Yes. German Shepherds do shed. A lot? Well, I would have to say that that in many ways this is up to the owner because some people may have more have more of an aversion to Dog, cat or any kind of pet hair than others do. Personally, I've been around German Shepherds since I was a kid so I don't even think about their shedding any more - it's just a part of life for me and my Dogs and we just handle it as it comes. Not having Dog hairs for me would mean that I don't have a GSD either and I'd much rather have the Dog (and it's coat) any day than a spotless house.
There is a chance you'll hear them referred to as "German Shedders" by people too. Why? Because they do shed - pretty moderately all year long. I can tell you this without reservation though - if you are offended by dog hair and have a "clean freak" type personality, then do not get a German Shepherd Dog because you will have to deal with dog hair. I promise you that.
New owners of German Shepherds, also called Alsatians, or people thinking about getting one, however, need to be aware that GSDs do shed. Just so you'll know, the GSD is a "double-coated" dog breed. This means that its coat consists of a fluffy undercoat that helps insulate the dog and stiffer guard hairs on the top that help "waterproof" the dog.
Now here's the main thing you need to keep in mind about the GSD and its coat - those guard hairs on the outside will be shed - all year long - every day. And what about that fluffy undercoat? It gets shed too - about twice a year - once in the spring and again in the fall as the seasons change. This is what many people refer to as "blowing coat" so if you hear that term thrown around you'll know what it means.
When they do seasonally blow coat you can easily comb out enough dead hair to make a good sized Pekingese statue with all the dead hair. During this shedding process do yourself a favor and buy an undercoat rake, also called a shedding rake. This is the best grooming tool on the planet for removing all that dead undercoat easily on a GSD and will help you maintain your sanity as your dog "blows" its coat. The rest of the year you can take control of shedding easily by combing your dogs daily and vacuuming as necessary.
And what about long-coated German Shepherds?
Many people own the longer coated Alsatians. No problem. In fact, I've owned several of them myself as well. But keep this in mind, the longer coat does need more grooming overall to keep it in tip top shape. I would also like to take the time to point out that in my observations of owning both long and standard coated GSDs that it seems that my longer coated German Shepherds seem to physically shed less than my shorter coated GSDs - but the tradeoff is that they need more hands on grooming.
So, if you want a German Shepherd - really, really want a GSD, then you're going to have to deal with a dog that sheds all year too. So buy some new bags for your vacuum cleaner or get a good broom because you will need it - because German Shepherds do shed! A lot.
German Shepherds are really incredible dogs. But they're not for everyone - and if you're thinking of getting one I highly encourage you to do all the research you can about them ahead of time. One place you can learn about them is at: Total German Shepherd.
And if you love to read, why not check out my ebook, "Your Total German Shepherd Dog" now too? Filled with over 200 pages of "German Shepherd goodness" - health info, puppy news and so much more.
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