# Puppy coat vs Adult coat



## Glennis_and_skye (12 mo ago)

Hello all! I wanted to ask when does the adult coat start growing in? Also does the puppy coat feel dryer then the adult coat? My puppy's new growth of fur is growing in whiter and brighter, shinier and soft silky feeling but her puppy coat feels soft but dry at the same time.. like cotton.. it's fluffy but dull in color. I'm not sure if the winter here in NY affects the texture of their coat? Or if that's just her puppy coat?


----------



## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Adult coats start to come in SOMETIME after 8 months, but it varies a LOT, and the change can last up to 2 years. A Havanese coat usually isn't considered fully developed until around 3 years of age. 

And yes, it can change substantially in texture between the puppy and adult coat. (fortunately!) Ducky had a BEAUTIFUL and cloud-soft puppy coat that felt WONDERFUL, but it would not have been a "correct" coat for a Havanese if it had stayed that way, as it was ABSOLUTELY STRAIGHT. ...which would have been a problem for my little show dog! LOL! It is not supposed to be curly, but it is not supposed to be completely straight either!









Please excuse that I didn't groom him at all, for this photo... I just picked him up off the floor and grabbed the photo as he walked by, but you can see that now, at 10 months, he is getting a nice "crimp" to his hair, which is absolutely FINE! I don't have to worry anymore!









You won't really know for sure what your girl's coat will look like until she gets more of her adult coat in. You can get some CLUES from what her parents' coats looked like!


----------



## Glennis_and_skye (12 mo ago)

krandall said:


> Adult coats start to come in SOMETIME after 8 months, but it varies a LOT, and the change can last up to 2 years. A Havanese coat usually isn't considered fully developed until around 3 years of age.
> 
> And yes, it can change substantially in texture between the puppy and adult coat. (fortunately!) Ducky had a BEAUTIFUL and cloud-soft puppy coat that felt WONDERFUL, but it would not have been a "correct" coat for a Havanese if it had stayed that way, as it was ABSOLUTELY STRAIGHT. ...which would have been a problem for my little show dog! LOL! It is not supposed to be curly, but it is not supposed to be completely straight either!
> View attachment 176926
> ...


He is ADORABLE! My girl's mom has straight/wavy long hair and her dad has curls lol and her hair is coming in a little wavy now at just 4 months old! It's also coming in so white compared to her "dingy" white looking coat that she has.. how does the adult coat feel?
















You can see how her roots are a bright white and hthe rest of her hair looks light greyish and on the dryer side lol even though to the touch it has a very cotton feel!


----------



## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Adult coats vary a lot! You can see that just by looking at photos of dogs on the forum, or from what you are saying about your dogs parents! Especially if one is curly and one is straight or wavy!


----------



## EvaE1izabeth (Nov 14, 2017)

I think the puppy coat is more prone to dryness or damage at the end of it’s life cycle. I noticed when my puppy started blowing coat that his ends seemed dry and broken no matter how much I trimmed them up. His coat was very soft as a puppy, so it worried me, but Karen actually explained at the time it can happen when a puppy starts blowing coat, which was a relief. His adult coat came in silky and wavy.


----------



## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

EvaE1izabeth said:


> I think the puppy coat is more prone to dryness or damage at the end of it’s life cycle. I noticed when my puppy started blowing coat that his ends seemed dry and broken no matter how much I trimmed them up. His coat was very soft as a puppy, so it worried me, but Karen actually explained at the time it can happen when a puppy starts blowing coat, which was a relief. His adult coat came in silky and wavy.


That is true, because that hair is getting to the end of its life span…


----------

