# poodle's coat won't change!



## ChantersMom (Aug 20, 2012)

It might be possible that his coat stays as a loose weave. Chanter's coat is fluffy and there are only parts of him that have tight curls (back and hips). The rest of him is loose and mats easily especially legs, underbelly, chest.


----------



## PoodleRick (Mar 18, 2013)

Nuttu said:


> So, my black spoo is now 19-20 months old, and he still has a puppy coat. His coat is very soft and very, very thin, and gets matted very quickly (especially neck and back area). I'm so tired of all the tangles, I have to wash him every 4 to 7 days, or he will be so matted, that there's just no way getting the coat open again! And then there's the part I'm really worried about: *he sheds. I thought that poodles don't shed! He doesn't shed alot, but every time I vacuum at our house, I find some black hairs mixed with dust.* And I don't brush or comb through the coat between washes, because his hair is so soft and fine that it get's static very easily and then it mats even more... I have tried spraying some water to it but it doesn't make a big difference. I just end up washing him.
> 
> Is it possible that his coat will never change or thicken? He's over all still very immature looking and his body seems to develop very slowly too. I know that his mother has a soft but thick, coarse adult coat (she's apricot), and the father seems to have adult coat (I've only seen pictures, so I don't know for sure, but it looks like adult coat! Father is black from black/apricot parents).
> Since I know poodles should have coarse "stand up" coat, I feel like I have part poodle part afghan hound...


Yes Poodles have the reputation of not shedding but I find this a bit inaccurate. All animals shed in some way. Even people. But Poodle coats tend to be very thick so the hair doesn't land on the floor. it stay on the dog. But every time I brushed either of my Poodles I wound up with a soccer ball sized pile of hair. That, I think, is where the mats come from. So if your Poodles hair is thinner, then the hair he is losing is landing on the floor.


----------



## Carrie-e (Oct 23, 2012)

Have you tried when you bath him putting leave in conditioner in his fur? You could also spray him with a conditioner every day and try and brush him through like that. I don't know what else to suggest. Like Poodlerick says poodle hair does shed but it usually stays in their hair which us why you get big balls of fur come out on the slicker brush when you brush them. What kind of brushes are you using? It's strange he gets so many mats! Might be worth talking to a groomer,they might be able to give you some advice.


----------



## Nuttu (Mar 8, 2013)

I have tried using some leave in conditioner but it softens the fur even more and that's not what I want. If there's a chance that his coat won't ever change, then I guess I just need to keep him in a short trim and try some conditioner for the tangles.
Oh, and I forgot to mention! He also grows white hairs throughout his coat. There's not many of them and you can't really see them until you get, like, really close. Has that something to do with the poor coat texture?
I have also tried asking the breeder, but she doesn't have anything to say about any of this. 

Thanks for clearing out the shedding thing, I was really worried about that!


----------



## outwest (May 1, 2011)

Not all poodles have a good coat. Some are very thin and soft. It is genetic. Some of the ligher coats matt a lot easier. He should have thickened up by now, so he might not. All solid black dogs will have a random white hair of two, but at his age some that won't hold the black color start to get lots of white hairs and fade to a salt and pepper. Poodles don't drop hair the way other dogs do, but you will find clumps of fluff here and there. In a poodle with a good coat the hair rarely drops to the ground, you have to brush it out. You may have just gotten a poodle without a proper coat. Soft poodle coats matt more. Keep him short and it shouldn't be a big issue. 

Is he a purebred poodle for sure? Doodles will shed, but poodles don't. Can you post a picture of him?


----------



## Nuttu (Mar 8, 2013)

I'm quite sure that he's purebred, at least he was sold as purebred. I think the breeder is pretty reliable, she has bred poodles over ten years and many of her dogs have succeed in shows or obedience. Both parents are also shown, dad is a champion. Mother's father is int. champion.

Here's a picture of him about four months ago. You can really see that his topknot contains massive two hairs and is very thin, soft and puppylike.









This is more recently took photo, from last week. Groom is imperfect, since I made it and you can't really see how wispy the topknot is, but thought I show something more updated.


----------



## 3dogs (Nov 3, 2010)

I think some of the problem is genetic both in a thin, wispy coat & possibly will mature later. In general as a groomer the Apricots have the coat you totally describe. As of yet I have not groomed a coarse, curly Apricot. Your dog has Apricots on both sides so not in your favor. Age is not that old & maybe just time. Conditioner will make the coat softer, instead you might want to try a "Terrier" shampoo. Terriers want a crisp coat & not a soft coat so I would try that. If you are not showing or in grooming comps. then I would take the coat much shorter.


----------



## Anntig (Jun 9, 2010)

So when did his coat first start matting up? In my experience puppy coat rarely matts at all particularly not with frequent baths, during coat change however it matts like crazy particularly if the adult coat is curlier. If he's just started matting in the last 3-4 months I'd say he's just slow to go through coat change and may not settle into full adult coat till 4 years old I've never yet met a standard that takes less than a year to change and most tend to finish at 2 1/2- 3 years.
To me his coat looks pretty normal for a teenage puppy and unless you used heaps of spray in the 2nd pic seems to be standing up alright.
Try using something like ccs thick'n'thicker and after u bathe and you might find it helps with the thinness & static effect (you can also use apple cider vinegar diluted 10:1 in the final rinse to cut down on static and matting).
He looks like a lovely boy and I wouldn't be worrying too much yet about his coat, still plenty of time for improvement.


----------



## outwest (May 1, 2011)

Well, that is a purebred poodle for sure. He is very pretty, too! His coat doesn't look thin in the picture at all. It looks pretty normal. I was picturing a dog with thin hair. He may be a late changer or he may end up with softer coat, but his coat looks desne in the pictures. Apricots will have softer coats, but I have a light apricot and she has a coarse coat that doesn't matt (but she is almost three). He might not have wirey hair, but lots of poodles don't. I am wondering if he got the apricot coat texture. The hair is sometimes cottony. 

If you aren't showing him, trim him down short. I have been told by some people that when they cut all the hair down it came in much better. If you have never done that, it is worth a try. 

Also, when they go from puppy to adult coat they will shed some of the puppy coat or else you have to brush it out. Are you planning on showing him? If not, I wouldn't hassle with a continental. It is way too much work just for the fun of looking at it.


----------



## outwest (May 1, 2011)

The other possibility is that it is being over conditioned, which makes it limp and soft.


----------



## Indiana (Sep 11, 2011)

I think he's very pretty too, and those bracelets are pretty substantial. I have a dog with a very thick coat and for a pet, you're better off really if it's not as thick. A lot less hassle!


----------

