# More long hairs in litter than expected?



## npkr (Aug 20, 2012)

Hello,

I am considering purchasing a puppy from a breeder with a 6 puppy litter, 5 of them are long hair and 1 is short hair. However, the breeder presented the parents as both short hair GSD's. I did see the parents when we viewed the pups and they did look like short hairs. I understand that long hair is a recessive trait and, as such, to me it seems that having 5 long hairs in a litter of six is statistically unlikely (although not impossible). Any concerns here with the parentage? Could it be that one of the parents is actually a long hair? 

Any advice or insight would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.


----------



## Liesje (Mar 4, 2007)

Do you have the pedigree?


----------



## ksotto333 (Aug 3, 2011)

I don't have any insight except that I think long coated German Shepherds are beautiful...


----------



## jourdan (Jul 30, 2012)

I agree with ksotto333 long coats are beautiful, I honestly prefer them!!


Sent from my iPhone using PG Free


----------



## Bear GSD (Apr 12, 2012)

My pup was from a litter of 7 and he was the only LC in the litter. Both of his parents are stock coats. I'm not sure which carries the ressesive gene, but it is definitely possible to have mixed coats in a litter of two stock coats.
My last GSD was a stock coat and now having Bear (he's a coatie) I wouldn't trade.
I like both, but I guess now I lean towards coated dogs.


----------



## FlyAway (Jul 17, 2012)

If both parents carry the recessive long-coat gene, there is a 25% chance of long-coats in the litter. The odds of all puppies being long-coats are long, but it is within the realm of possibility. (I would be suspicious.)

If the breeder had the dna profiles of both parents and the puppies, you'd know if there was another father.


----------



## Dainerra (Nov 14, 2003)

FlyAway said:


> If both parents carry the recessive long-coat gene, there is a 25% chance of long-coats in the litter. The odds of all puppies being long-coats are long, but it is within the realm of possibility. (I would be suspicious.)
> 
> If the breeder had the dna profiles of both parents and the puppies, you'd know if there was another father.


actually, each PUPPY has a 25% chance of being a long coat. Each pup has different DNA so it would be a separate chance of inheritance for each one.


----------



## Stosh (Jun 26, 2010)

Stosh was one of 3 long coated pups out of a litter of 6.


----------



## Woof_Terrorist (Aug 3, 2012)

long hair = more cleaning! Shudder!!!! 
I like plush coats.


----------



## Danielle609 (Jun 18, 2011)

Woof_Terrorist said:


> long hair = more cleaning! Shudder!!!!
> I like plush coats.


actually that is not true. Both shed the same and I find that the shorter the hair the easier it gets stuck into fabrics and such. I had a golden and a GSD at the same time. The golden was easier to pick up after because long hair seems to clump together better, shorts hairs stay separate. But to each their own. I personally do not have a preference, I love them all


----------



## hattifattener (Oct 7, 2011)

Woof_Terrorist said:


> long hair = more cleaning! Shudder!!!!


i wouldn't agree.


----------



## paulag1955 (Jun 29, 2010)

When Shasta's not actively blowing her coat, we hardly notice any shedding. We do brush her thoroughly almost every day, though. I love the long coats.


----------



## Stosh (Jun 26, 2010)

Same with Stosh- he sheds far less than my mom's stock coat gsd.


----------



## Bear GSD (Apr 12, 2012)

I actually started a thread asking whether or not Long Coats shed less than Stock Coats and the general consenus was that Long Coats actually shed less (or differently) than Stock Coats. I have had both and so far my Long Coat does shed less than the stock coat I had. He doesn't have his full coat in yet, but so far so good!
OP, were you leaning towards Stock or Long Coat?


----------



## npkr (Aug 20, 2012)

Thank you for all of your replies.

The puppy is for my family and I don't have a strong preference either way. We've picked out a long coat (no short coats left anyway - 5 out of 6 were long coats) and will be picking her up this weekend. 

I am a physician and had a hard time accepting the unexpected result of 5/6 long coats from breeding two short coats. I just want to make sure we get a quality dog. I had some doubts that the two short coats would produce 5 long coats with long coat being recessive. Since raising my concerns, my family is annoyed with me- they just want this puppy and that's it dad! I have no reason to distrust the breeder and she seems to have a good reputation. I will shut my mouth and hope this is a good, healthy pup. She is incredibly cute. Our border collie, not even 4 years old, died of GI lymphoma 4 months ago and it was heartbreaking for all of us. I just want to minimze the chance that anything like that happens again. We are also getting a border collie puppy ( female probably) later this fall.

Thank you again for your helpful responses.


----------



## martemchik (Nov 23, 2010)

Yeah its like it was mentioned...its 25% chance for each pup. Each puppy is a separate roll of the genetic dice. So although its unlikely, it happens. It's like families with 5 daughters or 5 sons. Although statistically unlikely, it does happen.


----------

