[ahazra]

In 2 weeks time we are getting a male GSD puppy. Although at 3 weeks, it was hard to tell, but it's apparent now that this puppy will be a long coat. This is not a deterrent for me as we don't intend to breed or show this dog (although since last year, long coats are now permissible in GSD conformity shows in a separate category).
I've tried to read up on the net about long coats and have found lots of contradictory articles. Some state long coats shed more, some state they shed only twice a year (as they don't have the undercoat).

So, the question to folks in this forum is:
Does anyone have experience with a long coat GSD and provide inputs ?
Are they more susceptible to fleas despite preventive medication (due to longer coats) ?
Do they need more frequent grooming or just the normal rooming that a stock coat GSD would need ?
Do they need extra vitamin supplements to maintain their shiny coat ?

Any help will be much appreciated.

 

[onyx'girl]

I have a long stock coat and she is no less care coatwise than the stock coats.
Though she does bring in leaves, mud and snow on her coat that the other dogs don't collect!
I feed a raw diet with human grade salmon oil, vitamin E, C and raw eggs every few days so all my dogs have healthy coats.
I use an undercoat rake, and a bristle brush on her a couple times a week, trim the foot feathers/pad hair in the fall so snow doesn't collect.
I don't have a flea problem but ticks seemed to like Kacie more than the other two.
I love the long coats, and Kacie is no more work than the other dogs.

 

[Renofan2]

I have a long coat as well. She sheds the same as a stock coat, although her fur seems to shed in bigger clumps. I also use a rake, no problem with fleas or ticks. The only issue is her hair tends to matt behind her ears after swimming if I don't brush it out. Good luck with your new pup.

 

[Whiteshepherds]

We have two, one is a long coat.

Depending on how much undercoat your pup ends up with, it may be easier for ticks to go un-noticed but the length of the coat won't be more or less inviting to fleas or ticks.

Annie definitely needs more grooming than Harley. The long fur behind her ears is very fine and silky and will matt if she isn't brushed all the time.... Not all long coats have this problem. I've heard some get matted under their chests, some not at all. It's just going to depend on how fine the fur is.

If your long coat has a good undercoat it will shed just like a regular shepherd...that means a LOT. Some long coats don't have an undercoat or only have it in certain areas. The less undercoat, the less they shed. Until the coat starts to come in it's all a guess.

Good luck, the long coats are a-d-o-r-a-b-l-e pups!!!!

 

[Stosh]

Ha- I also picked out a big black fluffy pup when he was 3 weeks old and I thought he'd outgrow the puppy fluff but no, turns out he and 2 others in the litter are long coated. He's gorgeous! No problems other than finding a collar that doesn't mash down the fur- I got a rolled leather one. I brush him several times a week, no more than any other dog. I do find that he collects seeds and burrs, all kinds of things where his front legs meet his body but I just comb that out. You'll have to hear many comments like 'what is he mixed with', 'German Shepherds don't come with long fur', etc. Enjoy, they're beautiful dogs

 

[Chicagocanine]

I had a long-coated foster Shepherd. With routine grooming it was pretty much the same as a regular GSD except he was prone to small tangles behind the ears.
He did attract burrs like crazy though, I had some burdock weeds in my yard I didn't even know were there until he came in covered in nasty burrs! It was a pain to try to remove them, I don't think he was used to being groomed and he REALLY didn't like me pulling out the burrs.

 

[Whiteshepherds]

I do find that he collects seeds and burrs, all kinds of things where his front legs meet his body but I just comb that out.

With Annie it's her tail. Burrs, leaves, pieces of grass, it's like a magnet.

On a funnier note, one of our cats likes to try to hide her toy mice in Annie's tail when she's laying down.

 

[DharmasMom]

Dharma has a long coat. She is also single coated which does mean less shedding. She blew out her puppy coat last year and then blew out her winter coat last spring both times my carpet looked black in one day. And the fur around her neck will matt up if I don't brush her regularly. Unfortunately it is such a fight to brush her (she tries to eat the brush) that I don't do it as often as I should.

 

[KayElle]

I have a long stock coat and a stock coat. The long coat sheds very little compared to the stock coat -- except when they blow their coats twice a year. I brush the dogs every day (15 min long coat, 10 min stock). The fur on the long coat's paws have to be trimmed about once every 2 weeks so he doesn't slide on the wood floors and in the winter, trimming the paws stops the snow and ice from packing in his pads. Yes, long coats will bring in a little more "wilderness", such as leaves, burrs, etc., but I find they comb out easily. Also, you might want to get a teflon coated comb because it can be difficult to comb through a thick long stock coat all the way to the skin with a regular, chrome or stainless steel comb. This is especially true in the winter when the air is dry and the static electricity starts! I can tell you that I have found that the long coats are generally bigger boned -- whether or not this is universally true, I don't know. I know it is true with the lines of my GSDs. Enjoy your long coat!! They are absolutely gorgeous!!

 

[ahazra]

Thanks for all the responses..Yes my puppy is tending to be big boned too. Will be interesting to find out if majority of long coats are big boned.

 

[BanditOwnsUs]

Ours just turned a year old and is big boned with the big head. We always get the questions about what he is mixed with too. We are wondering what his coat will look like when the temps really go down.

 

[Chicagocanine]

I've heard that too about long coats being big boned. I've also heard that is why some breeders use a long coat in their breeding program...
Funny I heard the same about the type of cat I have, she is a polydactyl Maine **** and I read that the polydactyl Maine ***** tended to have heavier bone structure and breeds sometimes use them to improve bone structure in their lines.

 

[Lin]

Some state long coats shed more, some state they shed only twice a year (as they don't have the undercoat).

So, the question to folks in this forum is:
Does anyone have experience with a long coat GSD and provide inputs ?
Are they more susceptible to fleas despite preventive medication (due to longer coats) ?
Do they need more frequent grooming or just the normal rooming that a stock coat GSD would need ?
Do they need extra vitamin supplements to maintain their shiny coat ?

Any help will be much appreciated.

There are both long coats without the undercoat, and long stock coats that have an undercoat. My LC sheds as much as my stock coat, but it is more noticeable (on carpet, etc) than the stock due to the hairs being longer.

The coats do not affect flea preventatives. The way flea preventatives work is being absorbed into the skin, and then released back onto the skin through the oil glands which is why the entire dog is protected from something applied only at the neck. A flea needs to feed to breed and such, and will be killed when they bite (if not sooner).

My girl needs more grooming due to preventing tangles and mats. She also gets things stuck in her fur that would never stick to my stock coat. Feathering around the legs, belly, and ears are especially susceptible.

 

[Stosh]

Stosh is 'big boned' as well. His tail has become a feather duster- now that leaves are falling, one or two wags while he's out on the deck and he's collected more than a few.