THE GERMAN Shepherd Dog Standard has been altered to create two separate varieties of coat. The KC’s General Committee has approved the addition of words covering long-coated dogs, which are underlined here: ‘Outer coat consisting of straight, hard, close-lying hair as dense as possible; thick undercoat. Hair on head, ears, front of legs, paws and toes short; on neck longer and thicker, in some males forming slight ruff. Hair longer on back of legs as far down as pasterns and hocks, forming fairly thick trousers on hindquarters. Mole-type coats are undesirable. ‘In long coats, outer coat longer, not always straight and frequently not lying close and flat to the body. Thick undercoat. Coat distinctly longer inside and behind the ears, forming moderate tufts. ‘Longer hair on the back of the forelegs through to the loins and dense feathering on the hind legs. Tail bushy with light feathering underneath’. Both coat types will now be judged together in the same classes at shows, the KC confirmed. Full Story http://www.dogworld.co.uk/product.php/137680/34/gsd_standard_altered_to_include_longcoats
I wouldn't be holding my breath waiting to be honest. It's going to take time for the die hard GSD and alround judges to accept a different type in the ring. Whether we like it or not, a judge will judge to their prepared type, there is already enough debate about European type to English type as it is, adding a new type ( long coats) to the equation is not going to go well. GSD are not my breed so don't know to much about them ( I know a couple) but from a personal observation , most long coats I see don't resemble what I see in the ring, they are usually a squarer , shorter dog, how do you judge that against dogs like " Elmo" and the like. I think the calling for separating them into classes my be a better way forward .
I think it will be difficult under our KC system with both being shown in same classes as there will always be those who believe it’s a fault. Under FCI rules the two coat types are shown separately and are not to be bred with each other, a long coat without undercoat will continue to be treated as a major fault and will be excluded from SV shows. The same happens at the non-KC British Sieger shows in this country where separate classes for longcoats have been held for some years, last year the judges awarded the highest honour, VA, to a longcoat as well as to two of the ‘normal’ coats. Shernaa Pakros last year became the first longcoat to win a VA grade at the British Sieger Show where the two coats types are shown separately.
I don't know much about GSD's, but certainly in Hungary where GSD's are the most popular breed, the majority seem to be long coated. A few months ago at the vet there was one that from a distance could almost have been mistaken for a TM. I know in Hungary and other countries in Europe some breeds are judged according to their coat. Gwylim my Mini Schnauzer who has a black coat would be judged in a separate class to all the other colours, which wouldn't happen in the UK.
