# blowing coat?



## dawnflower (Oct 12, 2008)

At what age do they typically blow their coat for the 1st and 2nd time? Is there a set age or is it like the 1st spring and the 1st fall?? 
Is there any way to know it's coming and prepare her coat? Would it be easier to shave her when it's about to happen?
We have an older mixed breed with long hair and I have always shaved her down in the spring. She has some collie, chow, retriever in her.
Thanks for any help on this topic. 

Dawn and Bellini the wonder Havie!


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## Lina (Apr 26, 2007)

There is no set age, but the 1st one usually happens around 10-12 months and the second at around 18-24 months. Both last about 1-2 months depending on the dog. They only blow coat twice in their LIFE, not twice a year. I don't think there's anything at all you can do to prepare, just wait for it to happen. Good luck!


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## mellowbo (Aug 12, 2007)

Oh, Lina, thank you! Lulu is just starting her second round and I was afraid it would go on and on!
Carole


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## Paige (Sep 12, 2006)

I only had to cut one of mine in a puppy coat due to matting. I made it through the other two and will see how my newest boy does. I think with each coat type it is different. 

I would say to prepare yourself and your baby, be sure and comb her aleast everyother day now even though she may not need it. I train mine to lay on their sides while I brush them. Getting them used to grooming now will pay off for you later, when they are blowing coat.


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## Leslie (Feb 28, 2007)

Is the 2nd one any better, or worse, than the 1st? Tori has finally finished her 1st "go round" of blowing coat, and I'm trying to psych myself up for the 2nd one. I ended up getting her a puppy cut at 11 mos. old. She nor I were enjoying the l-o-n-g, grueling grooming sessions we were enduring. She'll be exactly 15 mos. old on Wed. :biggrin1:


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## Renee (Mar 27, 2008)

We just had to get Miley SHAVED due to her blowing coat and all the matts. I wanted a puppy cut, but the groomer said she could not get through the matts. Miley looks somewhere between a shaved lamb and a lion (because she kept her face hair longer). I can't even bring myself to take a picture of her. I miss her gorgeous coat! But it will grow. Hopefully she'll look more like "my Miley" by Christmas.

On a side note, we've been using the NILF (nothing in life is free) method with Miley, and it's working REALLY well. She is better behaved and will listen to me now (most of the time anyway). She is also doing really well with poddy training. She hasn't had an accident in the house for quite awhile. And DH isn't as frustrated with her!! So thanks to all of you that helped me with her behavior issues!!


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## Lina (Apr 26, 2007)

Leslie, I've heard it's much better than the 1st time. Let's hope so! Kubrick is just turning 18 months on the 30th and I'm already dreading it. :fear:


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## Perugina (May 28, 2008)

I have an incredible groomer! There have been 2 times when I've said, "Ok, this time they are going to have to shave her down", but Misty was able to get her totally matt free!!! Of course I had to pay an extra 20 bucks...like today...and she had gum in her beard!

Anyway, until I become a better groomer myself, and until Sophie has gone through her second blow, the manager said I could do a weekly maintenance program (wash and blow) for $25 a week (plus tip of course). I've reduced my mani/pedi/haircut/color budget accordingly! Sheesh, if anyone told me I'd be spending this kind of money on a dog I would have laughed in their face...but it beats me struggling to do it right and not hurt her. Every Monday I ask her "Do you want to go to the groomer's?" She gets so excited she runs right into her travel crate and is ready to roll! I drop her off before work at 7 am and pick her up at lunch. If Misty can't get to her right away she plays with the other doggies at Whiskers.


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## Cyndy (Feb 13, 2008)

NON SHEDDING?! Ok, everyone has always said Havanese are non shedding, but I am having my doubts. I think Coconut has blown his coat more than twice, and he is just getting done with one that lasted for the last two months and nearly drove me crazy with the while balls of hair everywhere!!
He just turned 3 on Sunday. Is this a normal age to finish their last one?

I AM SO READY TO BE DONE WITH THIS!!!!!


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## LuvCicero (Mar 31, 2008)

Cyndy, I would think you are through with blowing coat now. Cicero is just starting his first, but from everything I've learned on here it only happens twice. Cicero doesn't shed. The only hair I ever see is what is in the brush now after brushing him. No hair on floors or furniture. I've read where many only brush every 4 or 5 days after they reach 3 years of age because they don't mat hardly any. I'm looking forward to that time.


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## Cyndy (Feb 13, 2008)

Oh, how I hope you are right! I can't go through this again. How I managed to keep his hair long is beyond me. I can just run my fingers through all of his coat every evening to be sure there are no mats forming and there is just gobs of hair in my hands, it's never ending.

p.s. I meant to say 'White' balls of hair in my previous post.

THANK YOU.


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## irnfit (Nov 21, 2006)

Kodi went through the first one at about 7 mos and had to be shaved almost naked. The seond one was at about 18 months. I was a little wiser by that time and got the mats out, although it took 3 days to do it.

Shelby's first round was at about 10 mos and it lasted about 2-3 mos.

Life is good when BC is over! :amen:


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## ivyagogo (Sep 11, 2007)

Remember what happened to poor Gryff when he blew coat?


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## bullwinkle (Oct 5, 2008)

*blowing coat definition??*



dawnflower said:


> At what age do they typically blow their coat for the 1st and 2nd time? Is there a set age or is it like the 1st spring and the 1st fall??
> Is there any way to know it's coming and prepare her coat? Would it be easier to shave her when it's about to happen?
> We have an older mixed breed with long hair and I have always shaved her down in the spring. She has some collie, chow, retriever in her.
> Thanks for any help on this topic.
> ...


 Hi, I am new with this. What does blowing coat mean? thanks..


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## irnfit (Nov 21, 2006)

And Kodi


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## irnfit (Nov 21, 2006)

Blowing coat - this is when they go from their puppy coat to an adult coat. Since they do not shed their hair, as it falls out it just attaches to the other hair and forms mats. You need to be very diligent at this stage and keep up with brushing in order to keep mats to a minimum.


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## LuvCicero (Mar 31, 2008)

Poor Gryff.....BUT remember how fast he grew back out !!!!


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## Cyndy (Feb 13, 2008)

I seem to remember this at about 7 mos too and I'm pretty sure he's done this again around 2 yrs. So this would be the third time!! Is this possible & why? Is it unusual for him to be going through this right before he turned 3 yrs old? Why is there so much difference in other dogs of the same breed?
(please let this be the last!!)


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## bullwinkle (Oct 5, 2008)

Many thanks am brushing Shadow now....!!!


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## LuvCicero (Mar 31, 2008)

Kodi....has anyone ever told you that you have the sweetest face?
OH..they have!! Well, I can believe that.

Shadow....learn to enjoy that brush....it's a good thing!!


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## Renee (Mar 27, 2008)

ivyagogo said:


> Remember what happened to poor Gryff when he blew coat?


Oh wow...Miley looks exactly like Gryff in that pic, except her ears are even shaved! I hope it grows fast. Last night she was barking at herself in the mirror, and DH was being the commentary for her and commenting about her recent grooming session. It was quite humorous.


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## hyenna (Nov 10, 2008)

Can someone explain a blowing coat and is that why I had to cut my Lizzy in a puppy cut at 11 months old? Helene


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## karlabythec (Nov 9, 2008)

I didn't even know they blew their coats...
I have 2 german shepherds (aka german shedders)...they blow their coat twice a year and they are 85lb dogs blowing their coats...I could go into the sweater business...ha ha. 
I guess a little 8-10 pound dog blowing it's coat only twice wont be so bad. 
So does this mean her hair will be a new texture? Not as soft?


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## karlabythec (Nov 9, 2008)

hyenna said:


> Can someone explain a blowing coat and is that why I had to cut my Lizzy in a puppy cut at 11 months old? Helene


Blowing their coats means shedding their hair...and new hair comes in. 
Like with our shepherds, they get a nice fluffy winter coat, and when summer hits they loose all that fluff...


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## hyenna (Nov 10, 2008)

Hi Karla,Oh thank you, I see your beautiful dogs has no face stains or eyes junk what do you do so she looks so white..my Lizzy face is a mess she was black and white and the black turned to silver. also her coat is more on the straight side and some have more of a wirey coat..will this change with age?....I will post a picture when my son shows me how.....Helene


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## karlabythec (Nov 9, 2008)

Oh Helene, she does have eye stains...I battle with them daily! That was when I picked her up from the breeder and she had just trimmed her hair around her eyes and given her a bath...
Here are a few pictures...I have been using Spa Facial Wash, it is helping. 
Do a search on Tear Stains, you will see a whole thread on it that I recently posted...


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## hyenna (Nov 10, 2008)

I will go to that thread she is a beauty....Helene


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## Lina (Apr 26, 2007)

karlabythec said:


> I didn't even know they blew their coats...
> I have 2 german shepherds (aka german shedders)...they blow their coat twice a year and they are 85lb dogs blowing their coats...I could go into the sweater business...ha ha.
> *I guess a little 8-10 pound dog blowing it's coat only twice wont be so bad.*
> So does this mean her hair will be a new texture? Not as soft?


Oh Karla, you have NO idea what you're getting into! Blowing coat with Havs, even though it's only twice in their life, is about 100x worse than blowing coat with your GSDs. Because Havs are non-shedding, the old hair that falls off just gets tangled in with the new so that HUGE knots form that need to be removed at least once a day, if not twice, in order for it not to get out of hand. When Kubrick blew coat the first time I used to have 2-3 HOUR long sessions brushing him and I never ever let a day go by without him being brushed.

Not trying to scare you, but that's the way it is. You may find it's best to cut Gracie down at that time, but it's up to you. I never cut Kubrick down but I was really close to doing it before it stopped. His coat is SO easy to take care of now! I usually only brush him every 5 days or so and it's not bad at all, so there is hope! 

Also, I wanted to add that you should start practicing with Gracie NOW. Brush her every single day. I know she doesn't need it, but if you start now, she will be much more compliant about letting you brush her later. Kubrick is the most mellow dog when I brush him, he just lays there and lets me take out as many knots as I want (of course I'm careful not to hurt him), but I know he wouldn't be if we hadn't been brushing him every day and I do still give him treats (small pieces) as we go along. You need to start this now because if you wait until later, she will hate being brushed and will fight you and/or bite the brush.


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## Sheri (Oct 11, 2008)

Lina said "Blowing coat with Havs, even though it's only twice a year..." and I think she should have said "only twice during their life." I hope! I believe that is accurate.

I also started brushing Tucker every day from the day he arrived, and although he doesn't care for it, he puts up with it--he likes the treats afterwards. Once he started blowing coat I brushed him as often each day as he needed, usually 2-3 times, but it only took about 10 minutes each time. I never got close to having to shave him, which would have been awful for me--I LOVE the long coat. But, some folks keep their Havs in a puppy clip.

Sheri


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## Lina (Apr 26, 2007)

Sheri, LOL. yes I meant twice in their life!


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## Sheri (Oct 11, 2008)

Lina said:


> Sheri, LOL. yes I meant twice in their life!


Whew!! What a relief that I didn't have the wrong info there--don't know if I could take it twice a year! ound:

Sheri


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## hyenna (Nov 10, 2008)

Sheri, I to love the long coat ... when I took Lizzy to get a bath she had a few matts, and some I cut out my self, which I found out was a no no...she was not that matted but when I picked her up she was cut in a puppy clip which I didn't want her cut at all ..I was sick.... today I will go buy a good comb and brush for her...oh what about the liquid that takes tangles out of their coat, Does that work? also I wanted to no about cording good or bad for a havie?


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## karlabythec (Nov 9, 2008)

Lina said:


> Oh Karla, you have NO idea what you're getting into!
> 
> Also, I wanted to add that you should start practicing with Gracie NOW. Brush her every single day. I know she doesn't need it, but if you start now, she will be much more compliant about letting you brush her later. Kubrick is the most mellow dog when I brush him, he just lays there and lets me take out as many knots as I want (of course I'm careful not to hurt him), but I know he wouldn't be if we hadn't been brushing him every day and I do still give him treats (small pieces) as we go along. You need to start this now because if you wait until later, she will hate being brushed and will fight you and/or bite the brush.


Oh no...lol...thanks for the warning...I had no idea! I do brush her every day, wash her face every day, and I trimmed her nails a few days ago. She pretty much lets me do anything...so that should be fine. I have a pin brush, is there a better brush to use when this happens? How will I know when it's happening?


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## Sheri (Oct 11, 2008)

Karla, If you search the Forum you can find all sorts of info. Here's a link to one of the recent threads with a lot of info on grooming. There is more to grooming a Hav than just brushing and clipping nails. If you have the info to do it well from the start it makes life a whole lot easier! It is good you are staring to get her used to being handled a lot. There is also an good, brand new book out on grooming the Hav that is in that thread.

http://havaneseforum.com/showthread.php?t=6302&highlight=line+brushing

:brushteeth: Sheri

Oh, and I think you might find cording in the search, too.


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## Lina (Apr 26, 2007)

Karla, a pin brush and a good comb is pretty much what you need. They are expensive, but the CC combs and brushes are the absolute best. I used to use a Greyhound brush (they are considered very good, don't get me wrong) but about two months ago switched up to a CC brush and the difference is incredible!!! The BRUSH will get knots out so easily - usually you need a comb to get the knots out - and it works very well. Here's a link to the CC website: http://www.chrissystems.com/ The brush I own, in case you want to get an idea, is the 27mm fusion brass oblong and I really can rave about it for hours. I know it's $$$, but it's worth its weight in gold for me, it has helped me out a lot. If you are planning on leaving Karla in a puppy cut, however, the 20mm should be okay for you.

As for the combs, I use three combs, but really you'd probably only need two. The buttercomb I could not survive without is the Fine/Coarse 7.5" comb. I actually have two smaller combs (one fine, one coarse), but the 7.5" one works best, I think, as you just flip it when you want and it is longer. The comb that I could probably live without but absolutely would NOT want to, is the staggered tooth buttercomb. That thing is just AMAZING. It's very heavy, but it takes knots out like nobody's business. Whenever the brush can't take care of a knot (it's too big or whatever), I break out the staggered tooth comb and it just glides right through.

Trust me, I know none of this is cheap, and you can start with cheaper brushes/combs, but these are the ones that I found work best and do the job for me.


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## Sheri (Oct 11, 2008)

Thanks, Jane for listing exactly what and where your tools came from! I've saved that info and will work towards adding them to my tool-kit!

Sheri


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## Lina (Apr 26, 2007)

Sheri, do you mean me? You're welcome if you do.


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## Sheri (Oct 11, 2008)

Lina said:


> Sheri, do you mean me? You're welcome if you do.


Oops, yes, Lina I meant you....don't know where I got Jane in the mix from...I'm deep into studying and just took a break, so that will be my excuse. Brain over-load.

:crazy:

Sheri


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## hyenna (Nov 10, 2008)

Sheri, I did go to the web and yep your correct the tools are $$$$$ but those will be on my Christmas wish list for my husband or sons to buy for me.......thanks for all your info....Helene


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## karlabythec (Nov 9, 2008)

Lina said:


> If you are planning on leaving Karla in a puppy cut, however, the 20mm should be okay for you.


I'm not really sure a puppy cut would look good on me???? 

Thanks for all of the info...I just don't know what I'll want to do with Gracie's hair yet. I'm going to check out the brushes...are you enabling me to do more shopping???


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## Lina (Apr 26, 2007)

haha, Karla, I guess this is the thread to get names mixed up in. Helene thinks I'm Sheri and Sheri thinks I'm Jane and I mixed up you and Gracie. What a mess! LOL.

And this forum is just perfect for enabling shopping sprees. So bad!


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## karlabythec (Nov 9, 2008)

Yeah, right now I have over $100 in combs/brushes in my basket and I'm debating if I should go for it...LOL...I'll probably do this 5 or 6 times until I finally make the purchase. I'm so weird.


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## karlabythec (Nov 9, 2008)

Okay, I ordered...I got the the cheaper version of your brush (still oblong, same length, and 27mm) and I got both combs you recommended...so I guess we are set in that department. 
Now, quick question, do you brush them wet or dry?


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## Lina (Apr 26, 2007)

I always brush dry. If you wet Gracie when she already has mats, it can make them worse. Some people comb while wet, but I've never found it necessary. I hope you enjoy the CC products!


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## karlabythec (Nov 9, 2008)

Okay, so brush before bath?


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## Lina (Apr 26, 2007)

Karla, for sure you want to have Gracie COMPLETELY detangled before dropping her in a tub of water. You'll make a huge mess out of her coat if you don't.


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## karlabythec (Nov 9, 2008)

Thank you!!! So glad I didn't learn by making that mistake first!


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