The gene responsible for furnishings in dogs is RSPO2 (R-spondin-2). A specific insertion mutation in this gene produces the distinctive eyebrows, mustache, and beard seen in breeds like Schnauzers, Poodles, and most terriers. The trait is dominant, meaning a dog only needs one copy of the variant to display furnishings.
What Furnishings Actually Look Like
Furnishings refer to the longer hair that grows on a dog’s face, especially around the eyebrows, muzzle, and chin. This creates the bushy-browed, bearded look you see on breeds like the Scottish Terrier or Wire Fox Terrier. Furnishings also affect the legs, producing longer hair on the limbs compared to dogs without the trait.
Dogs without furnishings have a smooth, clean face with short, uniform hair. Think of a Labrador Retriever or a Beagle. When a breed that’s supposed to have furnishings is born without them, the result is called an “improper coat.” The dog looks noticeably different from its breed standard, with a smooth face that resembles a completely different breed.
How the RSPO2 Gene Works
The RSPO2 gene produces a protein called R-spondin-2, which plays a direct role in activating stem cells inside hair follicles. This protein amplifies a key growth signal (called Wnt signaling) in the skin, which keeps hair follicles in their active growth phase longer. When that growth phase is extended, hair shafts grow longer, particularly in areas like the face and legs where furnishings appear.
Research in mice has shown that injecting R-spondin-2 protein into the skin suppresses the resting phase of the hair cycle and keeps follicles actively producing hair. In dogs carrying the RSPO2 mutation, this process happens naturally. The mutation doesn’t just control where long hair grows on the body; it also contributes to overall hair length. This is why furnished breeds tend to have coats that keep growing rather than shedding at a fixed length.
Dominant Inheritance
Furnishings follow a dominant inheritance pattern. A dog with two copies of the RSPO2 variant (homozygous) will have furnishings. A dog with one copy of the variant and one normal copy (heterozygous) will also have furnishings. Only a dog with two normal copies (no variant) will have a smooth, unfurnished face.
This matters most in crossbreeds. When a furnished breed like a Poodle is crossed with an unfurnished breed like a Labrador, the first-generation puppies (F1 Labradoodles, for example) typically inherit one copy of the RSPO2 variant from the Poodle parent and display furnishings. But because they only carry one copy, breeding two of these dogs together can produce puppies with no copies of the variant, resulting in smooth-faced offspring that surprise their owners. About 25% of second-generation puppies from two carrier parents will have an improper coat.
Three Genes Shape a Dog’s Entire Coat
Most of the visible variation in dog coats traces back to just three genes. RSPO2 controls furnishings and wiry texture. A second gene, FGF5, determines whether a dog has long or short hair. A third gene, KRT71, controls the degree of curl. Different combinations of variants in these three genes produce the enormous range of coat types across breeds, from a smooth short-haired Boxer to a long curly-coated Poodle to a wiry-coated Airedale Terrier.
RSPO2 specifically contributes to both the wiry texture seen in many terrier breeds and the distribution of longer hair across the body. A dog can carry the long-hair variant of FGF5 without furnishings (like an Afghan Hound) or carry the RSPO2 furnishing variant without long hair on the body (like a Wire Fox Terrier). When a dog carries both, you get the full-bodied, continuously growing coat of breeds like the Poodle or Shih Tzu.
Breeds That Carry the Furnishing Variant
The list of breeds with the RSPO2 furnishing variant is long and spans several breed groups. Terriers make up a large portion: Airedale, Australian, Border, Cairn, Dandie Dinmont, Irish, Kerry Blue, Norfolk, Scottish, Skye, Soft Coated Wheaten, Welsh, West Highland White, and Yorkshire Terriers all carry it. Wire-haired sporting breeds like the German Wirehaired Pointer, Wirehaired Pointing Griffon, and Spinone Italiano carry it as well.
Companion and toy breeds with furnishings include the Bichon Frise, Havanese, Lhasa Apso, Maltese, Shih Tzu, and Silky Terrier. Larger breeds on the list include the Bouvier des Flandres, Briard, Black Russian Terrier, Old English Sheepdog, Irish Wolfhound, Scottish Deerhound, and Portuguese Water Dog. All varieties of Poodle and Schnauzer carry the variant, as do Poodle crosses like Goldendoodles and Labradoodles.
Why Improper Coats Happen
An improper coat occurs when a dog from a furnished breed inherits two copies of the normal (non-mutant) RSPO2 gene instead of at least one copy of the furnishing variant. The dog ends up with a smooth face and shorter body hair that doesn’t match its breed standard. This is most commonly discussed in Portuguese Water Dogs, where the trait has been studied extensively, and in Doodle crosses where the genetics are more variable.
Improper coats are purely cosmetic. They don’t affect the dog’s health in any way. But for breeders aiming to produce dogs that meet a breed standard, or for Doodle buyers expecting a low-shedding furnished coat, the distinction matters. DNA testing for the RSPO2 variant allows breeders to identify carriers before breeding and predict which puppies will have furnishings. Labs like the UC Davis Veterinary Genetics Laboratory offer this test for dozens of breeds and crossbreeds.
What DNA Test Results Mean
When you test a dog for the RSPO2 furnishing variant, results come back as one of three genotypes. Two copies of the furnishing variant means the dog has furnishings and will pass the variant to every puppy. One copy of the furnishing variant and one normal copy means the dog has furnishings but will pass the normal copy to roughly half its offspring. Two normal copies means the dog has no furnishings and cannot produce furnished puppies unless bred to a dog that carries the variant.
For crossbreed owners, this test is particularly useful for predicting coat type in future litters. It also helps explain why some Labradoodles or Goldendoodles shed heavily while others don’t. The presence or absence of the RSPO2 variant is the single biggest genetic factor in whether a mixed-breed dog will have the bearded, low-shedding coat many buyers expect.