# Poofy vs Coatie



## FG167 (Sep 22, 2010)

I've got my new pup - Kastle v.h. Basjes Huis. He is quite poofy and very soft. I've gotten a lot of comments on my Facebook that he will be a coatie but everyone that has met him in person thinks he will end up with a "normal" coat. I was hoping for some more opinions from those that have experience. Oh and any opinions on his structure would be great too 

Click on any of the photos to go to my Flickr page for more and to see them enlarged.

7.5 weeks old:


8 weeks:


8.5 weeks:



9 weeks:



9.5 weeks:


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## Lakl (Jul 23, 2011)

Gorgeous pup! He's definitely a long stock coat. I have two of them. I was SOOO wanting a sable LSC when I was searching for my second pup! I am sending you a pm to show you something!


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## 1sttimeforgsd (Jul 29, 2010)

Beautiful pup!


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## Silvermoon (Apr 2, 2011)

I dont know about the coat, but he sure is a cute fella! He looks like my Mercury at that age, and he developed a plush coat.


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## Whiteshepherds (Aug 21, 2010)

Those sure look like longstock ears to me. He's gorgeous!


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## robinhuerta (Apr 21, 2007)

He is a beautiful lil long stock coat....at least IMO.


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## FG167 (Sep 22, 2010)

Thanks! Oh, I was really hoping I wouldn't end up with a long coat. They are beautiful but I really don't want to deal with "real" grooming. Looking at the long stock coats - I like them! Plus, he's not quite as fluffy as some of the long stock coats I've now seen (googled of course!) so...

Robin, I hope you don't mind, I copied this from another thread because I found it very informative/helpful:



robinhuerta said:


> There is only 3 true coat types in the GSD.
> 1) Stock Coat (normal coat w/undercoat)
> 1) Long Stock Coat (long(er) coat w/ undercoat)
> 3) Long Hair Coat (long coat _without_ correct undercoat)
> ...


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## Lakl (Jul 23, 2011)

Grooming is not that bad at all. I use an undercoat rake and a pin brush and I have no issues with keeping them groomed. The only tangles mine occasionally get is the fluffy area around their ears, that's it. I think it's probably more work for those that have the really long hairy coats. I think your pup, though a LSC, will be more on the plush side like mine.


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## wolfstraum (May 2, 2003)

The ears sure look like coatie to me!!!!! He may be marginal, just some ear poof and feathering....which could go away....but I would have to vote coat....very cute tho!!! The coaties seem to have nice substance and most I have met have good personalities....the only ones I have had were 3 in my Gs - and I see one pretty often, gorgeous gorgeous dogs in sable!!

Looked again at breeders litter pix....remember you posting photos, and I was suspicious that one might be a coat even at 4 weeks...it is hard to tell plush from LSC at that point - but he was definitely NOT normal SC....it is in Tom's lines too...have seen coated Tom sons.

Lee


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## Samba (Apr 23, 2001)

Hmmmm, I can't tell. The coat feels different so that is impossible to assess. Hogan was very fluffy. I made some money on bets with people who thought he was a coat. Most of them previous coatie owners. I am on the fence about your pupper's coat status. Wish I could hold him!


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## Samba (Apr 23, 2001)

I know he does not have all his hair in yet, but feel the fluff behind his ears. Is it very downy soft? Can you see waviness like little crimping in it?

If he is a coat, he will be gorgeous!


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## Lilie (Feb 3, 2010)

Hondo, who is a long coat had loads more hair behind the ears. The hair was just about as long as his ears as well. However, his actual ears were about the same size as your pups.


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## doggiedad (Dec 2, 2007)

what did your breeder have to say about his coat???


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## Cassidy's Mom (Mar 30, 2003)

I've always thought he'll be a long stock coat, and I still do! The grooming is really not that bad, the longer outer coat seems to keep the day to day shedding down. With the stock coats I've had previously there were always tumbleweeds of hair in the corners all over the house, but now I get tons of soft fluffy undercoat of when I brush, but it's not that bad in between. And I really don't brush mine all that often, either. Sometimes a month or two goes by.... 

My guess is that his coat will end up more like Halo's than Keefer's. Both are long stock coats, but his fur is longer and shiner than hers, and not as soft. His ear hair is very soft, but the rest of his body has a coarser texture. Halo has longer hair around her ears than he does (love the ear floofies! :wub, but her coat is shorter, with a plushier, softer feel to it. It doesn't lay as flat to her body, so she looks much bigger than she is - I'm always surprised when she's dripping wet that there is not that much to her under all that hair!


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## Cassidy's Mom (Mar 30, 2003)

Here is Keef at almost 10-1/2 weeks old:










And Halo at 10 weeks old:


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## clearcreekranch (Mar 18, 2010)

Definitely on cute overload.


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## Stosh (Jun 26, 2010)

Gorgeous gorgeous pup!! Stosh is long coated and his coat was that poofy plus he has these ear floofies that are long and really wavy. I've been surprised at how little he sheds even compared to my mom's stock coat gsd.


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## FG167 (Sep 22, 2010)

LOVE the other puppy pics!!  

It would be pretty amazing if he shed less - my Corgi is the worst shedder I have EVER seen (and I've had Labs, Pits and Shepherds). 



Samba said:


> I know he does not have all his hair in yet, but feel the fluff behind his ears. Is it very downy soft? Can you see waviness like little crimping in it?
> 
> If he is a coat, he will be gorgeous!


He is really, really soft. His head is definitely very fluffy. There is crimping on the back of his head and just behind his ears. I call them frizzies because they look like my little hairs when it's super humid  He does not have any hair growing out from between his toes and someone told me that was a good indication of a long coat.



doggiedad said:


> what did your breeder have to say about his coat???


He and Ronny (the sire's owner) both think that he'll end up with a plush but normal coat. He did tell me that Kastle had a longer coat and left it up to me if I wanted a pup with an obvious stock coat or to go with this one. But, Rinus and Ronny decided this was the pup to go with and that was more important to me than if he was fluffy or not.


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## Samba (Apr 23, 2001)

Hogan had tons of hair. More than most of the coatie pups I have seen! That is how he fooled everyone. I did not see much super soft fluffs behind his ears though. He had coated littermates. I don't think they exhibited much between the toe hair as pups. But they had the ear fluffs and distinctive feel.


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## Jason L (Mar 20, 2009)

Holy poofiness, Hogan!


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## robinhuerta (Apr 21, 2007)

Samba...Hogan doesn't look like a coated puppy to me?..He looks to have a beautiful, thick stock coat.......did he turn out to be a coat?


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## Cassidy's Mom (Mar 30, 2003)

robinhuerta said:


> Samba...Hogan doesn't look like a coated puppy to me?..He looks to have a beautiful, thick stock coat.......did he turn out to be a coat?


No: http://www.germanshepherds.com/forum/pictures-pictures-pictures/163884-hogan-cool.html


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## Jessiewessie99 (Mar 6, 2009)

Kastle is so cute! Cuteness overload! He looks like a coatie to me.

I would LOVE to have a sable long coat.


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## Two (Jul 18, 2011)

He's so cute ;D!!


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## vomlittlehaus (Aug 24, 2010)

After looking at the pictures in the blog, looks coated to me.


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## Samba (Apr 23, 2001)

No, Hogan is not a coat as Debbie pointed out. But, I won actual money on bets regarding his coat type when he was small. 

I am not going to bet against Kastle being a coat because of that ear fluff. People with a lot of experience with coated pups have told me they perceive a different "look" to them overall also.


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## FG167 (Sep 22, 2010)

I don't have enough experience to have any idea lol. Hogan's neck fluff was much longer than what Kastle's is. I've had so many people see him and guess one way or the other I've almost got 50/50 on answers haha. It will be interesting to see what he grows up into since he's obviously a difficult case!


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## shilohsmom (Jul 14, 2003)

I'm kind of thinking he's not a longcoat. I'm just not seeing enough tuff's to say longcoat. Does he have long hair between his toes?


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## Holmeshx2 (Apr 25, 2010)

By no means am I an expert but he looks sooo much like little miss Jinx when she was around that age..... kind of want another long stock sable when we are ready for the next pup because we are completely in love with her looks (and her as a whole)


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## Liesje (Mar 4, 2007)

I've seen him many times and am reserving my judgment  Hard to say because I have never handled a longcoat working line. I have handled several long coat show lines but I think how long/fluffy the longcoat is can differ depending on the pedigree. All I can say is he is soft and fluffy, WAY fluffier than my Pan was (who incidentally has more coat than my show line, not by much though).


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## Liesje (Mar 4, 2007)

yesterday


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## Samba (Apr 23, 2001)

Hmm...fluffs behind ears. I really like this pup's structure and looks...so prob a coat!


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## sagelfn (Aug 13, 2009)

:wub: he is so poofy. He looks like a coatie to me but I'm far from an expert.

All of this talk about soft poofy fluffy puppies is torture. He looks so cuddly, is he a little landshark like Ike? 

Put these pups in a toilet paper commercial. Poofy fluffy puppies bouncing around on a cloud with rainbows and blue sky. Ugh why are the ads on the page not picking this up!


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## Jason L (Mar 20, 2009)

sagelfn said:


> He looks so cuddly, is he a little landshark like Ike?


This pup is showing more drive at 10 weeks than Ike did at that age. He is going to make his big brother look like a doormat!


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## FG167 (Sep 22, 2010)

shilohsmom said:


> Does he have long hair between his toes?


Nope, none. His feet are nice and tight and clean 



Liesje said:


> I've seen him many times and am reserving my judgment


What?! Do tell!!! Please!??



Samba said:


> I really like this pup's structure and looks


Really?? Awesome! Thanks!!! I have been wondering how he "stacks up" 



sagelfn said:


> is he a little landshark like Ike?


He is a biter and when he bites it is with full, hard, commitment. No light nipping from this pup! However, if I hold still and not reward it, when he takes a breath to see why I'm not reacting, I can wave a toy and he's on it in a flash! It took him approx 3 days to catch on to this and start to bite and then pause, look for the toy and attack! Jason tells me he is more clear-headed than Ikie...



Jason L said:


> This pup is showing more drive at 10 weeks than Ike did at that age. He is going to make his big brother look like a doormat!


Jason, you are going to hurt Ikie's feelings!!!


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## Liesje (Mar 4, 2007)

I don't know, I still think he could just be a plush-er stock coat...


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## sagelfn (Aug 13, 2009)

A stock long plush coat?


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## Jessiewessie99 (Mar 6, 2009)

He is so cute and fluffy!!


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## e.rigby (May 28, 2011)

I have nothing helpful to add... Just wanted to say I'm in love with your puppy


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## wolfstraum (May 2, 2003)

wish I could find a photo of Danger at that age....he was a little poofy and ended up with a magnificant show coat....I was terrified he would be a coat and showed him to a guy who is a major showline breeder and he said "show coat" - also pup from my Fs was kind of borderline in my mind for a while, and she ended up with a great coat as well....I am on the fence on this one....could be a really great normal stockcoat like a 'showcoat' and could just slip over the edge and be an official coatie depending on the ear fluff.....

Lee


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## robinhuerta (Apr 21, 2007)

You know Lee.....you could be right.
Carlos reminded me again last night of the one female that we had. (we still have/she is retired now)
All through puppy hood people thought that she was a long stock coat.....and if we didn't actually whelp the litter (and know for sure that she wasn't)...we would have probably thought the same.
We EVEN showed her in the 3-6 mo class.....and have the judge, pull her out in 1st place and express how much he really liked her.......to then say that unfortunately "she is a long stock coat"...and move her to the end of the class.
Her name is: Inca von Huerta Hof 
OBVIOUSLY....she was/is not a coated dog.....but when she is in full coat...she has one of the best around here.
*So maybe this beautiful sable pup will be the same!!*


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## FG167 (Sep 22, 2010)

Here are some pics from last week. I plan on taking more tonight/tomorrow.





I know those aren't the greatest pics but here is a video with pretty good lighting that shows him fairly well I think. My favorite part is the very, very end


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## robinhuerta (Apr 21, 2007)

He is sooooooo cute! really nice pup!
but...I'm gonna "stick" to my first opinion...."coated pup".....especially after looking at these pics.
He is going to be beautiful when he grows up....cause he's handsome now!!
Best wishes!


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## GSDElsa (Jul 22, 2009)

Coatie from me too! Especially since knowing the sire (since I was looking at a litter by him) produces quite a few long coats.

He is so "built"--I still can't get over it!


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## paulag1955 (Jun 29, 2010)

We spend less than 10 minutes daily brushing Shasta and she's never had a coat tangle. I don't think the long coat is any trouble at all.


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## wolfstraum (May 2, 2003)

Agree with Robin, these photos look like a progression to a coatie! Ear fluff much more pronounced! 

Lee


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## Cassidy's Mom (Mar 30, 2003)

I'm sticking with my first opinion too - coatie!!! :wub:


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## FG167 (Sep 22, 2010)

Love the opinions! Just about everyone that has seen him in person guarantees he is not a coatie LOL I never knew it could be so ambiguous! 

I'm fine with whatever he turns out to be. I cannot imagine getting a puppy better suited to my temperament and training style. He is everything I asked Rinus for and I could not be more pleased. 

Just now that the opinions are so wide and varied, I'm dying to see what he grows up into!!! 



GSDElsa said:


> Coatie from me too! Especially since knowing the sire (since I was looking at a litter by him) produces quite a few long coats.
> 
> He is so "built"--I still can't get over it!


Ooohhh I didn't know that Como threw LCs! That would make sense though. Hetty had one in Ike's litter too I think. 

What does "built" mean in regards to a puppy? hope that's not too stupid of a question....:blush:


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## Lauri & The Gang (Jun 28, 2001)

Here is a picture of my boy Mauser (left) and his litter brother at about 3.5 months of age:


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## Lauri & The Gang (Jun 28, 2001)

I look at the hair on the ears - both behind them and on the actual ear leather.

Coaties have LONG hair on the ear leather - even up by the tips.


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## robinhuerta (Apr 21, 2007)

FG...I think the reason that you are getting "mixed" opinions is because he does not display the outer body coat that many long coated puppies do.
In the WGSLs...many coated puppies have a unmistakeably longer, thicker body coat.
Your puppy has a more "stock coat" look to his body...but the "long stock coated" ears, face and head area.....is the deal breaker (so to speak)....
I believe that your puppy will not have a very long outer-coat when he finally changes from puppy to young adult....but the change will still be apparent.
*Perhaps I am wrong.....time will tell.*
Beautiful puppy period!
Robin


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## Cassidy's Mom (Mar 30, 2003)

robinhuerta said:


> FG...I think the reason that you are getting "mixed" opinions is because he does not display the outer body coat that many long coated puppies do.
> In the WGSLs...many coated puppies have a unmistakeably longer, thicker body coat.
> Your puppy has a more "stock coat" look to his body...but the "long stock coated" ears, face and head area.....is the deal breaker (so to speak)....
> I believe that your puppy will not have a very long outer-coat when he finally changes from puppy to young adult....but the change will still be apparent.
> ...


Robin, I am in complete agreement with you. Halo has more of a stock coat on her body too, still, at nearly 3 years old - it's soft, thick, and plush, but not as long as Keefer's. Her ear fuzzies are much more pronounced than his, however, and that's also what I'm going by when I look at Kastle's pictures. Each time I see new pics I can compare them to Halo at the same age, and there is a marked similarity. I used to joke that her head was a long (stock) coat, but the rest of her body was a regular stock coat!


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## GSDElsa (Jul 22, 2009)

FG167 said:


> Ooohhh I didn't know that Como threw LCs! That would make sense though. Hetty had one in Ike's litter too I think.
> 
> What does "built" mean in regards to a puppy? hope that's not too stupid of a question....:blush:


Yeah--browse through his litters on working dog and pbd and there are a few of them.

I just meant he looks like a stocky little man...no akward puppy lankiness at all. He reminds me of a little body builder!!


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## FG167 (Sep 22, 2010)

Here are his ears, from tonight:


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## onyx'girl (May 18, 2007)

Working line coaties compared to showline coaties are different, IMO. 
WL seem to be a bit more silky when mature where the SL has a thicker undercoat, and extra fluff around the butt. The ear fluff may look the same, but the thickness on the body is just different. Though that may be due to the environment, TX,CA heat is not going to grow an undercoat like MI or WI
I agree, he is a long stock coat. And a smart gorgeous one at that!! I still see a hint of green in his right ear?


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## FG167 (Sep 22, 2010)

Thanks for all the knowledgeable replies!!! I think it would be adorable if he ended up with a nice "show" coat and little ear tufts 



GSDElsa said:


> Yeah--browse through his litters on working dog and pbd and there are a few of them.
> 
> I just meant he looks like a stocky little man...no akward puppy lankiness at all. He reminds me of a little body builder!!


Interesting! I am going to take a look at those!

Ohhhh yes, he is  I LOVE that he's so blocky/stocky! I like my dogs a little more square and more muscular than long/lanky. Hopefully he progresses that way!



onyx'girl said:


> Working line coaties compared to showline coaties are different, IMO.
> WL seem to be a bit more silky when mature where the SL has a thicker undercoat, and extra fluff around the butt. The ear fluff may look the same, but the thickness on the body is just different. Though that may be due to the environment, TX,CA heat is not going to grow an undercoat like MI or WI
> I agree, he is a long stock coat. And a smart gorgeous one at that!! I still see a hint of green in his right ear?


I've never heard that between WL and SL - interesting info though!

Yup, still a tinge of green in there. My parents saw him yesterday for the first time since he was tattooed - "His ear is green?! Is that mold?!" hahahaha I'm just letting it wear itself out.


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## Lauri & The Gang (Jun 28, 2001)

I vote *Coat*!!

Kastle:




Mauser:


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## Jessiewessie99 (Mar 6, 2009)

He is adorable! He is going to be very handsome when he gets older!


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## Lakl (Jul 23, 2011)

Loved watching him in the training session. Gorgeous little man and so sharp!


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## FG167 (Sep 22, 2010)

robinhuerta said:


> I believe that your puppy will not have a very long outer-coat when he finally changes from puppy to young adult....but the change will still be apparent.
> *Perhaps I am wrong.....time will tell.*
> Beautiful puppy period!
> Robin


Robin, you hit the nail on the head!

Ear fluff and tail/butt fluff, but body coat is just a tiny smidge longer than our friend's plushy stock coat. 
Kastle at 10 months.


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## robinhuerta (Apr 21, 2007)

Soooo handsome!


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## paulag1955 (Jun 29, 2010)

FG167 said:


>


What a gorgeous dog!


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