Long coat gene

Question
I am looking to purchase a German Shepherd puppy where the Sire has a regular coat and the Dame has a long coat.  Both dogs have a great disposition, and I really like the breeder, but I prefer the regular coat.  At what point can you tell if the puppy will grow into a long coat, and if it is after 8 weeks when we would select the puppy, what are the chances that the puppy will have a long coat or regular?

Answer
Hi Dennis,

This is a great question!  

If the male did not carry the long coat gene himself ie he was homozygous for the regular coat then none of the pups will be long coated.  If this male dog has ever produced a long coat, then he definitely does carry the long coat gene and there is a possibility that the pups in this litter will be "coats".  By 8 weeks it should be pretty easy to tell if any of the pups are coats.  They usually have a fuller coat on their cheeks and fuzzies around their ears, and the bottoms of their feet and between their toes.  Compare the pups to the rest of the litter and it should be easy to tell.  Unfortunately, with a long coat mom, some of the pups may just be really plushy, not coats, and these can be the ones that fool you.  It can sometimes be hard to separate the plushy from the real coats at 8 weeks.  If you trust the breeder, they should be able to steer you in the right direction as well.  Make it clear to them that you really want a short coat.  Good luck with your new pup.  

If this breeder does not have what you are looking for...  and you look elsewhere, just remember that 2 regular coats can also produce long coats if they both carry the long coat gene.

Lori