DOODLE METAMORPHOUS

[Cathy C. Bennett]

This is weird! No other way to describe it. My “soon to be” four year old Doodle is having an “Incredible Hulk” moment. Like the leaves on a maple tree in the fall, Harley’s coat is changing. Harley’s mother – a beautiful amber colored golden retriever. His father? A rather large curly copper red poodle. Yet Harley’s coat? White – straight – and fluffy like cotton.

Late this summer after he received his annual “summer do”,  I noticed his lower back area was a bit darker and the texture was coarser. It laid flat rather than raised, which gave the illusion that it was much shorter.
To be honest with you, after careful examination, I concluded this had to be the result of a cautionary tale about an accidental nick or two during his salon visit. The area gave the appearance that maybe he moved suddenly and the clippers went down further than they were supposed to.

He wasn’t cut or bit, the skin looked healthy, and he didn’t seem irritated by it, so I made a mental note to speak with the groomer the following day. When I spoke to Fernando, he reminded me, he uses scissors not clippers when he grooms Harley. He said he saw it also, and he too checked out the entire area and didn’t see anything unhealthy about his coat just the unusual “spot.”
I tried not to worry about it, but this was Harley and I couldn’t help myself. I surfed the web looking for anything that might help me understand this craziness, bad, bad mistake. I stumbled onto a website and was convinced he had come down with a case of “alopecia” (dog hair loss). I tossed and turned all night – my “Harley-Darley” was going bald!
The following morning, I called the vet, it had been almost a week and “the spot” wasn’t getting any better (it wasn’t getting any worse either), but it was growing…

I appreciate our “Doodle Doc” Not because the boys love her, nor the fact that she is “on it” when it comes to diagnosing their problems. It’s because she tolerates me!         MY emergencies are HER emergencies. She is able to calm me down, and stop me from leaping off the ledge.
She sat on the floor with Harley for what seemed an eternity, and told me what I already knew… There was nothing medically wrong with him, for whatever reason his coat was changing!
At one point I laughed when I envisioned blogging about my new “doodle” and posting a picture of a “light brown” Harley!
A month or so later, Leo had his annual physical and of course Harley was in attendance. Doodle Doc checked him out again, and we both scratched our heads at the growth of his new “patch.” The coat is growing just fine, it’s just a different color.

I’m growing accustomed to it now, as a matter of fact, it’s starting to look a little cool.  Like he has a birthmark that finally decided to come out!

I know Doodles go through coat changes their first 18 months or so, but he is WAY past that stage, so I will continue to monitor and document as time goes on. But no matter his coat color, texture, length or style, Harley is still one of the “Grooviest Goldendoodles” out there – even with his distinctive new markings…

Weird huh? Gotta love it though, never a dull doodle moment around here!

[Barbara Mettler]

Ha!  Our 7.5-month-old Gracie was chocolate brown with one white patch on her chest at 2 months.  Now she has light colored legs and head with new dark brown patches coming in  on her sides.  We don't have a clue what color she'll end up being in another year.  It's kind of fun to continually see new colors and patterns develop!

[Cathy C. Bennett]

Hi Nancie -  thanks so much for the testimony. I am not worried at all, I too think it's rather unique just like the breed. Harley couldn't be happier and never indicates that he is in any discomfort. He isn't a very rough and tough Doodle like Leo, so I doubt seriously if he has developed an injury, he's too prissy to get very physical! Thanks again for taking the time to write us!

[Nancie & Gracie Doodle]

Hey all, nothing to worry about.  I posted the exact same post a few years ago about GracieDoodle.  Hers started in the exact same spot as Harley's.  It too was a darker color and stiffer hair.  Then it traveled up her back.  I told my daughter who has a Rhodesian Ridgeback that Gracie wanted to be like Luna and was growing a ridge!  I went to the vet, Googled and posted here with photos as well.  It is first believed to be what they call injury fur.  There are instances where a dog receives some kind of trauma to the skin or bone...use it would be a hard bonk on the shin or a bruise.  They can get it from rolling around on the ground and roll over a rock or tree root, playing and rolling with other dogs...you name it.  But when we have applied pressure to the area Gracie never indicates that there is any soreness.  So after following these posts I have concluded it is just a cycle in their make-up that causes this.  Gracie's was a dark amber and then lightened up and after a few groomings went away.  Then in the summer it came back but this time in more areas.  They are usually in middle of the back from the tail to the neck and along the spine area.  Then they start to fade and blend in.  Gracie started hers about 3 years old.  She is now 5 and just looks like she has high and low highlights.  Good news...absolutely nothing to worry about or be concerned about.  Don't waste your money going to vets because they really have no answers and they are only guessing.  We went through all the blood panels, etc. but nothing shows up.  It is just part of being a Doodle!  

[Cathy C. Bennett]

Receiving your email, makes me feel  even better, thanks so much for sharing. I have no idea where the stripe is going, but I agree with you - along the top of his back would be pretty cool!

[Michele, Biscuit & Mo]

This made me smile, because Harley is going through exactly what our old Goldendoodle, Penny, want through.  At about the age of 4 or 5, dark markings appeared in her coloring.  When all was said, and done, it was a pretty amazing transformation.

It would be pretty cool if Harley ends up with a stripe along the top of his back!  :)