{"id":34195,"date":"2023-01-25T18:51:28","date_gmt":"2023-01-26T02:51:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/puppyintraining.com\/?p=34195"},"modified":"2023-11-09T17:06:11","modified_gmt":"2023-11-10T01:06:11","slug":"long-haired-german-shepherd","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/puppyintraining.com\/long-haired-german-shepherd\/","title":{"rendered":"What Is A Long-Haired German Shepherd? (Breed Basics 101)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

While the guide and service dog schools mainly use Labrador and Golden Retrievers<\/a> we do also work with German Shepherds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When I was out with my guide dog puppy I was recently asked if I ever raised a German Shepherd and more specifically what is a long-haired German Shepherd.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The long-haired German shepherd dog is a purebred variety of the \u2018normal\u2019 German shepherd which traditionally has a short or medium-length coat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These beautiful dogs look very elegant, but they still have the lovable, reliable, and intelligent personality of the \u2018normal\u2019 German shepherd.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although there are many crossbreeds between German shepherds and other dog breeds, such as huskies<\/a>, which create a longer coat, the long-haired German shepherd is actually a purebred German shepherd.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The long-haired coat comes from a recessive gene, which means both parents need to be long-haired in order to produce a long-haired German shepherd puppy, and this makes them very rare.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Long-haired German shepherds have stunning, long coats that can be a variety of colors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The coat requires additional attention which turns the long-haired German shepherd into a high-maintenance dog that requires a lot of attention to prevent hair and skin issues.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

By the way, the answer to whether or not I raised a German Shepherd. No, I have not. But I have puppy-sat several German Shepherd Dogs (GSD) puppies in training.<\/p>\n\n\n

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\"Long<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

Keep reading to find out about the origins of this energetic breed, the grooming requirements of their long coat, and what it takes to take care of this majestic breed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Origins Of The Long-Haired German Shepherd<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The German shepherd was bred in Germany in the late 19th century by Captain Max von Stephanitz.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Von Stephanitz wanted to breed the best sheep-herding dog Germany had ever seen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Over 35 years of dedicated breeding, he eventually produced an apex herding dog which was the German shepherd.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The German shepherd was originally meant to be a working dog herding sheep and working on farms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As the years went by, many people saw the benefits of an athletic, highly trainable, loyal dog, and the German shepherd found itself doing many different jobs such as police work, search and rescue, and working as a service dog for people with disabilities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The German shepherd breed was designed to have a short or medium-length coat to keep the dog warm and protected from harsh winters and rough terrain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The long-hair gene occasionally cropped up, and von Stephanitz was not a huge fan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Von Stephanitz saw the long hair as being too high-maintenance for a working farm dog, so he actively tried to breed it out of the German shepherd population.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This, combined with the fact the long-hair gene is recessive, has made the long-haired German shepherd very rare and difficult to find today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even though von Stephanitz tried to get rid of the long-hair gene from the population, it persisted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Eventually, people started wanting the long-haired German shepherd because of its different looks; therefore, it has not been bred out of the German shepherd population completely.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Because the gene for long hair is recessive, the only way for a long-haired German shepherd puppy to be born is if both parents are long-haired German shepherds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Physical Characteristics Of The Long-Haired German Shepherd<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Most people have a pretty good idea of what a typical short-haired German shepherd looks like.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s take a closer look at the long-haired German shepherd\u2019s physical characteristics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Size<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The long-haired German shepherd has the same build as the short and medium-haired German shepherd.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

SEX<\/th>HEIGHT<\/th>WEIGHT<\/th><\/tr><\/thead>
Male<\/td>24 – 26 inches<\/td>65 – 90 pounds<\/td><\/tr>
Female<\/td>22 – 24 inches<\/td>50 – 70 pounds<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Males and females both have a life expectancy of 7 to 10 years as a large breed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Coloration<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The long-haired German shepherd can be a variety of colors:<\/p>\n\n\n\n