When does my puppy’s coat change?

A puppy is born with a light fuzzy coat, aptly dubbed the “puppy coat,” which always helps to give them that adorable cute and cuddly appearance. The coat aids in keeping puppy warm and to protect him from the elements. Depending on the breed, and even between pups of the same breed, the age at which pups shed this coat will vary, with the majority beginning to start shedding at 12 to 16 weeks of age. With the  low to non-sheddding breeds such as Groodles and Cavoodles, this may be the only time you notice them loosing much coat at all.

Time for the Adult Coat

Your puppies beautifully soft fur will begin to fall out in clumps, and start to look thin and patchy. The harsher adult coat will begin to appear amongst the fuzz and you will even notice changes in the colour of the coat. All of this, of course, is completely normal. The time it takes for your puppy to completely lose his puppy coat will vary between dogs, with some taking just a few days (with the obligatory extra vacuuming), while others may take at least a few months for the new adult coat to completely take over.

Once your puppy sheds his puppy coat completely he will continue to shed fur for as long as he lives and you will notice it bunching up around the house and find strands of it on your clothes. While dogs are always losing a little fur the actual shedding of the coat ebbs and flows in volume depending on the season.

During autumn dogs will start to lose the light summer coat which grew out through the spring, and replace it with a thicker, plusher winter coat to help them cope with the colder winter months. As winter recedes and spring approaches the cycle will start over again, and the dog will begin shedding the winter coat to make way for the sleeker and lighter summer hair.

How Much Shedding?

The degree of shedding will depend greatly on the environment the dog lives in, with indoor dogs shedding noticeably less than dogs which spend all of their lives outdoors, as it is the environmental temperature which ultimately triggers the degree of shedding. Of course, this only applies to shedding breeds, with the non-shedding breeds not loosing much, if any hairs at all.

Puppies can be groomed as soon as they get to their new home. Make sure to use a soft bristled brush at this delicate age and use it over the entirety of the puppy’s body. The direction of the brushing should follow the direction of the coat. Make sure to frequently remove the old fur from the brush as you groom. A good 15 minutes grooming every day will help you bond with the little guy, acclimatize him to grooming in general, and help accelerate the shedding process.