I bath my puppies when they get dirty or when I decide to bring one in the house for a while. My older dogs get a bath when the weather starts to change from rain and snow to spring and sun. My dogs are kenneled in five acres and are outside most of their lives. I put my 100 pound dog in a tub that is set up to drain out to my flowers so I don't get the hair down the pipes.

First of all, make it easier on yourself and brush or comb out all of your dogs hair one square inch at a time. On a large dog such as this one, it may take you a week. I use a dog comb that has a wide space between each tooth. This makes it easy to get down in under all that under coat. I part the hair in one-inch horizontal lines and I start with the back legs. I comb up into the rump and down the sides of the rib cage. Then I go on to the neck section, under the belly and then the throat. That is how the coat sheds. The shedding starts in the rear of the dog so the dead hairs come out easy. The neck section may not have many dead hairs if you began your grooming process earlier than the dogs coat has completely shed out. By the time you get to the throat section (two weeks from now) it will be easier.

Now you are ready to give your dog a bath. Properly secure your dog in the tub with a nylon leash and collar. If it is a warm day, tie him up in the corner of a yard or in the corner of his kennel run. You may need to screw in a couple of hooks. If you are bathing your dog in a tub, don’t allow his head to extend out over the tub. It gets the floor (and you) all wet. Use a rubber mat so he will not slip or scare himself.

You may need to build a ramp if you have placed a tub in a garage or outside for the purpose of grooming your dog.

After the dog is well secured (at both ends if necessary) wet your dog from the shoulder blades back to his tail. A hand held shower nozzle will help immensely. If you don't have one, try a large pitcher. Soak the dog thoroughly, but don't wet his head.

I use an apple scented dog shampoo that has no chemicals. I dilute that shampoo with water and put it in a catsup container for easy pouring. I use it lightly, not heavily! Work the shampoo through the coat to the skin. Get every inch. Wait two or three minutes then rinse well to get all the soap out. Remember; don't put water on his head until the very end of the bath. Dry the dog’s body as well as you can.

Now for the head. Some times I wash a dog’s head with just a wash rag. (All dogs will shake when water gets on their heads). Never scare your dog with water in the nose. Lift his head up and put the water on his crown so it runs down the neck. He will now shake his whole body and you will be thankful you dried him as well as possible before you started to wash his head. Ring the water out of the coat and towel dry before he gets out. Walk him down the ramp and keep your body beside the tub so he doesn't jump over the edge of the tub.

Drying --- Retie the dog to a secure object to blow dry him or lay him down beside you. Again start with the back legs as you did with your combing or brushing. After he is pretty dry re-brush him and fluff him out. He is then crated in the mudroom (6x8) for about two or three days so I can brush him and love on him with his clean coat while we both watch television.

Cleaning the ears --- Put your finger in a towel and wipe the ear out as you dry the dog. If the ears are really dirty use a cotton swab. You may need to use an ear-cleaning product or use a small amount of antiseptic cream or you can put some alcohol on your cotton ball and wipe the ear that way. Do not put anything down in the ear. Do not go into the ear farther than you can see. Dry the ear by using cornstarch on a clean cotton swab. Do not allow the powder to drop into the ear. Just dust the ear really light to dry the ear or let it dry naturally.

If you suspect any problems let your veterinarian check it out.

The eyes --- I usually wipe the eyes clean with the face cloth when I bath my dogs. You may wish to use an eye cleaner for dogs. If your dog’s eyes are red or gooey contact your veterinarian and your breeder to let them know. If you get soap in his eyes use diluted eye drops to rinse the eye out and/or rinse the eyes with water as soon as possible.

Manicure session --- I do clip my puppy’s nails. At least four times before they are six months old. After that, I do not clip them unless they become too long. Maybe twice in a Shepalutes live time. My dogs are farm dogs and they all live outside. I also do not let my dogs jump on anyone. My dogs are to sit to be petted. I do allow some of my dogs to jump upon my out-stretched arm with both of their front legs to get petted so I do not have to bend over in my old age. The dogs only do this to the command “hup."

Use regular toenail clippers for small pups but make sure you don't clip the vein that grows on the underneath side of the toenail. If the nail does bleed use cornstarch or flour to stop the bleeding.

Conditioning the coat --- Good coat condition of any dog first starts in the genes. The next place good skin and coat comes from is nutrition. Lastly is brushing or grooming the dog’s coat. There are many coat conditioner products in the stores; however, dogs don’t care for aerosol sprays. If your dog’s coat is dry he probably isn't getting enough oil and fat in his diet.

Dry cleaning your Dog’s Coat ---- if your dog doesn’t really get too dirty, you may consider dry cleaning your Alsatian. Brush as before the bath. Get a trash sack for the dead hair you remove from his coat and wet rag for real dirty areas and the face. After you comb through your dogs coat use baby powder and cornstarch mixed together and shake it on his coat. Brush this in. Brush in both directions. Wipe his feet with a warm wash cloth. You may add some olive oil to the warm water and some perfume or herbs to make his smell better. Be careful. You do not want to use too much olive oil or mineral oil or you will have to give him a real bath to get the oil out!

You may wish to blow dry the powder out of his coat if you get too much in it. One last tip if you use a dry cleaner for dogs from a pet store it may have chemicals in it.

Doggie Odors and Colognes --- Your Alsatian Shepalute does not genetically carry a smelly gene. Seriously there are dogs that carry what I call the smelly gene. That dog just carries and odor about him and one can never wash it out. Some dogs have an oilier coat than others do. Alsatian Shepalutes do not carry either gene. They are a clean odorless dog. They just have a thick winter coat and they shed!

Every dog has anal sac glands on either side of his anus. In the Alsatian Shepalutes, these glands are emptied automatically when your dog does his business. Each dog’s glands smell differently to another dog’s and this marks his territory as well as urinal markings. Scant markings are stronger and the particular odor lasts longer to let other animals know whose turf they are in. If your dog’s glands do become full and clogged, it would be uncomfortable. Some dogs scoot their bottoms on the grass or floor. It would be unusual for your dog to have any problems in this area, but if you are concerned about this, talk with your veterinarian and breeder.

The use of colognes or deodorants is a matter of choice. Read the labels as some may contain irritants. I prefer herbs or natural powders.

The comb --- This is the most important piece of grooming equipment that you will need for your Alsatian. Purchasing the correct comb for the job depends on the length of your dog’s coat. Some Shepalute’s coats are rather long and thick so a large comb with greater distance between the teeth is required. The distance between the teeth makes it easier to get into thick, long coats. You will find this comb does twice the job of any brush. Brushing usually only conditions the top hairs of your dog’s coat and doesn't really get out that undercoat. An all-natural boar bristle palm brush will condition and stimulate your dog’s natural coat oils. A natural bristle brush will also not put electricity into the coat.

Toenail clippers --- Use human nail clippers on pups. The pliers-type nail clipper is the strongest and best choice for the large dog. I only have to clip a nail here and there after my dog is about one year old. Usually the dew claws on his front legs. He shouldn't have any dew claws on his rear legs.

Thinning shears --- If I have a long-coated Alsatian Shepalute, I may need to thin the coat down on his rump or tail.

Small scissors --- Again the long-coated Alsatian may need scissors to clip the hair between the pads of his feet or the feathering. He may get tar in between the pads or a mat or two behind his ears.

If you take your pup to the groomer, make sure you walk your dog before you go so he doesn't relief himself in their shop. Do not water or feed your dog before going to the groomer.

Bring your own shampoo and leave these instructions.

1. Do not use any flea products or chemicals on my dog.

2. Use my shampoo please.

3. Do not clean his ears, I have already done that.

4. Do not clip the pads of his feet with a razor or clipper.

5. Do not use a clipper on my dog.

6. Do not clip his whiskers.

Something to think about --- Hundreds of dogs go through that grooming shop. Thousands of fleas, germs and other dog’s hair are floating around.