10 month puppy losing hair

[Tina, Dylan & Lucy]

Hi. We have a 10 month doodle girl called Lucy who seems to be losing her doodle curls from her sides.
We've noticed that the lovely soft curly hair is changing so that the curls are disappearing across her sides leaving a much shorter, coarser coat.
We're hoping this is just a usual change to her coat as gets older but don't remember seeing this change with our 2 1/2 year old boy, Dylan. 
Should we be concerned? She hasn't had her first season so are wondering if it could be hormonal. Has anyone come across this before? 

thanks!

Tina (& Lucy)

[Leigh & Allie]

I know Allie's fur changed at about that age. She got more tangles than usual. One last thing though, aren't you going to spay her? You mentioned hormonal. I had Allie spayed at six months.

[Tina, Dylan & Lucy]

thanks, am just hoping its just a normal puppy stage. But yes, absolutely we are going to get her spayed.
I just wondered if she may be close to her first season and if it had anything to do with hormones but we have talked to our vets about spaying. 

[Susan and Sasha]

Sounds like the coat change to me...

A Doodle goes through So many changes before their adult coat comes in.

I do know that each Doodle is different...and some have more of a change...matting...etc...than another.

Not sure about if a Doodle wasn't spayed at that age...

Was your Dylan neutered at that age?

It is an interesting question...but I don't know if it would have anything to do with it.

[Christine & Shelby]

I agree.... probably the beginnings of a coat change and nothing to worry about.  If you start to see dramatic thinning or bald spots, then I would take her in.

[Ginny Nightingale]

Doodles coat's change some times change a lot between puppy coat and adult coat and she is at the right age for that. Her puppy coat will gradually shed out and the adult coat will grow in--so the curls could all be gone now, but may come back as the adult coat gets longer. Also damp weather can make the hair curl and in dry winter weather it will be straighter.

I have an unspayed female who has had two litters for my breeder and she has not had any changes in coat due to hormone levels.

[Tina, Dylan & Lucy]

thanks everyone. You've  confirmed what we have been hoping. Lucy is curlier than Dylan so maybe we just didn't notice it so much in him. 
On the question of spaying and neutering, we had Dylan neutered at 1 year and plan on doing the same with Lucy. 
Guess there are many different opinions on this...

[Kaytlin and Cooper]

Spaying before the first heat significantly reduces the chances of certain female cancers.... so i would get her spayed asap. That way you dont need to worry about some accident happening at the park, on a walk etc. Even if you plan on keeping her inside when she is in heat, it may begin before you realize. if you live in a populated area, then the scent of her in heat will be all over your yard from when you take her potty and local dogs who can roam (and maybe coyotes, wolves etc in the wild) may be following the scent and hang around your house.

As for the fur - its likely the coat change. It could also be a result from the 2 dogs playing rough - my MILs dog pulls tufts out of Cooper when they play. Cooper also got a short patch of fur on the side of her bum from sitting in the car for 3 days when we moved provinces

[Tina, Dylan & Lucy]

thanks - I do appreciate everyones views and we are planning on talking to the vet to get her booked in.

But your comment about wolves/coyotes made me smile - we live in the UK and although we're in the Midlands with lots of countryside, we only ever encounter the odd squirrel or rabbit..:)

Our 2 do play rough sometimes but I'm afraid to say that its Dylan who ends up with missing tufts from his ears usually. Lucy pesters him but always seems to come out of things better!

[Kaytlin and Cooper]

Oh where about? Im in Canada now, but originally from the Midlands - a small town between Derby and Nottingham!

[Tina, Dylan & Lucy]

Ha, how funny! We live in a little village called Bassingham which is about half way between Newark and Lincoln. I used to work in Nottingham...small world

[Jennifer,Chloe & Myla]

Myla's hair changed around that time too. No worries.