My doodle still hasn't changed her coat!

[Jessica & Benny]

Lola is 1 year 7 months old and still has the exact same coat as when she was a puppy--straight(ish) very soft fleece. It mats like CRAZY. I have to keep her cut so short she looks like a poodle :( Is it normal to not change coats? I was hoping it would and would get easier to take care of.

[Suzanne Newman]

Jessica, 

Whidbey is 9 months- almost 10, and she just recently started getting her adult hair and the mats are a real issue....  At 7 months old she still had all her puppy coat, and no adult coat at all.

We have resigned ourselves to having to give her a haircut next week to a lot more off than what we did before.  I'll be sad to loose the "doodle" look- but hopefully she will still look cute!

[Ricki and Tara (doodle)]

I honesly don't know if some doodles don't have a coat change. Barb can probably answer that one. But it seems like 
"normally" they start changing toward the end of their first year.  I can tell you that Lola's coat sounds a lot like Tara's and even though Tara's coat changed it is still really difficult to manage and I keep it short (around 1/2 inch to an inch). But you should be able to avoid the poodle look by keeping Lola's head and tail long and by getting the doodle face cut.

[Bob Johnston]

It seems coat changes vary so much doodle to doodle. Ours was a very subtle change and is now coming in more curly but same color an texture as when she was a tiny puppy. The hind quarter area and base of her tail are they worst parts since they have not turned curly yet but pray they do very soon. Sophie's hair looks very much like Lola's texture and color just in a smaller package. I think they are even the same age Sophie was born march 8th 2012

[Jessica & Benny]

Thanks, all. I guess I'll have to wait and see what happens. Bob--Lola was born on March 10 :)

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

Some coats don't change enough to notice.  I think most doodle coats do change in some way.  Ned began matting at about 6 months and matted so badly that we had to do a thorough brush/comb every other day.  When he turned two or so we realized that we could brush less often and most mats could be worked out rather than sliced through or sprayed with detangling products.  Now that he is 5, we can go for a week or even two - it is a massive job to brush/comb him when we do this,  but we can do it.  His coat is super dense and cottony.