are long coat and plush coat the same thing... - Page 3

From reading I have done, the "long haired" or "coated" GSD has no undercoat.  That is the most significant difference.  This is why they're considered such a fault because, as a working breed, the undercoat helps protect GSDs from weather.  The long haired GSD is not so well insulated.

You read it wrong Freda , Some long coated dogs have an under coat some do not . Guess what some regular coated GSDs have no under coat . It is a double fault with the long coat to not have an under coat .

Thanks for clearing that up for me, Wuzzup.  I have this habit of believing everything I read on the internet.  And I am such a newb that I don't know if my 4 month old pup has an undercoat or not.  I hope so because winters get cold in Michigan.  I just know that she is so soft, all the kids want to hug her, but she is so aloof that she only tolerates it briefly.  I am a psychiatric nurse and plan to have her be my little pet therapist side kick.  That is why I got a long coat.  They seem to create conversation and to me, might look less intimidating to my geriatric patients. 

Lots of us are confused about it .~

a fluffy german shepherd can be a great choice for pet therapy, they are soft and less frightening then normal german shpeherds...........as a pup you may need to oversocialize it.......

Freda, Your pup is a cutie and yes, most people find the LC to be much less intimidating.

GSDJusitce states "Guys, come on. A long coat is a fault for a GSD. It is like porno. You know it when you see it. The web links the lady sent is clearly a fault. A BH judge would sent her home. No need for breed survey, tatoo, or chip. Her dogs are not GSD's. She can breed them all she wants but the only people that will buy will pay $200 per pup for a cute doggie."

GSDJustice,

The long coat may be considered a fault by AKC, but as has been mentioned on this board before, recently the SV chose to stop banning the long coats, providing they have an undercoat.   A long coated GSD is simply a German Shepherd with a long coat that can do ANYTHING a standard coat can do. Many have been tittled and some have even been WUSV competitors,  as well as police dogs, herding dogs and SAR dogs. I am of course talking about the German line dogs. Most came from litters with standard coated parents, so to say they aren't real GSDs is ridiculous. It's just that both stock coated parents happen to have had the recessive LC gene.  THe LC gene has been in existence in the GSd from the beginning!

"When Rittmeister von Stephanitz first brought attention to the German Shepherd Dog as a recognized breed, there were two varieties of coat in the dogs, long coat and the short stock coat most often seen today. Stephanitz, recognizing the incredible versatility of this dog, in 1899, established the SV (Schaferhund-Verein). This breed club established rules for the German Shepherd Dog including tests for working ability (schutzhund) and breed conformation. Unfortunately, Stephanitz believed that the long coat pups lacked undercoat and therefore would not have the weather resistant versatility he desired in the breed. However, because of their outstanding abilities, long coats were also admitted into the show ring. Coat length was not originally a disqualification. Over time, the FCI and the VDH, naturally began to view long coat as non standard and therefore eventually rejected, from competition and conformation, this type of coat." It is my undersatanding that prior to 1968 the long coat could achieve KKl1a status and from 1968 to the late 90's sometime they were allowed KKl2 status.

I have a hard time understanding why so many people are against the long coats, especially since the coat has absolutely no influence as to whether or not the dog can work like a GSD.   I personally am thrilled the SV is no longer banning them. BTW Most long coated pups sell for between $500 and $2000.

JMHO
Char