshedding, massage, and a bath tool.

The wrist straps are adjustable, so you can achieve the ideal fit when grooming your dog’s coat.

To use these gloves, spray a small amount of water on the rubber side of the glove and start grooming your German Shepherd in sweeping motions. You can then peel off the fur that collected on the glove and throw it out. 

The gloves can be washed by hand or in the washing machine.

However, keep in mind that the bristles on the rubber side are shorter than what you would find on a bristle brush. As a result, this glove might be better suited for a shorter-haired German Shepherd or German Shepherd puppy.

It will not effectively reach the undercoat but will effectively remove loose hair from the surface of the dog’s coat.

Pros

• Easy to use and easy to clean
• Will not irritate your dog’s skin
• Removes excess fur and dead hair to help with shedding
• Massages the dog as you groom them

Cons

• Not effective for longer, thicker coats
• Will not reach the undercoat

Best Brush for Tangles and Dematting

8. Berso Pet Dematting Brush

This is the best pet dematting comb tool that works well on medium and long-haired dogs. It can effectively remove tough tangles and matting from your dog’s undercoat without hurting their skin or causing irritation.

On top of that, it has a 12 blade side that gently picks its way through matted fur to eliminate knots.

The 23 blade side of this brush can be used for de-shedding and thinning of thicker hair.

This brush’s new non-slip soft side rubber handle makes grooming much easier and a lot more ergonomic for the dog owner. The rounded blade heads allow for a higher protection level and provide your pet with a safer grooming experience.

The teeth of this brush are curved, so they will not dig into your dog’s skin. 

Since it easily removes excess hair and knots, you will find it also leads to much less shedding when done regularly.

Pros

• Easy to use and comfortable to hold
• No immediate sharp edges, making it safer for your pet
• Easy to clean
• Effectively and gently removes stubborn tangles and matting in the undercoat

Cons

• When not used correctly, the teeth of the brush can pull on the dog’s hair
• It is not ideal for shorter-haired German Shepherds

Buyer’s Guide

In this section, we will go over some of the different types of brushes that can be found on the market.

With each dog grooming tool, we will determine if this type of brush is suitable for a German Shepherd or not.

Bristle Brushes

These are the ones with soft, long bristles. 

These kinds of brushes are also commonly used on human hair, as they do a good job of removing tangles. The soft bristles can grab the hair and pull it straight without yanking out large amounts.

Of course, a dog will shed much more easily than a human, so be prepared to clean your bristle brush quite frequently.

When you own a German Shepherd, this kind of thing goes with the territory.

Bristle brushes are suitable for a German Shepherd, but we would say that it’s not the only brush you should own.

This kind of brush will do a great job of alleviating surface-level tangles, but they won’t reach underneath to detangle their undercoat.

Also, we would recommend that you use a long-bristled variant so that you can get the most out of your efforts.

Wire Pin Brushes

Instead of bristles, these brushes are set with wire-type pins set in a soft base material. Because of this, the pins can move and flex a little bit, which keeps them from scratching the skin or yanking out huge amounts of hair.

Many times, these pins will have a small ball-like piece on the end. This reduces the chance of such a brush getting tangled badly.

These brushes are definitely well-suited for German Shepherds. In fact, they might be the best choice for a long-haired dog of this type.

As long as you choose one with long pins, it should be able to reach all the way to the skin. This ensures that all knots and tangles are removed from your German Shepherd’s coat.

We recommend that you go with the longest and most flexible pins for your brush, as this will lead to less hair loss for your dog.

Slicker Brushes

Slicker brushes are very similar to wire-pin brushes but with one key difference. 

These pins do not have rounded ends, which means that they will grab a lot more hair. Still, sometimes that is what you want in a good brush.

The pins of these brushes also tend to be thinner and shorter than those usually found on wire-pin brushes.

All in all, this is a lot like a bristle brush in that it’s meant to detangle the surface layer of your dog’s fur.

Slicker brushes are not a bad choice for a German Shepherd, but they are not a stand-alone solution.

What we mean is this: It’s good to give your Shepherd a slicker brushing when they are shedding especially badly. However, this brushing should be followed up with a different brush (preferably one that can go a little deeper).

Comb and Dematting Rake

There’s a huge difference between combing and brushing.

While brushing does a good job of removing tangles and matted fur, a comb is the only surefire way to deal with them.

Although combing may take a little longer, it should help to keep your pet’s hair smooth and silky at all times.

A German Shepherd definitely needs regular combing.

However, because of the thick and wooly nature of their hair, you might find it difficult to comb them. So, you will need to be a little more careful when using that comb.

Don’t pull too hard and be sure that you pay attention to your dog’s reactions.  If they seem to be in pain, you are likely to be doing something wrong.

We should mention the use of rubber-toothed combs.

If your dog is sensitive to a normal comb, whining and wincing with every stroke, you should consider getting a comb with stiff rubber teeth. Their greater flexibility will make the whole process a lot gentler. As a bonus, they will also massage and soothe your dog’s skin.

We would be missing an important tool if we didn’t mention the use of flea combs. These little devices are meant to pull fleas from a dog’s coat, and they do the job with great effectiveness.

For those who don’t want to use potentially toxic flea shampoos, this is one of the only alternatives out there.

Deshedding Tool

Although these tools might look like some kind of medieval torture device, they are actually one of the best weapons in the dog groomer’s arsenal. Like a comb, they push the hair into channels so that it can be separated.

However, these tools go a little farther. They work by going underneath the topcoat and removing loose hair from the undercoat.

When you are dealing with serious tangles, there is no substitute for a tool like this.

However, these de-shedding/detangling tools are not suited for small-scale problems.

In many cases, smaller tangles will pass through the wide gaps between the teeth. Thus, you can see that you are dealing with a less precise instrument here.

For a German Shepherd, a tool like this is absolutely essential.

Like many other cold-oriented breeds, the Shepherd will have both an outer coat and an inner coat.

This inner coat is where most of the shedding comes from, so it needs a little bit of special attention.

Developing The Right Technique

If you want your dog to get the maximum benefit from each brushing, you must develop the proper technique.

A dog brush isn’t a magic wand, and it won’t do its job unless wielded with skill. 

Of course, this kind of skill tends to develop naturally over time, but here are a few pointers to get you started.

Develop the Right Brushstroke

For one thing, you want to develop the right kind of brushstroke. 

Incorrect brushing will be ineffective (at best) or may even harm your dog’s skin (at worst).

If nothing else, you need to develop a careful stroke to avoid the eyes and other sensitive areas.

Brush Down and Out

You should use a short, fast stroke of the hand. 

This stroke should go downward rather than upward, as the downward motion is easier to control.

As you finish each stroke, move the brush away from the skin of the dog. 

The result of this is a “down but outward” motion that can be difficult to cultivate.

Be Gentle

It’s also important that you avoid the temptation to yank and force your way past those mats and tangles that you are bound to find.

If you cause pain to the animal while brushing, they are likely to be a lot less cooperative in the future.

To avoid the need for all that pulling, you can use a spray or a conditioner to work the hair into a more pliable state.

What To Look For In A German Shepherd Brush

To summarize what we have learned, let’s think about the most important qualities that a brush for a German Shepherd should have.

Consider this section as your checklist when shopping for a new brush:

• Go for a brush with long bristles/pins so that they can reach all the way down to the skin. Otherwise, you will only be affecting the surface layer
• Go for a brush that is durable enough to withstand the thick hair of this breed
• Go for a brush that is comfortable in your hand and comfortable to use. Better ergonomics will usually add up to better brushing technique
• If possible, go for a brush with retractable bristles. This will save you a lot of time
• Avoid most short-toothed combs unless you have a short-haired German Shepherd

Soft-bristle brushes are workable but not the best choice. Instead, go for something with a little more penetration.

A Word About Breed Variation

When we talk about this subject, it is only fair to mention that German Shepherds come in several different sub-forms.

Most of the advice in this article is intended for dogs with medium to long hair, but there are short-haired variants of this breed.

If you have one of those short-haired Shepherds, you will need to modify the advice in this article. 

For one thing, go with a shorter-bristled brush, as longer bristles will scratch your dog’s sensitive skin.

For another thing, you can probably forego the use of a detangling tool since the hair isn’t nearly long enough to require such a device.

German Shepherd Shedding Season

Many dog owners talk about shedding season. It happens about two times a year.

First, the dog will shed its thinner summer coat to prepare for a thicker winter coat. Then, after winter, he will shed the thicker coat.

When this happens, the hair will undoubtedly get everywhere, frustrating dog owners.

So, to avoid the mess that comes with shedding twice a year, you want to find effective ways to reduce the shedding as much as possible.

Since the German Shepherd has a thick double coat and has to shed, you can’t always find ways to steer clear of the hair accumulating everywhere.

However, brushing your dog regularly with one of the best brushes for German Shepherd breeds that we have described above is a good place to start.

You can also use an anti-shedding shampoo that can help reduce the amount your dog sheds.

Best Brushes For German Shepherds

Choosing a brush for your dog shouldn’t be a hard choice, so don’t get the wrong idea from this article. 

But, overall, this shouldn’t be a hard decision to make.

Still, we hope that this article has made your choice even easier by educating you a little more thoroughly than before.

Because we have included a wide variety of brushes in this article, it would not be possible to name just one of these products as “the best.”

To decide which of these brushes is right for your dog, you will have to evaluate the information that we have given you.

FAQ

What are the different types of brushes for German Shepherds?

There are various types of brushes for German Shepherds including undercoat rake, slicker brush, rubber brush, and deshedding tool.

How often should I groom my German Shepherd?

It is recommended to groom your German Shepherd at least once a week, especially during shedding season.

What is the best grooming tool for a long-haired German Shepherd?

The best grooming tool for a long-haired German Shepherd is a deshedding tool, which helps to remove loose undercoat fur.

Can I use the same brush for multiple dogs?

Yes, you can use the same brush for multiple dogs, but it’s important to clean and sanitize the brush between uses to prevent the spread of any skin conditions or parasites.

How do I choose the right brush for my German Shepherd?

When choosing a brush for your German Shepherd, consider factors such as the type of coat your dog has, the length of their hair, and any specific grooming needs they may have.

What is the best dog brush for German Shepherds with a short coat?

The best dog brush for German Shepherds with a short coat is a slicker brush, which effectively removes loose hair and eliminates mats and tangles.

How can I minimize shedding in my German Shepherd?

Regular grooming sessions using a deshedding tool and undercoat rake can help minimize shedding in German Shepherds by removing loose undercoat fur.

Are there specific brushes designed for German Shepherd grooming?

Yes, there are specific brushes designed for German Shepherd grooming, such as the Kong ZoomGroom multi-use brush that is suitable for their coat type.

What are the benefits of using a rubber brush for German Shepherd grooming?

A rubber brush is effective for German Shepherd grooming as it massages the skin, stimulates blood flow, and removes loose hair, making it a gentle and efficient grooming tool.

What is the best grooming routine for a German Shepherd?

The best grooming routine for a German Shepherd involves regular brushing with the appropriate tools, along with occasional baths, nail trimming, and ear cleaning to maintain their overall hygiene and appearance.

Recommended reading:

• 10 Best Nail Clippers For A German Shepherd
• 7 Best Shampoo For German Shepherd
• 7 Best Grooming Tools For A German Shepherd