While passing through a street, you notice this delightful and adorable version of the German Shepherd with long hair, which becomes your friend very quickly. If you have made your mind to bring this long-haired version of the German Shepherd to your home, then there are a few things you might need to know about them.
Being the kinder cousin of Short haired German Shepherd, Long-haired German Shepherds are quite rare dogs with a thicker coat of straight, silky, and long hair. They are much kinder, social, and exceptionally loyal than the German Shepherds.
If you want to dig deeper about a long-haired German Shepherd, then we have come up with the ultimate guide to a long-haired German shepherd, which will help you a lot while upbringing one. In this article, you will learn everything you need to know about Long-Haired German Shepherds. How to feed them, how to groom them, and how to get them to exercise regularly. Do they make good guard dogs and are they great with children? What’s their breeding history and how old do they get on average?
Written By Sergey Uhanov – Certified Veterinarian.
Sergey Uhanov is a certified veterinarian for dogs over 10 years, breeding 3 dogs. He loves dogs and has his own pet clinic in Israel. He likes to help other people with their dogs by sharing his experience and knowledge.
How Often and How Long Do You Have to Exercise Long-Haired German Shepherd?
Long-haired German shepherds are very active and energetic dogs. This dog breed is primarily known for its presence of mind, intelligence, and activeness.
Not only do they require a regular long walk in their exercise routine, but they also love running. Thus, if you are a cyclist or a jogger, your German Shepherd’s long hair will enjoy your company a lot.
Apart from this, you need to provide adequate training to the German Shepherd puppies to exercise as part of their daily schedule and make them more energetic.
You can also play some outdoor games like frisbee with your dog. This dog breed requires a vast exercising space, as it has boundless energy, which needs to be showcased somewhere.
If you are a breeder, make sure to teach Long-haired German Shepherd puppies socialness, kindness, and loyalty from their childhood.
Is Long-Haired German Shepherd an Excellent Family Dog?
Unlike German Shepherds that are very courageous, quick, and protective, the Long-haired German Shepherd breed is somewhat kinder, making them a good family dog.
You will find them a little shy in the starting, but once you become their friend, this friendly dog will love you a lot. They are very loyal to their mater, which is why they are mostly raised as a pet. They can even lose their temperament if it comes to their master.
Because of their social skills, they love playing, especially with the kids. Thus, if you have smaller kids at your home, then this is their perfect playtime partner you can bring home. Good training from their childhood will shape them as per your requirement and a great pet moreover.
Is Long-Haired German Shepherd A Good Guard Dog?
A long-haired German Shepherd is also an excellent guard dog, almost similar to a short-haired German Shepherd. Apart from this, they have a bold and confident appearance, making them stand out as good guard dogs.
Because of their thinner undercoat and rare appearance, they are not appointed as police or Army dog, yet they are the most protective pet dogs ever. Being very alert, they can sense even the slightest noise, even while sleeping. With a loud bark, they can alert everyone else if they sense something suspicious going on.
With proper training of a long-haired German Shepherd puppy, you can teach them the correct identification of a suspicious man. And they can be very proactive and dangerous towards them.
Being a good runner and very concerned about their master, they can also help you find the culprit. Thus, you can’t deny the fact that it is a good guard dog with all these points.
What Are the Common Diseases of Long-Haired German Shepherd?
Everyone is prone to disease in their life, and so are long-haired German Shepherd.
Especially the German shepherd puppies, they require the most of the attention.
This dog breed mostly inherits all its health traits from its parent breed. The most common disease being elbow and hip dysplasia. Skin problems like eczema and rashes are common among these dogs.
They can also suffer from joint problems like bladder stones, diarrhea, vomiting, and even cancer.
You can avoid most of the health concerns in this breed by choosing genetically healthy parents to breed. You can take their health test before mating them and mate them accordingly.
How Much Does Long-Haired German Shepherd Eat on Average Daily?
Although they are not as large as a short-haired German Shepherd, yet this dog also requires plenty of nutritious food all day long to retain their energy. They are highly energetic and spirited dogs and have a food requirement accordingly.
At least provide them three cups of food a day, which means at least 1500 calories a day. However, their diet may vary depending on their health and size. You can spill their meal into 2 to 3 different parts for another part of the day.
Avoid overeating your Long-haired German Shepherd puppy, as it might affect their health, yet, provide them enough food to retain their energy all day long.
If you are concerned about how much food your dog should eat and not figure it out, you can head to a veteran to discuss it with him. He will help you make a perfect diet chart for your German Shepherd.
Size, Weight, Typical Colors Of Long-Haired German Shepherd
Long-haired German Shepherds are comparatively shorter in height than short-haired German Shepherds. They also weigh less comparatively.
The average height of a Long-haired male German Shepherd lies between 24 to 26 inches, while you can find a female 22 to 24 inches tall.
The male dog weighs around 65 to 90 pounds while the female can weigh up to 70 pounds.
They have quite a cute appearance with long hair and brown eyes, and a muscular body. They are known for their confident appearance.
Typically, you can find the coat of a long-haired German Shepherd similar to the skin of short-haired ones, in a black and tan shade, while some of them also have a red and black coat. As the short hair gene is dominant in German Shepherds and the long hair gene is recessive, it is rare.
How Old Will Long-Haired German Shepherd Get on Average?
With an average life expectance, a Long-haired German Shepherd can live for around 9 to 13 years. They pass through different phases ranging from childhood to old age. A healthy long-haired German Shepherd will live for at least 13 years or even more than that, while they can find it challenging to pass nine years if they suffer from some acute disease.
What’s the Breeding History, And Where Does This Mix Come From?
German Shepherds, as their name suggests, were developed in Germany basically for herding purposes. Shepherds use to raise them to take care of their sheep.
But only till the German General Max Von Stephanitz saw this adorable dog breed. He is known as the father of many mixed breeds because of his experimental breeding of German Shepherd with other breeds.
Then, as it reaches the USA, it becomes a star and an adorable pet, a loyal guard, and starts serving in the police and Army.
Long Haired German Shepherd is a German Shepherd with a long outer coat and no undercoat. Their long coat is because of the genetic disorder and, so the American Kennel Club doesn’t acknowledge them. Because of their appearance, they are moreover raised as a pet.
People consider them as a kind pet instead of a dangerous Police dog.
What Needs to Be Considered for Grooming and Care?
As these dogs are the owner of a beautiful and long coats, unlike the short-haired German Shepherds, it is essential to groom them regularly. Because of their long hair, they shed around all the seasons.
You should keep your vacuum cleaner ready all the time to clean their hair. As it has long hair, it is more prone to parasites and matting. Thus, regular brushing is pretty crucial to keep its hair shiny all the time.
Also, they require a regular bath at least once a week. Wash their coat with dog shampoo and then condition it to retain their hair’s shine, silkiness, and texture.
After shampoo, dry their hair with a hairdryer; otherwise, it will take at least a week to dry them naturally. While washing them, keep a keen eye on their skin to know about any rash or other skin problems. If you find one, rush to the veteran immediately.
What Does Long-Haired German Shepherd Eat?
Like the short-haired German Shepherd dog, the long-haired German Shepherd is also very demanding in terms of their feed.
Although you can feed this breed with all the regular food you consume, including green vegetables, carrots, fruits, meat, eggs, bread even pizza base.
They are meat lovers, not just chicken. They love eating beef, fish, lamb, pork, duck,
and goat meat as well. If you make it a habit to feed them with junk food, it can affect their health. And in the end, it will become difficult for them to give up that sugary, fried food.
Also, keep them away from too much spicy and sugary food, as they have a sensitive stomach, and too much spicy and sugar can affect their stomach.
Prefer them to feed with the dog food available in the market, as it contains all the essential nutrients your dog needs.
Finally, I would like to advise you that too much of everything is terrible, not just for this dog breed but also for all other dog breeds. Thus, keep a keen eye on what your dog is eating to avoid health issues.
How Much Is A Long-Haired German Shepherd?
The price of a long-haired German Shepherd majorly depends on the breeder, whether you are getting one from a local breeder or an online store or adopting one.
If the German Shepherd has a rare coat, the breeder will ask for a high price because of the unique coat, but if it is not above the standard, you can get one at a very decent price point.
You can search for a local breeder that not only sells a long-haired German Shepherd at a decent price point but also is known for its high-quality breeding.
For a long-haired German Shepherd puppy, a breeder can ask you around $500 to $1500. If you are bringing an adult home, you might need to pay between $300 to $500. While if you opt for adoption, it will cost you around $75 to $300.
Thus, a long-haired German Shepherd will not make a hole in the pocket, and you are going to get a charming pet.
Do Long-Haired German Shepherds Shed A Lot?
It is a misconception that the German Shepherd’s long hair sheds a lot more than the short-haired ones. Although you can find long hair all around you because of its long hairs, they have a thicker hair coat and a thinner undercoat, due to which it sheds lesser compared to short-haired German Shepherd.
But their coat requires regular maintenance as they are more prone to parasites because of their long coat.
How Do You Take Care of a Long-Haired German Shepherd?
It is easy to take care of a long-haired German Shepherd compared to a short-haired German shepherd. They are pretty kind and friendly too.
Being highly active, they will help you in your day-to-day activities like bringing your mail or bringing the newspaper to your tea table.
Apart from this, they are the perfect companion you can have, whether you live alone or with kids in your family. All you need to do is to groom them, feed them with nutritious food, take them on long walks, arrange their exercising session and take them to the veteran from time to time for their vaccination.
Vaccination is pretty essential not only just for this dog breed but for all other dog breeds. Regular health check-ups will also ensure that your companion is perfectly alright.
While feeding them, take care of the quantity of food you are feeding them. Don’t feed him too much as this breed is prone to health issues, but give them enough food to stay active all day long.
Conclusion
If you have an active lifestyle and prefer taking care of your health, then by bringing a long-haired German shepherd, you will get a reason to take care of your health while taking your long-haired German Shepherd out for their training session.
If you are confused about whether a long-haired German Shepherd is the right breed for you, or not then you can ask a few questions to yourself to make a decision.
If you have enough time for grooming of long-haired German Shepherd or not?
As this dog breed has much longer hair than the short-haired ones, it is quite crucial to groom them from time to time. Do you have enough time to take them out for its training session?
It is a highly active dog breed that requires constant exercising, walking, and running sessions. Will you be able to spare some time for their sessions from your busy schedule?
Whether you are allergic to hairs or not? They shed all around the year; thus, if you are allergic, prefer a short-haired German Shepherd instead.
If the answer to the above question comes out to be yes, then it is the perfect dog breed you can raise.
