# Blown Coat Questions



## HavaneseSoon (Nov 4, 2008)

I have searched and searched, but cannot seem to find these answers. I just want to be prepared and prepare my puppy for the daily grooming.

I think I understand what it means when a Hav is blowing their coat, but can someone explain to me just one thing? Well, maybe a few....

I know the hair gets tangled as the new hair is growing in.

*Is the new hair pushing out the baby hair in the same hair follicle? *

*Is this the reason why it gets tangled and matted due to the other hairs growing at the same time?*

*Does the hair seem to be growing at a fastest rate than usual causing the tangles and mats overnight? *

These questions seem like logical questions, I just do not have a Hav to look at yet to answer my questions. You guys are the experts!


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## nancyf (Nov 6, 2007)

Good questions. Bella is 17 months old and she has some matts, small ones, that I can get out but I can feel a difference in certain parts of her coat. There's a patch on her back that has thicker hair--not that puppy cotton coat. I wonder if this is her new coat.


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## DAJsMom (Oct 27, 2006)

They do lose hair and grow new hair at the same time. I can't get more technical than that because I really don't know! With Dusty it was obvious because of her coat color. The new hair was darker on the tips and you could see it coming in all over her. Indie is black and I can't see the new hair coming in, but she has some different textured hair coming in along her shoulders. She has definitely been blowing coat. She is 18 months old and I don't know if she is late blowing coat (Dusty was about 15 months) because we didn't get her till she was almost a year. Maybe she went through an earlier blowing coat phase as well. I never remembered to ask her breeder about it.
They mat just because they are losing hair. It gets tangled in the other hair. The more they are losing, the more there is to make mats. Various lengths of hair in the coat is supposed to cause mats as well. 
Don't worry. You'll get through it, just stay on top of the brushing!


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## Lina (Apr 26, 2007)

The reason Havs mat when they lose hair is because they're a non-shedding breed. Instead of the hair falling off the body, as it does with every other (shedding) breed of dog, it just gets tangled in with the new hair, causing mats. You'll notice that even when they're not blowing coat if you wait WAY too long in between brushings that they will still develop knots and tangles. That's because they will lose a small amount of hair naturally every day - just like you do - and since they're non-shedding (or low shedding, whatever you want to call them), the hair just gets stuck and causes the knots. Just not in the HUGE proportions it does when they're blowing coat - because it's like they're losing ALL their hair instead of just a bit of it.

Hope this makes sense to you!


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## Jane (Jun 2, 2007)

Great explanation, Carolina!

You can get your puppy used to the grooming routine now by grooming every other day, brushing and combing through all the way down to the skin (very important!) Then give a treat after it's over to build a positive association.  I was pretty diligent about it with my two and they both tolerate grooming very well.


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## tuggersmom (Oct 16, 2008)

What age do they normall blow their puppy coat? How is the adult coat different? Tugger is now 10 months old and has never blown coat. But his coat is so cottony and whispy it is really difficult to keep looking good. As soon as I get him bushed out well (from the base out) , he gives a shake and all the little wisps curl around each other and he looks matty althought he really isn't. Some Havanese dogs seem to have such beautiful, straight and fluffy coats. Were they always like that as puppies or did they change with the adult fur?

Deb


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## Lina (Apr 26, 2007)

Deb, some will change some won't... some change for the better and others for worse. I don't think there's any way to say what exactly will happen to Tugger's adult coat, you just have to wait and see! It's normal for some Havs to have big fluffy coats and for others not to have them. I wouldn't worry about it by comparing them... Kubrick for example has a LOT of coat but it doesn't look like it in pictures etc. because it's not that fluffy. Also, you have to keep in mind that although we all post pics of our havs looking really nice, that's not always the case and sometimes ALL of them look raggedy enough. Don't compare Tugger to others, just wait and see what he will turn out like!


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## Sheri (Oct 11, 2008)

Deb, there has been quite a lot posted about this if you search the forum. But, I've heard that Havs blow coat twice in their life, and the age range is pretty broad...generally, the first time is probably before they are 12 months, and the second time before they are 2 years old. But, that is just what I remember reading here. Someone else that is an expert will probably give you a better idea.

Sheri and Tucker


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## Lynn (Jan 2, 2007)

It really seems to vary when they blow their coats. Casper blew his coat about 10 months and again a second time after that. Missy is 17 months and has really never blown her coat, not like what Casper did. It really varies with different dogs.

Casper's hair was cotton like when younger, and his adult coat is silky and much easier to brush out.


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## Lynn (Jan 2, 2007)

ya, if you do a search on blowing coat...there is 9 pages of threads to read. You will be up all night reading.


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