Yes, I do believe they are as I have a short hair. I think that long haired German shepherds are harder to brush and clean because of their long hair.
I own a Long Hair German Shepherd, and we do not have to brush her once a day. They seem like they would get muddy and matted, but actually, I have a retriever, and she get's much more mats than my shepherd. We take them to the groomers for a bath with soap and brushing once every couple months, and in between we don't have to brush her.
