Long Coats

Long Haired Sable On occasion we will have a long coat German Shepherd puppy/dog available for purchase. Which usually brings up many questions from potential owners. This is the reason we've offered this page, so you can educate yourself about the traits and characteristics of these eye catching dogs. Common Names: Long Haired, Coated, Long Coats Various Types of Coats: Stock Coat, Long Haired/Coated, Plush There is a large range of coat length, type and fullness within the stock coat catergory as well. Long Haired Black Sable - Var vom Eichenluft   Though this trait is considered a fault according to the breed standard, we find these animals to be absolutely gorgeous. They have this incredible feathering effect throughout their coats, with a beautiful mane usually possessing a stocky build and substantial bone. I am asked quite often, "what does a long haired German Shepherd look like?" Within this page you will find several dogs who are considered to be a long haired/coated German Shepherd. True characteristic of long hairs are; tufts of hair on his ears, between his toes, longer hair on the back of the fore and hind legs, and thicker mane. Long haired dogs have longer hair and different growth patterns. Long Haired Black Sable Long Haired Black Sable Stock Coat German Shepherds have 2 coats, an outer and under coat. A true long haired does not have an under coat. Which you can usually notice very easily because the hair is very silky and smooth to the eye and touch. The reason is because they don't have an undercoat which give the coat body.  The long haired gene is a recessive gene, which means nothing unless you are a breeder or have a thought of breeding in mind. Unless you are a breeder this should be of no concern for you.  You will never find a breeder who adheres to the strictest German Standard, who will be breeding long coated dogs. They may produce them occasionally but they do not use long coated dogs as breeding stock. The reason for this is because, they are incorrect to the standard.   Long Haired Black & Tan There are many misconceptions about the long haired/coated dogs, that I would like to address. Temperament, working ability, health and nerves are not effected by the type of coat the dog posses. In fact, many owners of long coats will tell you that the long coats are usually more outgoing, sweet, affectionate and comical. As far as working ability is concerned, longs are very capable of any task at hand. You will find a lot of Police K-9's around the world are long coats. This is because the working ability is not effected by the coat and usually sold at a discount. You will find long haired dogs in many fields of work such as; SAR, Therapy, Service work, etc. Long Haired Solid Black A long haired/coated German Shepherd is capable of doing anything a stock coat GSD can do, with the exception of being shown. However, there are many organizations and clubs throughout the world that are geared just to the long coats. Given them an opportunity to be bred, registered, shown, and worked as a stock coat dog. There are several specialized long-haired breeders who exist throughout the world. We wouldn't recommend majority of these type of breeders in the United States because, their dogs are unproven and in my cases not worthy of breeding.    Another misconception is that long coats shed more then standard coat. The simple fact is its not true. There is no undercoat, meaning less hair to shed. They will 'blow' their coat once/twice a year and you will have minimal shedding in between.