# Different coat types?



## Winterlily (Oct 13, 2010)

No one? If this is better off in the general section, can a mod move it, please? Thanks!


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## flyingduster (Sep 6, 2009)

I guess no one replied cos I'm not sure how to answer... You saw a poodle with a bad coat, and are asking if it's what is being bred for now? No. Bad coats aren't being bred for by responsible breeders. The long loose silky curls is, like you pointed out, more like a cockapoo, and are not considered a good poodle coat. BUT in saying that, just because an individual has a bad coat doesn't automatically mean that poodle is 'badly' bred either (is that what you're asking? lol!) Nor does a great coat indicate excellent breeding either...! There is so much more to good and bad breeding that the coat is just the icing on the cake... 

In saying that, yes badly bred poodles are inclined to having bad coats, as they aren't being bred selectively and carefully to retain the many aspects of a good poodle.

I still don't know if I've answered your questions though! lol.


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## Winterlily (Oct 13, 2010)

Hm... sorry for being unclear! I've seen more than a few with those silky type coats and just wondered if there was now sort of a subset of non-show breeders going for that coat on purpose (sort of like there's a subset of German Shepherd breeders breeding for something disallowed in the standard like a long coat or a white coat etc etc), or if it only meant, as your answer seems to imply, simply not-great breeding OR just, as simple as it gets: a not-great coat meaning nothing but a not-great coat. <lol>

Sorry for the convoluted question. As I begin my quest looking for dog, I wanted to know what, if anything!, it meant when I see dogs with that coat.

Thank you!


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## flyingduster (Sep 6, 2009)

It might also help if you are seeing toy poodles a lot vs minis or standards? Even MANY well bred toys seem to have floppy soft silky coats.

It [shouldn't] be being bred for purposely at all, it is NOT a correct poodle coat to be soft and floppy. But in saying that with soooo many toy poodles with crappy coats, it is perhaps more difficult to breed a correct coat into them more when there is less available... But then I personally think half of that is the whole point of breeding up to better dogs, but ahh well!

So, no it shouldn't be being done [by decent breeders] on purpose to have crap coats, but it's also obviously not being bred away from in your area (or by toys in general) if you are seeing a lot of it.

A floppy soft coat isn't correct and never will be for a poodle, but we can still love our floppy-haired poodles none-the-less!


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## Winterlily (Oct 13, 2010)

Thanks. See, if I ask the question more clearly it makes it easier to answer. First rule of forum posting. 

Yes, the dogs I've seen with those silky loose-curls type coats have primarily been toys - though I recently saw 2 (sibling) minis as well. But honestly, for whatever reason, I don't get to see a lot of minis or standards around here - even my clients' dogs (when I even get a call for a poodle - rarely!) are usually toys.

Okay - good to know that if I fall in love with a toy with a coat like that, doesn't necessarily mean bad breeding. Thank you so much!


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