German Shepherds and many other breeds, come in two coat lengths: normal and long. Long coat is a recessive gene that may be produced in progeny of normal or long coated dogs and is usually detectable by 3-5 weeks of age. Many people who have owned these beautiful dogs actually prefer them to their normal coated littermates.
Some people refer to these dogs as 'Shilos' or 'Belgian' shepherds, however these names are not correct when refering to long-coated German Shepherds. Don't be confused by names. Reputable German Shepherd breeders register their puppies as German Shepherds most notably with the American Kennel Club.
