Long-haired German shepherds have long been used for service and investigation work and to help the shepherds. A beautiful long coat is the main distinguishing feature of these animals. Let's find out about some peculiarities of dogs of this breed.
Long-haired German Shepherd Dog - breed standard
Long-haired German Shepherd was singled out in a separate breed only in December 2010. Before that, there was much debate about whether such sheep-dogs should be considered thoroughbred, or whether it was a common breeding cull.
Sometimes a long-haired German shepherd is called "defective" for its long hair compared to a smooth-haired German shepherd. There is an opinion that such a long hair interferes with the dog when swimming: the animal becomes wet and "drowns". In fact, this is not true: these sheep dogs are excellent swimmers and are not afraid of the cold. And even more so. Experts say that the overall shape and structure of bones in dogs of the long-haired German shepherd breed is better than that of ordinary "Germans", they are stronger and stronger than their smooth-haired brethren.
According to its physical data, character , working qualities, the long-haired German Shepherd does not differ from the usual German shepherd. The only difference is in the density and length of the coat. In long-haired dogs, the undercoat is less expressed (but it does exist). The length of the trunk's hair may differ from individual specimens: be very long, "shaggy," or slightly longer than usual. In addition, at the base of the ears of "shaggy sheep dogs" thick wool grows, while their smooth breasts have ears covered with stiff short hair. On the tail, their hair is about three times longer than that of a smooth-haired sheepdog.
Breeding of long-haired German Shepherd puppies
Practically in every litter of the standard German shepherd, long-haired puppies are born. This is the fault of the recessive gene of "increased shaggy", which can not be destroyed. However, these well-dressed dogs always look better against the background of the rest. Fluffy, with well-groomed hair, puppies of long-haired German shepherd are of different colors: black, scoop, zone and zoned-red. These animals sometimes look even more profitable than the classical version of the German shepherd, so they are often brought in by dog lovers.
A shepherd breeding specialist is able to determine to which type of wool the puppy belongs, only to his 3-week-old age, and even later. Lovers can also identify a long-haired puppy only by the fact that with each molt its wool cover only increases. Sometimes this becomes a problem, because only dogs of strictly defined breeds can participate in exhibitions and get high marks.
If you want to get a long-haired dog of the German shepherd breed, be prepared for the fact that it will require careful care. Her elegant wool will shine with a shine only under the condition of regular washing,