[Layni]

So, I'm getting a German Shepherd puppy soon and i cant figure out if it's going to be a long hair or a short hair. The lady I'm getting him from said his mother is a shorthair and his father is a longhair. I went to go see him about a week ago and some of his littermates seemed to have longer fur than others... Can a longhair father and shorthair mother produce both coat lengths in a litter??

 

[Knute]

Depends on the gene distribution between the pups.

I would think it is definitely possible to have both long and short hair in a litter.

 

[BKaymuttleycrew]

The long hair gene is recessive, so if the mother carries a gene for long hair, then there could be long hair puppies, otherwise they'll all be short (but carriers)

 

[LeoRose]

As mentioned, yes. One way to tell if a puppy will have a longer coat is to check out the "ear floofs". If there are long tufts of fur around the puppy's ears, then the chances are that it will have a longer coat.

This is my long stock coated GSD at around four months.

April 23. 2012 010 edit by Rosemary Elwell, on Flickr

This is my long stock coated GSD a few days ago, at eight years.

2020-4-11 Dogs & Yard DSC_0046 by Rosemary Elwell, on Flickr

 

[Layni]

As mentioned, yes. One way to tell if a puppy will have a longer coat is to check out the "ear floofs". If there are long tufts of fur around the puppy's ears, then the chances are that it will have a longer coat.

This is my long stock coated GSD at around four months.

April 23. 2012 010 edit by Rosemary Elwell, on Flickr

This is my long stock coated GSD a few days ago, at eight years.

2020-4-11 Dogs & Yard DSC_0046 by Rosemary Elwell, on Flickr

Thank you, I'll be sure to check around the ears. Your dog is adorable!

 

[LeoRose]

Also be aware that when people say "long coat" they typically mean a dog with a longer than typical stock coat, meaning there are harsh guard hairs and a soft undercoat. This comment from a thread Stock Coat, Plush Coat, Long Stock Coat, or Long Coat? on GermanShepherds.com mentions the differences between coat types.

"There is only 3 true coat types in the GSD.
1) Stock Coat (normal coat w/undercoat)
1) Long Stock Coat (long(er) coat w/ undercoat)
3) Long Hair Coat (long coat without correct undercoat)
All other terms...ie...."flat, short, tight, plush, wooly, fluffy, curly..etc..etc" are descriptions of what the coat hairs look like.... "

A stock coat and a long stock coat are both correct coat types. Long stock coats are common in West German show line dogs (my girl is probably from West German show lines by way of a crummy breeder). A true long coat is an incorrect coat, and can be a grooming nightmare.

Thank you, I'll be sure to check around the ears. Your dog is adorable!

Thank you. She's a conformation train wreck from her snipey muzzle to her gay tail, but she's still the prettiest dog I've ever owned.

 

[Layni]

Also be aware that when people say "long coat" they typically mean a dog with a longer than typical stock coat, meaning there are harsh guard hairs and a soft undercoat. This comment from a thread Stock Coat, Plush Coat, Long Stock Coat, or Long Coat? on GermanShepherds.com mentions the differences between coat types.

"There is only 3 true coat types in the GSD.
1) Stock Coat (normal coat w/undercoat)
1) Long Stock Coat (long(er) coat w/ undercoat)
3) Long Hair Coat (long coat without correct undercoat)
All other terms...ie...."flat, short, tight, plush, wooly, fluffy, curly..etc..etc" are descriptions of what the coat hairs look like.... "

A stock coat and a long stock coat are both correct coat types. Long stock coats are common in West German show line dogs (my girl is probably from West German show lines by way of a crummy breeder). A true long coat is an incorrect coat, and can be a grooming nightmare.





Thank you. She's a conformation train wreck from her snipey muzzle to her gay tail, but she's still the prettiest dog I've ever owned.

Good to know! Thank you again for all the help ?

 

[Madaline_Dellapaolera]

Long hairs look good if you take proper care of their cleanliness which a challenging thing. If you can't take proper daily care of it then better to go with short hairs. I think short hairs are fine for summers.