Still Has His Puppy Coat at 18 Months Old

[Kathy (Ellie & Oliver)]

Our 18 month F1 goldendoodle, Oliver, still has his puppy coat. He matts very easily. The groomer describes his coat as all undercoat. He was the runt of the litter. When we picked him up at 11 weeks, he only weighed 6.8 lbs. Oliver now weighs 47lbs. I am hoping that since he had a slow start that maybe his coat will still change. Just wondering if anyone else is having or had a similiar experience with the puppy coat of a F1 doodle. Thanks! Kathy (Ellie & Oliver)

[Adina P]

hmmmm...looks like nobody had an answer yet. My dog Rosco never really had a true coat change either. He just got fluffier, but at no point did he shed more or less nor did he ever start matting heavily.

[Tamara & Giada]

Yup, I never noticed a real change either!!

[Bari Weissenborn]

I don't know about "puppy coat", but my F2 miniture golden doodle has a coat similar to what you describe.....when left alone it falls into "dread locks", and otherwise mats terribly...BUT I found the answer!!!!! I found a brush called "Les Poochs" you can find it at lespoochs.com and it is a fine wire brush that has alot of give to it....I brush my Zazu with the straight bristle side first to loosen up the mats, then gently brush with the angled bristle side and it removes the mats...What a pleasure....Now she looks like a giant powder puff !!!

[Kathy (Ellie & Oliver)]

Hi Bari,
OMG! I just received my Les Poochs brush in the mail two days ago! I read on this forum that is was great to get out matts. I ordered it from Doodle Country. I sent a picture of our two doodles and the owner suggested the green brush. The funny thing is that my brush doesn't have a straight side. Both sides are angled. Strange! Maybe I'll e-mail the website and ask him why. I tried using it on Oliver but the matts were already quite tangled together. Oliver was groomed yesterday. My goal is to brush him out every single day to see if that helps. I'm going to use that brush. It takes my husband and myself to get the job done. Oliver doesn't like to be brushed. I also have a 6" Chris Christenson Staggered Tooth Butter Comb. This comb has staggered teeth and works well on matts. It costs $40. Thanks and good luck with your Zazu!

[Leslie and Halas]

We have the small purple Les Poochs brush, and it also has 2 angled sides, not a straight side. Is your brush the smaller brush, too? Halas is an F1, and he does seem to be losing his puppy coat. He doesn't really shed, but I think the puppy coat still works it was loose and then gets matted in with the rest of the hair, so he's getting a lot of brushing right now. It was like this for a couple of months starting when he was about 10 months old, then it seemed to stop, but now it's happening again. But I don't know if it happens to all doodles. Halas' adult coat is still very soft, and it doesn't seem to be that different than his puppy coat, but it doesn't feel like it matts as easily.

[Kathy (Ellie & Oliver)]

Hi Leslie,
I ordered the large green Les Poochs brush. Oliver weighs 47 lbs and the large was suggested for dogs over 40 lbs. He was groomed three days ago and since then we have brushed him every day. He still has a few matts each day but it is better than before. Of course, it is probably due to the fact that his fur is short right now. LOL! Ollie matts around the ears, legs, and his belly. When his hair is grown out, his coat is soft, wavy, and people are always commenting on how handsome he looks. I hope that we'll be able to let his hair grow out some. I feel so sorry for him because combing out the matts really hurt. He seems to tolerate the Les Poochs brush very well. I'm happy that so many doodle lovers are willing to share what tools work for them. I'm not sure that I would of bought a $95 brush if others hadn't shared their experiences. I'm still crossing my fingers that he is a late bloomer and that his adult coat will still come in. I guess by the end of summer, we'll know!! Have a great week!!! Thanks for sharing! Kathy (Ellie & Oliver)