You should bathe your German Shepherd about once a month. You can use a special canine shampoo or one meant for humans. The pH of a dog’s skin is different from that of a person’s skin, but there isn’t any evidence that using a human shampoo is bad for your dog.

For most breeds, we recommend brushing before bathing, but unless your German Shepherd is very matted, bathe him first. This is because when the coat is almost dry, you’ll find that the loose hair comes out very easily.

Start by making sure you have all of the needed supplies on hand, including shampoo, three or four old towels, and a rubber nonslip bathmat for the floor of the tub. You may want to place some cotton balls in your dog’s ears to keep them dry. Water collecting in the ears just invites infection. However, don’t forget they are in there! Although most dog shampoos are very mild, you may also want to apply mineral oil in the corners of your dog’s eyes to protect them from shampoo irritation.

Invite (or carry) your dog into the tub and wet him down thoroughly. Use warm or tepid water. Apply the shampoo and rub into lather, keeping the soap out of his ears and eyes. Start shampooing at the top and neck, and work down and back.

Bathe the head last because when dogs get their heads wet, they shake. Rinse several times to prevent a dull coat and dry, flaky, or sticky skin.

As soon as the bath is done, begin drying him. In the winter, you may want to use a hand-held hair dryer, but in the summer you can let the dog air dry after you work him over with some fluffy towels (while he’s still in the tub). Using a slicker brush in the direction of hair growth will also help during the drying process, because you can pretty much guarantee that more loose hair will be removed. Use a chamois cloth to bring out that final shine.