When did your F1B shed its puppy coat?

[Kelli, Fenway, & Dustin Pedroia]

Fenway just turned 8 months old this past Sunday and she has been matting like crazy all of a sudden. We had never had a single mat until the last week or so and now they are everywhere. I brush her coat once or twice a week (prior to the matting) and that has always been enough. Is this her coat going through the change from puppy to adult or is it too early? Just curious when this happened to all of you and if the matting ends once the adult coat comes in.

[Sally loves Maple & Lucky]

Maple's color started to change from chocolate to cafe at 7 months then shortly after that the puppy fur started clumping out like little Maples on the rug. We gave her a scissors cut at 8 months but the clumps kept shedding. So we clipped her down to one inch at 10 months. 4 weeks later, there are a few shedded clumps that a good brushing outside this weekend will handle. Now at 11 months, she's ending the fur change.

[Sally loves Maple & Lucky]

Most F1b's do not shed or shed very little after the adult coat is mature. The groomer may be confused thinking about an F1, which more times than not do continue to shed.

As for our doodles, Maple our Labradoodle with a fleece coat does not shed but will still mat in her private areas, feet or ears if not brushed twice a month or not groomed once a month - but they're very little knots that can be cut out unnoticed. Lucky, our Goldendoodle is a curly coat and she leaves a few little hair rememberances on my black pants but she never mats.

[Sally loves Maple & Lucky]

Size is genetic. Maple reached her height at 11 months and has held at 65 lbs from 17 months to now (25 months). Be careful of long fleece feet - they mat easier than short fleece legs and feet. Maple had to have her feet trimmed after the winter of snow here. I hated the poodle toes look and it took a long time to grow out. We keep them trimmed close and Maple is still fluffy soft at any length! Next grooming we are doing away with the hats (top of the head) and the long ears. I want them to look more like dogs than poodles. But we'll never cut that tail. Oh! read my "Tale of Tails" discussion in the Grooming section. I cried! I hope you never find your Benni's tail as a big mat :(

[Sally loves Maple & Lucky]

Wheaton Terriers are beautiful dogs! Thanks for the info on them, I will admire them from afar :)