German Shepherd coats come in basically three types - short, medium, and long. There can be variations with each coat type though. Some long coats for example have no undercoat, and some have a downy undercoat. Medium coats can vary in length and fullness.

The short, smooth coat is the easiest to maintain.

The medium or normal coat is a heavy shedder. It has two layers, a softer undercoat with coarser outer guard hairs, the same as a wolf's.

Approximately ten percent of German Shepherds are born with a long coat. This coat requires a daily brushing to keep it from getting matted, but many people find the long coat attractive and worth the effort. Sometimes  the long coat is a single coat without an undercoat: it is not waterproof so it is unsuitable for an outdoors working dog.