The Long and Short of It

I'd been curious why some pekingese have long fluffy coats while some have short, flat coats. Got this bit of info from the Pekingese Club of America:

A pekingese normally has an outer layer of “guard hair” and a woolly “undercoat”. The guard hair stands away from the dog’s skin and protects it from heat or cold. The undercoat provides extra warmth. It is more seasonal in its growth and shedding cycle. A healthy pekingese will shed some undercoat and guard hair on a regular basis. Hair loss can be managed if the dog is groomed regularly: daily for show dogs and at least twice per week for companion dogs. More noticeable losses of coat can occur due to climatic or hormonal changes, trauma or significant changes in diet. The fullness and length of a dog’s coat varies depending on the dog’s genetic makeup, its diet, and care. Show dogs usually carry more coat than a companion pet.