By Phoebe
Date 28.02.06 10:53 UTC
I know in shar-pei you can tell from birth the horsecoats (very short coat) from the brushcoats (slightly longer) and there is probably only a quarter inch difference in coat length when they are adults. However, the bearcoats (not standard) have a coat like a golden retriever as an adult and you can't tell them from the brushcoats for at least 2 to 4 weeks. They don't turn up that often, so it can be quite a shock for a breeder when their pick of litter puppy goes *PLOOF!* overnight and turns into a chow puppy.
I'd have a good guess that the roughs might have a slightly more plush and plump appearance in comparison to what you are used to, but in all honesty you might just have to wait and see. Do you know any breeders of both coat types who may be able to enlighten you?
Just a thought... Do you know the mode of inheritance of coat types in your breed? I know the longcoat in most breeds is dominant recessive i.e. both parents need to carry the gene but if they do you're very likely to get rough pups out of even two smooth parents, but hardly ever smooth pups from two rough parents. Don't know with that broken terrier type coat, though.