German Shepherd Dog

The hair on the back of the hock can be trimmed with thinning shears to neaten the overall appearance of the feet as well. Often the hair is uneven and or matted back there. Also, by selectively thinning the area, you can create the appearance of a heavier boned dog. I also use a matt breaker (but I am sure that you can use a Coat King as well) to debulk the croup area. Many dogs seem to have a lump of hair at the bas of the croup where the tail and croup meet. GSDs should have a gently sloping croup - not an abruptly ending one. So, by getting out some of the undercoat at the base of the tail - you elongate and smooth out the croup. Another trick. Once the dog is done use a long pinned pin brush to brush the tan colored portions of the legs in the opposite direction and spray on mink oil. This will give the appearance of a darker red dog.