What happens after the Puppy Coat?

[Joanne ~ Spud*]

Spud is a mat at 7.5 months. I heard it was coming--the blowing of the puppy coat. I had actually worked so hard to keep up with the mats I pulled the skin off his ear this week :( So I completely shaved him down from ear to rear.

My questions:
What happens after they blow these coats. Do they continue to mat this bad all through adulthood or is this just a one time issue?
How long does this last?

UPDATE:
Thank you all for your responses. I forgot to add that above that Spud is F1b and I believe ( guessing from what I have read ) that his coat is a curly spiral fleece. But he does have a variety to his coat.

I joined this group months ago, although, I thought since I purchased Cowboy Magic, Mane and Tail, A Les Pooche Brush, and a rake, and if I remained diligent I would never need to worry or have to post an SOS for advice. HA HA I am so glad you are all out there though. :)

[Denise, Winnie, and AngelAbby]

Good question... I can't wait for someone to answer. Our Abby just had the same problem at 10 months!!

[F, Calla & Luca]

I think it depends on the resulting adult coat. In other words until it's done it's a mystery. Luca is now 16 mos. old and a very soft, wavy, spiral fleece. Still find mats at time but they are decreasing but then again his coat is cut a lot shorter than it was.

[elyse]

I know when my standard poodle was a puppy I would brush her a lot and then one day -puff - one big mat! It was so bad we had to have her shaved down to the skin and she looked like a lamb. So sad. Everybody asked me what kind of strange dog I had. After that I became more diligent with my brushing, but it seemed whenever she got to a certain length it would start to mat again. I had to get her groomed before that certain length. I'm working even harder with my doodle's coat, but she's only 8 months and we just gave her a summer cut. No mats yet. I hope it will grow in long and beautiful because their coats are one of the things I like best about the breed. If it's anything like the poodle, all I can say is - just keep brushing :0)

[Nancy Cavanaugh]

Well, you really don't know what the final adult coat will be, time will tell and they vary.....I can't recommend enough the Les Pooch brush, working small pieces 'line brushing'. Lots of good technique advice here on the website. I keep Koji under 2 to 3 inches - because after that - it is alot more work.
Remember one thing - brushing is just the preview to combing - waht I mean is - after you brush thoroughly working out any mats, being sure you get close to the skin - you should be able to run a poddle comb through after you brush. Then I run a metal comb, through - just to make sure there are no hidden snaggles, that turn ito the dreaded mats.

Be sure to have fun with your grooming, when it starts to be a chore for you - cut a little shorter!

[Joanne ~ Spud*]

Thank you Nancy. Even though I am having a hard time right now, I agree with you, there is nothing like owning a Good Brush. I purchased a Les Pooch when he was 10 weeks old.

Your key words here hit me hard............... Be sure to have fun with your grooming, when it starts to be a chore for you - cut a little shorter! I wish I had heard these words earlier because I was complaining last night that I had already spent 3 weekends in a row and nearly 23 hours just trying to keep up with his coat. My dog no longer enjoys brushing either. Next time it becomes a chore I will take it down a few inches--at least he won't have to be shaved.

[03pilqobzlvp7]

I'm curious what kind of coat Spud has. Duff has a dense fleece coat. He's 8 months and hasn't started matting yet. I expect his adult coat to start coming in anytime. Not sure what to expect.

[Jackie]

Good question. I'm having the same problem with Beckett. He's matted up quite a bit Never did before. Can't wait to see what his adult fur is like. Hope it's not like it is now. I have to brush him everyday and I still don't get all the way down! Don't know if it's me, the brush or what. I have a CC brush that someone here recommended. Beckett HATES to be brushed! I've brushed him alittle every few days since he was little too. I have an appt. to have him grommed on Saturday and I'm afraid they might have to shave him close!! I love the longer fur but this is crazy. It might not be as bad if he cooperated...lol It might be for the best. Then I'll keep brushing till his adult fur comes in and hopefully it won't be like this. I loved his puppy fur.

[Sharon, Boo & Cricket]

"What happens after they blow these coats. Do they continue to mat this bad all through adulthood or is this just a one time issue?"
I’d say it’s a one-time issue. My older doodle (mix of fleece and wool) can still get matts if we don’t brush him regularly, but its never as bad as when he blew his puppy coat. When he blew his puppy coat it was like overnight matting all over the place. (We trimmed him short to maintain our sanity!)

I think his adult coat doesn’t matt as much because his adult coat doesn’t shed. But when he was blowing his puppy coat, all that puppy fur was being shed and getting tangled in the remaining coat, hence the overnight matting. Someone on DK explained this much better, but I can’t remember who it was. Its somewhere in the grooming discussions I think. :)

"How long does this last?"
Sorry, I can't remember. :) But I do remember it wasn't as bad after we trimmed him short.
Oh and just make sure you're gentle on your pup's skin when grooming. Dog skin is thinner than human skin so it can be delicate in places. Good luck! :)

[Jackie]

Thanks. We got Beckett groomed and they had to cut him CLOSE! I'll try to post pics. It was an everyday battle with all the matts. I hope he outgrows it soon !! I'm going to try and brush him everyday even while it's this close. I'm hoping that will get him to accept brushing better..lol I'll try and give treats too while I'm brushing.

[Kyoko]

I am going through with this puppy coat stuff right now. Charlie never got her body hair cut, so her coat is about 3 1/2 inches long. I brush / comb her every day, but seems as that once I 'm done with her back, her tummy is matted, and when I get tummy done, her back is matted! I don't mind keepin up with it, but how long does this last? a couple of months? Several months?

[Barb @ Gemstone Labradoodles]

My doodles, both fleece and wool seem to start the matting close to 12 months and it continues for about 4 months. So far, this timing has coincided with spring, so a shorter coat all summer works really well. By fall, the worst is over and the adult coat emerges. Remember, if you cut off the matted puppy coat, you delay the whole thing about brushing the puppy coat out. I had this happen with a boy I bought at 15 months. He had never had a haircut and wholly molly....what a mess. I tried several times to shorten the coat, but it was past that. I shaved him. I had to go thru the whole puppy tangling thing as a 2 year old. Now at 3 his coat is more manageable.

[Joanne ~ Spud*]

Remember, if you cut off the matted puppy coat, you delay the whole thing about brushing the puppy coat out. I had this happen with a boy I bought at 15 months. He had never had a haircut and wholly molly....what a mess. I tried several times to shorten the coat, but it was past that. I shaved him. I had to go thru the whole puppy tangling thing as a 2 year old. Now at 3 his coat is more manageable.

Hi Barb, thanks for your valued response! I am confused about the above statement. The puppy coat should be shaved? Not shaved but brushed instead?

Above I brushed until it was no use--I say about 3 weeks. Then I shaved.