10 Best Dog Brushes for German Shepherds in 2024 – Reviews & Top Picks

German Shepherds have long been among the most popular dogs, and there’s a reason for that. These incredible dogs are intelligent, loving, devoted, and absolutely gorgeous — and as any owner of a German Shepherd will tell you, they are huge shedders! These dogs come in short- and long-haired varieties, and they both have thick undercoats that shed. So, you need the right tools for the job: brushes, deshedders, rakes, and so on.

We know that you are busy, so we reviewed various tools that can be used for your German Shepherd to best take care of their coat. We hope that these reviews will help you find just the right brush for your pup!

A Quick Comparison of Our Favorites

	Image	Product	Details
Best Overall		Safari Self-Cleaning Brush	Self-cleaning brush by pushing a button Comfortable and non-slip handle Retractable stainless-steel pins	Check Price
Best Value		Safari Soft Slicker Brush	Inexpensive Stainless-steel pins with coated tips No accidentally scratching the skin	Check Price
Premium Choice		FURminator Short Hair Dog Deshedding Tool	Effectively removes excess fur from the undercoat Sturdy, ergonomic handle Curved stainless-steel edge	Check Price
		Li’l Pals Coated Tips Brush	Puppy size Great price Coated tips so no accidental scratching of the skin	Check Price
		HandsOn All-In-One Pet Bathing & Grooming Gloves	Can groom and bathe your dog Comes in three colors and five sizes Rubber nodules can massage your GSD	Check Price

The 10 Best Dog Brushes for German Shepherds

The best overall brush for German Shepherds is the Safari Self-Cleaning Brush. This slicker brush is self-cleaning, and since slicker brushes are notoriously difficult to clean, this is a welcome feature. After you’re finished grooming, there’s a button that you press that causes the pins to retract so the fur can just be swept off. It’s made with stainless steel, and the handle has a comfortable grip, so it shouldn’t slip in your hands or make your hands tired after grooming for a while. It’s also available in three sizes — small, medium, and large — but you’ll want the large for your GSD.

The flaw with this brush, however, is that the handle is made with sturdy plastic, but vigorous brushing through a dense coat might cause it to break after a while.

The best dog brush for German Shepherds for the money is the Safari Soft Slicker Brush. Beyond it being well-priced, this brush is a good slicker brush that is a little softer than some others because it has coated tips. This means it won’t accidentally scratch your German Shepherd while grooming. Overall, it is a good, sturdy slicker brush that is durable and will do a great job at keeping your dog’s coat healthy and smooth.

The main issue with this brush is that it might not be as effective for a German Shepherd with a really thick coat. Because of the coated tips, it can make the brush harder to move through thick fur.

The FURminator Short Hair Dog Deshedding Tool will work perfectly for your short-haired German Shepherd. It effectively removes the excess fur that your German Shepherd sheds by going straight to the undercoat. The handle is sturdy and ergonomic, so it’s comfortable to use, and the edge is made with stainless steel and is curved to fit your pup’s body. It was designed by a groomer and is effective at reducing the amount of hair that your dog sheds.

The main issue beyond it being a little expensive is that if it is not used properly, there’s a possibility of damaging your dog’s skin. Just be sure to follow the directions carefully.

The L’il Pals Coated Tips Brush is well priced. It is a great size for your German Shepherd puppy because it’s small, and the coated tips should help prevent accidentally scratching their sensitive skin. The pins are flexible, so they’ll fit your puppy’s contours and will gently remove any mats and tangles. This brush will be the perfect way to introduce your puppy to brushing, and it will keep their coat shiny and healthy.

However, this brush is quite small. It should work well for tiny puppies, but it might be too small for anyone who has issues with their hands to hold onto.

The HandsOn All-In-One Pet Bathing & Grooming Gloves are truly all in one. You can give your German Shepherd a bath and groom them all at the same time! The gloves come in black, green, or purple and in sizes from junior up to extra-large, so they can fit almost any hand size. These gloves have rubber nodules on the palm and along the fingers and will feel like a massage for your German Shepherd. They also act as a deshedder.

The issue is that they don’t remove as much hair as you might expect. They can get rid of excess hair, but they aren’t a substitute for a brush. Plus, once you’re done, it can be challenging to remove the hair from the gloves.

The FURminator Dog Grooming Rake is designed to literally rake through your GSD’s coat and can help untangle mats and knots in the undercoat. The stainless-steel pins are rounded on the ends to prevent scratching the skin, and they fully rotate for an effective way to easily remove tangles. The handle is ergonomic and antimicrobial, so it’s both safe and comfortable.

The issues are that this rake is just a way to remove tangles. This won’t have any real impact on your German Shepherd’s shedding and will only really work for dogs with thick or long fur. Also, the handle sometimes starts to become loose and might fall off after a while.

Hertzko’s Self-Cleaning Dog Brush is a slicker brush that has the ability to retract its pins for easy removal of your dog’s fur. You just push the button, the stainless-steel pins retract, and you wipe the hair away. This brush enables you to brush out any tangles and mats and works on any dog with any coat length. The handle is strong and comfortable and is designed to not slip in your hands.

The problem is that the button for retracting the pins is prone to breaking, and if it stop working, it stops retracting. You might also end up having to press the button the entire time that you’re grooming, which can be uncomfortable.

The Four Paws Magic Coat Professional Series is well-priced and goes through deeply matted fur. This rake has a V-shaped design that can help get to hard-to-reach spots on your German Shepherd, and it has a double row of stainless-steel pins that shouldn’t pull on your dog’s coat. The handle, like the rest, is ergonomic and anti-slip.

However, while it can work wonders for some dogs, others might find that it pulls too much and scratches the skin. It might work better at small mats or just preventing them rather than being able to get through large mats.

Safari’s Dual-Sided Shedding Blade is a tool that can help with your German Shepherd’s shedding. It has a dual-sided stainless-steel blade, which means one side has coarse teeth for thick coats and getting rid of excess fur, and the other has fine teeth that help smooth out short coats. The handle is comfortable to hold, and it can be unhooked and turned into one long blade, which will work well for a large German Shepherd.

The problem is that if you have a long-haired German Shepherd, this blade isn’t suitable, and if you don’t use it right, it’s capable of hurting your dog. Also, it seems rather flimsy.

KONG’s Dog ZoomGroom Multi-Use Brush is effective for use while in the bath and attracting loose fur. You can use it for just grooming purposes, but it’s designed for use in the bath too. It’s available in two colors and in puppy (3.75 inches x 2.25 inches) and adult (4.75 inches x 3 inches) sizes. It’s designed to reduce shedding and to promote a healthier and shinier coat.

The negatives are that it can be difficult to hold because it’s wide and flat without any kind of handle and that the fur can be difficult to get off. Conversely, sometimes the hair won’t stick to it at all.

Buyer’s Guide – Choosing the Best Brush for German Shepherds

Now that you’ve reviewed a variety of brushes and other grooming products, check out this buyer’s guide. We go over a few points that might help you make the right decision for a product that will work best for you and your pup.

Size

The size of the dog dictates the size of the brush. You don’t want to purchase a small brush for your large German Shepherd — that would be more work for you! Always double-check the measurements of the brush. Don’t rely only on the word “large,” or even pictures of the brush, as these can be misleading. Check the measurements, and compare them to your hand and your dog’s body. This way, you know exactly what you’re getting.

Type

The type of brush will depend on what you need it for. There are several different products to help with grooming your German Shepherd: slickers, rakes, deshedders, pin, curry brushes, etc. You’ll need to determine exactly what kind of brush will suit your needs best. In most cases, you will want to invest in a couple of different brushes. Many German Shepherd owners like to use slickers and a deshedder, like the FURminator and a rake. The choice is yours.

Read the Instructions

This is important! Some of these items have sharp blades, and you don’t want to accidentally hurt your German Shepherd. When it comes to deshedding blades and similar products, read the instructions carefully and maybe watch a few videos. Using the product correctly can make all the difference in the world for how well it works and for keeping your pup safe.

Conclusion

Our overall favorite brush for German Shepherds is the Safari Self-Cleaning Brush. This self-cleaning slicker brush is easy to use and clean up and is comfortable to hold. The Safari Soft Slicker Brush has coated pins, so it’s softer than some other brushes and has an excellent price. Finally, the FURminator Short Hair Dog Deshedding Tool is our premium pick because it is effective at removing your short-haired German Shepherd’s excessive shedding.

We hope that all these reviews have helped you find the right brush for your German Shepherd and that you’ll get to enjoy excellent bonding time together — with a little less fur flying about.

Featured Image Credit: Karpova, Shutterstock

See also: 

• 10 Best Hot Spot Treatments for Dogs – Reviews & Top Picks
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