Do outdoor dogs have better coats than indoor dogs?
 

I was talking with a breeder recently who felt that GSDs that spend most of their time outdoors have thicker, fluffier, more luxurious coats than dogs who spend most of their time indoors.

So what do you all reckon? Do you find that to be true?

Not in my experience. I have observed the opposite. Especially when it comes to softness and luxurious quality. And if I'm not mistaken, fluffyness and thickness would be based on genetics and health... not in being outdoor or indoor.

In northern temps, of course an outdoor dog(GSD) will get a thicker coat. But the quality of the coat is due to the nutrition and care.
My dogs are getting in thick coats right now, they are inside most often but out a few hours per day(not all at one period of time)

My Libby (a collie, yes, different breed) has a thick fluffy coat most the time, and she lays around the house all day :shrug:

I think an outdoor dog might develop a thicker undercoat, but is that better? I think my dogs have really nice coats and they're indoor dogs. Like Jane said I attribute this to nutrition and I keep the coats clean and groomed (my non-GSD requires trimming and clipping).

I think sometimes well cared for outdoor dogs can have better coats because they lack the dandruff and drying that forced air/heat systems in the home can create.

Yeah, Juno has got a really shiny soft coat that is purely down to diet. But she never really got much in the way of a super fluffy undercoat if you know what I mean. I was told it was because she spends time indoors. She spends about 65% of her time indoors and the rest outdoors. She's never slept outside at night in her whole life. But that must have be down to genetics though, right? Her fur is rather short anyway.

I'll be curious to see what sort of coat Bowser develops. His parents have really fluffy gorgeous coats, sort of mid length. So I'm glad to hear that time spent indoors/outdoors shouldn't really affect it too much.

All three of my dogs have different coat lengths. Onyx is a fairly tight stock coat and she looks sleek. But I prefer that with her because of her black color. Kacie is my long stock coat, and she gets a pretty dense undercoat during the winter.
Karlo is a bit thicker than Onyx year round, though when his undercoat is thin(late summer/early fall) he has a very dark sleek coat like Onyx.

It is genetic of course, but I see outside dogs(GSD) with very thick coats and the coats aren't in all that great of shape, because the owners seldom brushes or bathes them.
And in the coat blowing season, they look horrible!

From what I have seen outdoor dogs have a thicker coat and its clumpy. I feel like just going up to them and pulling the fur out. If I don't have my oldest(non gsd) groomed she would look like an outdoor dog, once I have to start pulling the fur, I know its time to make an appointment.

I've seen outdoor dogs who have really nice coats because they have been kept up. I've also seen outdoors dogs with thicker coats,but the dogs didn't look good.