Ruger the Magnum Puppy!!

by Cheryl Getzinger
(Hope, MI, USA)

Hi everyone, Ruger and I have been playing ball in the backyard since the snow melted. I am astonished at how much he continues to grow. He will be 6 months on April 14 and now weighs 72 pounds, 25 inches at shoulder, 26 at his highest rump point, and 30.5 inches long from chest to back of thigh.

I brush him everyday since he is long haired but I was always told long hair shepherds dont have an under coat. So what is this fuzzy stuff I get in the brush? Its an undercoat!! So is there a longer stock coat Shepherd? Not all long but longer than short?

Here are some pics you all tell me. No matter what, I love my beautiful boy, he is a big teddy bear!!

Total German Shepherd:

Hey Cheryl,

Your German Shepherd puppy, Ruger, is a typical GSD pup! Many are ball crazy - that's exactly the same way my German Shepherd Rodie is. If it's not a ball, he's not interested in it!! ;)

Most long haired GSDs have an undercoat - I don't know why people say just the opposite - at least all the one's I've ever come in contact with. I have owned several coated German Shepherds in the past and they all had undercoats.

Funny thing is, they typically don't seem to shed as much, in my experience, as a more traditional coated GSD. So I always thought that was a little weird. Don't get me wrong - they still shed (the longer coated dogs) but just doesn't seem to be as much as my standard coated GSDs always do.

Anyway, continued success with Ruger - he is a handsome fellow for sure - and keep the pictures coming. We love to see them!