Coat change

[Connie & Kramer]

This has probably been discussed before, but I was wondering if anyone who has gone through this would be willing to share with me.  Does the ALD coat change after they get their adult coat?  What I mean by this question is, does the coat change, i.e., from wool to fleece or fleece to wool?  Or does the coat stay the same texture but a new coat comes in.  Does it change colors?  lighter?  darker? 

[Connie & Bocelli]

My Bo is a chocolate ALD who just turned a year old and his coat has not really changed much in texture.  It's still a beautiful soft fleece but I am noticing a lot of grey hairs popping up on his back.  I am so hoping his coat won't lighten up much more but with those nasty grey hairs showing, I'm afraid it's going to happen.

[Adina P]

If his hairs haven't lightened like Nicky's Riley below, then he'll probably be salt + pepper rather than a much lighter color.

[Nicky, Riley & Boris]

Riley is now more cafe than chocolate with cream highlights all over.  The texture however has remained the same, he is a soft fleece and will be a year old next month.  I really don't mind a bit.

[Amy, Cubbie & Ollie]

Cubbie's coat didn't change at all (color nor texture).  We adopted Ollie (our cream colored ALD) this past summer just before he turned two.  The papers that we got from the former owner said that he was a red puppy.  He has a little bit of coarse reddish hair in his otherwise cream wool coat.  I would love to have seen pictures of him as a puppy.

[Ginny Nightingale]

Coats will not change from fleece to wool, but the color can fade.

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

Ned is an ALD and his coat is about the same as it was when he was a pup.  He is a bit silkier feeling and somewhat thicker but pretty much the same.  His ears, lashes and tail were red when he was a pup but the ears and tail faded into apricot.  It seems that many doodles get curlier.  Ned is a bit curlier under his chin and on his chest.  He will be four on Saturday.

[Linda, Charlie Brown and Beau]

Charlie is also an ALD and now 15 mos old.  He is chocolate, but has lightened from his puppy coat color.  Charlies tail has cream highlights and I love it.  His silbings all had fleece coats.  It is my understanding they do not change from fleece to wool, or vice versa.  I love the fleece coat and think it is so much easier to keep looking good. Even though his adult coat is now in, I still give him a brushing every morning because I love spending this quiet time with him first thing in the a.m. before we even have breakfast.  He especially loves to have his head, ears and beard brushed - his feet not so much! (LOL)

I love this breed.