More Info

Did you know?

Long-coated individuals can turn up in many breeds, owing to the recessive nature of the variant and sometimes, breed history. For example, in the 1800's both long-coated and short-coated Basset Hounds occurred, and were shown together. Surprising breeds that occasionally show a long coat include American Staffordshire Terriers, English Bulldogs, French Bulldogs, Rottweilers, American Bulldogs, Pugs, Labradors, and many others.

How it works

To show a long coat, a dog must inherit two copies of a Long Hair variant, one from each parent. This can either be two copies of a particular variant, such as this one (lh5) or two of any combination of long hair variants. This variant is very rare across all breeds, and found primarily in breeds of ancient Middle Eastern origin, such as the Afghan Hound. There are likely other rare variants that influence coat length.

Health implications

Long-coated breeds require regular grooming to prevent mats from forming which can cause discomfort, and in severe cases, skin injury.