Brillo-like fur on F1B's back (12 weeks old) - What is this?

[Amy Thomas]

My puppy all of a sudden seems to have a huge patch of thick brillo-pad like hair on his back leading up to his tale. He is a teddy bear goodle, so his hair is almost white.  This area is a dingy white color, very very thick, and lays flat close to his skin.  

Is this a normal stage?  I will be so sad if he doesn't end up having the famous soft doodle fur!

[Cathy w/Shiloh~Cody]

I read that some dogs get "guard hairs" that are coarse and are a darker shade and lead up to the tail. They protect the silky hair..but do an internet search of "guard hairs" and you can get more detail, and see if that sounds like what you are seeing? Even if it is, your dogs coat will change soooo many times over the coarse of the next year or so..its fun to watch and see the changes. So the hairs will probably change again.

The color can change too! They can get whiter or have more orange on their ears, etc as the year goes on.

[Bonnie and Kona]

At around 3 1/2 or 4 months Owen got what you are describing running down his back. I was so eager to know what his coat would be like. He had bunny fur fluffing all over and then this strip of coarse hair on his back. He is 1 year 4 months now and I don't even remember when his coat came in beautifully. He's has a really nice coat. The hair on the top of his head sticks straight up but that just fits his personality. We think we should have named him Kramer. He's a nut.

[Connie & Kramer]

Haha, my pup's name is Kramer for that very reason!

[Bonnie and Kona]

I love the Yeti comment. We were visiting our son one day and he said, "What does Owen look like?" with a puzzled expression on his face. His friend piped up immediately, "Sasquatch!" I laughed so hard. That's it! I just clipped him so he is less Saquatchian today. 

Kramer is sooo cute! Love him.

[Amy, Cubbie & Ollie]

Ollie has a very thick soft cream colored wool coat but has reddish wirey hairs on his back up between his shoulder blades and a little bit going down his back.  I found that the more coarse hairs grow quicker than the rest of him so if I just take the clippers over him periodically then I can keep him feeling soft and fluffy and you only see the coarse hairs but don't really feel them as much.  I am out of town until tomorrow evening, but once I get home I can post a picture of what Ollie's coat looks like so you can see if it is similar to what you are dealing with. 

[Jeanine Bandini]

Wally has a whole strip of course hair down his back (he is mostly red but down his back has single white hairs sticking up) I was wondering if all his hair would be course or what? He is 9 months old and still has it.

[Donna K & Quincy]

Amy, these coarse hairs are called Kemp, this is a link to another discussion. http://www.doodlekisses.com/group/doodlegrooming/forum/topics/kemp-...

[Jess and Pippin]

This happened to Pippin too (Pip is an F1b).  The patch has stayed around the root of his tail.  He is 15 months old and is going through another coat change.  Most of his fur is quite curly and still quite soft.  He is getting lighter (was a dark red and is getting more bronze) and his nose is also lightening up.  It will be interesting to see what his final coat is. 

[Carrie B and Maggie Goldendoodle]

My Maggie is now a year and a half. If you look at pics on my page you'll see she was a strighter wavy and slowly became curlier. She had a section of coarse hair that has a different texture. At the time I was somewhat upset wanting her puppy coat back. Now it isn't even much of a thought. She is soft and wavy curl over her body and a thick coarse area around her lower back and begining tail.