German Shepherds and many other breeds, come in two coat lengths: normal and long. Long coat is a recessive gene that may be produced in progeny of normal or long coated dogs and is usually detectable by 3-5 weeks of age. Many people who have owned these beautiful dogs actually prefer them to their normal coated littermates.
Some people refer to these dogs as ‘Shilos’ or ‘Belgian’ shepherds, however these names are not correct when referring to long-coated German Shepherds. Don’t be confused by names. Reputable German Shepherd breeders register their puppies as German Shepherds most notably with the American Kennel Club.
We generally expect a few long coated pups in a litter if both parents carry the long-coat gene. Let us know what you are looking for. The SV in Germany is now allowing long coats to be shown in conformation classes at dog shows. We expect that this trend will also happen within the American Kennel Club in the U.S.
Long-coated dogs do not shed more than normal coats. In fact, it sometimes appears that they actually shed less but that is because the hair is contained more on the dog and should be brushed out vigerously at least once per month to prevent matting.
