# Puppy Coat --> Adult Coat



## pinkpixie1588 (Oct 12, 2009)

What should I expect? I know the hair sometimes becomes really unmanageable and mats a lot during the transition. When does this usually happen?

What happens to the puppy coat? Does it fall out? Does the adult coat grow in in addition? Is there usually a really big texture difference or is the puppy coat somewhat indicative of how the adult coat will be?

Just wondering ... Thanks in advance!


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## uniquelovdolce (Mar 10, 2010)

great questions , i want to know too


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## nekkidfish (Aug 25, 2009)

Fantastic questions Ashley .... I too want to know all about it!! :thumbsup:

HUGz! Jules


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## LJSquishy (Feb 27, 2008)

From my experience, the puppy-to-adult coat transition happens between ages 8 months to 1yr, depending on the dog. The puppy coat does not fall out. As the puppy's hair continues to get longer, the adult coat takes over and grows in right after it. Sometimes it leads to matting problems because you have two different coat types on one dog. With daily brushing, it shouldn't be too bad. The adult coat can come in completely different than the texture of the puppy coat. If your puppy doesn't mat at all now, it could still end up with a cottony coat that mats easily, or the other way around. Quality breeding lines do help in having better odds of having a nice coat, although 2 parents with a dream coat can still produce puppies with nightmare coats!

Edit: London is a perfect example of having a nightmare coat -- as a puppy she had an easy care coat, but now it mats if I look at it the wrong way! Preston's coat was easy as a puppy, and is just as easy as an adult -- he has never matted at all.


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## nekkidfish (Aug 25, 2009)

Thanks Lisa!! I know a bunch of us newbies wish there was such a thing as puppy hair samples ... sorta like you can get carpet samples from the flooring store. :blush: That way we could order a sample of the various types of hair, and that way we would know what a cottony coat or other types of coats actually feel like.

All I know is that Poppy mats easily now, so I am hoping that he has a dream coat as an adult!! :innocent:

HUGz! Jules


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## Orla (Jul 5, 2009)

Milo is going through the coat change now - Its a NIGHTMARE!
I have to brush him every few hours!


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## ilovemymaltese (Oct 9, 2008)

It doesn't fall out, it grows out. Here's Gigi at 8 months old, you can see the ends on her hair is more curly puppy coat-like and her new growing hair is straighter. 










Expect: ALOT OF BRUSHING


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## uniquelovdolce (Mar 10, 2010)

oo wow , if u look at the photo album if u look at pics i posted today , dolces hair on top looks really straight n the ends are fuzzier too .


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## EmmasMommy (Jun 2, 2008)

The advice I can give is to keep the hair/fur deeply conditioned thru the transition. Do not use clarifying /stripping/whitening shampoos at all they ae all too drying at this time. You can not over condition, I even mist with dilute conditioner while brushing. And make sure you get all the way down to skin when brushing/combing. I find a rat tail comb is good to flip the coat up out of the way and do it in layers ( I have Mimi lay on her side) Always check the trouble places- back of thighs/neck/under or back of ears/arm & leg pits and all along the tail. I am like the Matt Police !

Emma (my cottony coated "Tom boy" girl) gets a short sheepy clip except tail, ears and face or her name would have to be Mattie..

Also get your young ones used to using a chin/neck pillow ( or a rolled washcloth) if they will have a topknot.
So much of the grooming is getting them to get used to the routine.

Buy empty squirt bottles at Sally's beauty supply( less than $2 each) . They are great for diluting shampoos and conditioners and especially good for washing/conditioning and rinsing tiny faces without spraying the whole head or face.


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## remy (Jul 9, 2009)

i know there's a lot of matting that happens during the transition period but i thought i read somewhere on here that the texture of the coat itself doesn't change?


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## EmmasMommy (Jun 2, 2008)

remy said:


> i know there's a lot of matting that happens during the transition period but i thought i read somewhere on here that the texture of the coat itself doesn't change?


Some do and some don't


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## jmm (Nov 23, 2004)

You can over-condition. I've over-soften coats which can cause more matting.


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## janettandamber (Jan 19, 2009)

The coat texture changes depending on the shampoo you use. Most show breeders try to finish by age 15 months so they can shave the coat. That was told to me by a VERY reputable show breeders.


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## maltemom09 (Jan 27, 2010)

I am curious as to how Bailey is going to turn out when he gets his adult coat, He is just 6 months old and has BOTH types of hair .... it looks like someone cut two puppies in half and glued them together! His front half right now is soft, straight and silky while his back half is the cotton type hair. Any thoughts on this?


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## pinkpixie1588 (Oct 12, 2009)

maltemom09 said:


> I am curious as to how Bailey is going to turn out when he gets his adult coat, He is just 6 months old and has BOTH types of hair .... it looks like someone cut two puppies in half and glued them together! His front half right now is soft, straight and silky while his back half is the cotton type hair. Any thoughts on this?


Just a thought: are you paying as much attention to his back end when combing/conditioning? I find that once I'm done bathing/blow drying Leila, sometimes her back end, especially by her bum, is a lot wavier and poofier, because it's harder to get to while she's lying down/sitting. I'd try paying special attention to the back side and see if you notice a change.


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## pinkpixie1588 (Oct 12, 2009)

I'm enjoying seeing everyone's thoughts/experiences with this. Sounds like it's a 'wait and see' type thing...no way to know what's going to happen. 

It seems like there isn't a consensus on how much conditioner one should use. I always err on the side of more, but now I'm wondering if that could be making her coat too soft, ergo more matted.


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## maltemom09 (Jan 27, 2010)

pinkpixie1588 said:


> Just a thought: are you paying as much attention to his back end when combing/conditioning? I find that once I'm done bathing/blow drying Leila, sometimes her back end, especially by her bum, is a lot wavier and poofier, because it's harder to get to while she's lying down/sitting. I'd try paying special attention to the back side and see if you notice a change.


Thanks Ashley! However, the back half of Bailey's body that I am referring to is like from the middle of his ribcage back. It's very hard to describe how his hair looks but from that point forward he is silky and smooth and from that point back his hair is like cotton. He is a very strange little fluff butt but I don't care .... he is perfect for me :wub: By the way .... your little Leila is so beautiful :thumbsup:


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## janettandamber (Jan 19, 2009)

Conditioner causes mats. I never use conditioner


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## ilovemymaltese (Oct 9, 2008)

I condition a lot in the winter as it keeps her "winter static" down.  I use conditioner always and no matts. Depend on the type of shamp/cond you are using and the coat type.


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## jmm (Nov 23, 2004)

janettandamber said:


> Conditioner causes mats. I never use conditioner


Hmmmm...I don't buy that one.


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## pinkpixie1588 (Oct 12, 2009)

janettandamber said:


> Conditioner causes mats. I never use conditioner


Hmm. I guess I always thought conditioner would help because with my own hair (which is very straight/fine/thin), if I don't use conditioner, it's impossible to get a comb through it after the shower. When I use conditioner, it slides right through. I figured it would have the same sort of detangling effect on Malts, but maybe not..


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## janettandamber (Jan 19, 2009)

jmm said:


> Hmmmm...I don't buy that one.


 I do not use conditioner on my malt and she DOES NOT mat. I have no reason to lie


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## janettandamber (Jan 19, 2009)

pinkpixie1588 said:


> Hmm. I guess I always thought conditioner would help because with my own hair (which is very straight/fine/thin), if I don't use conditioner, it's impossible to get a comb through it after the shower. When I use conditioner, it slides right through. I figured it would have the same sort of detangling effect on Malts, but maybe not..


 You don't shampoo your hair like you do a malts, I believe us humans rub and scrub our heads when we shampoo which creates mats. That is why we are told not to rub a maltese coat when we shampoo them. All I am telling you is my maltese coat is mat free and I do not use conditioner. I let her natural oils work on her coat


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## cyndrae (Aug 30, 2009)

Interesting you brought this up. When I washed Lilly the other day I noticed that down by the roots the hair seemed different. Must be the adult hair coming in. She is 9 months old.


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## uniquelovdolce (Mar 10, 2010)

i hvnt used conditioner on dolce either. but i definitely need it on my hair !!! i will get a conditioner for dolce, he doesnt get many mats yet , only like in his paw area , and thats cause i noticed yesterday his hair is really long on his paw pads , i need to trim this asap ..


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## michellerobison (Dec 17, 2009)

I use conditioner on Emily,(cotton hair ) and on Sasha,(silky hair) ,they both have a heavy coat. Their hair looks best ,conditioned. I have to use a spray coat conditioner and detangler on them too.
Rylee and Bitsy,if I use conditioner,they look greasy,their hair is real silky. I wonder if it's because they're cut short. The former owner hacked their hair off. They also have very light coats,not heavy and thick like Emily and Sasha. I use a lighter conditioner on Rylee and Bitsy,sometimes no conditioner and they look better that way,just use a spritz of detangler and make combing and brushing easier.
I've gotten lucky on matts,none of the Malts matt much,just a bit around the collar or under the armpits,usually when it's getting close to bath time and their hair is getting dry. The cocker,she's a silky cocker,so very little matting. We've had cockers in the past,who matted if you even thought about matts,just say matts and they appear.


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## The A Team (Dec 1, 2005)

Ava went through her change of coat for several months and it was a total nightmare!!! At the time, i didn't realize that's what was happening :blush:. I brushed her several times a day - tons of hair came out - probably because I was over brushing, etc. I tried every product anyone suggested....nothing worked....I was about to give up. :smilie_tischkante: it was too much to handle!!!:w00t::w00t::w00t:

I actually put her in oil for a few days, then found out if she was in oil for like a week, I'd have to keep it up until I cut her down!!! :w00t: So i took it out after three or so days.

Then Lynn (Lacie's mom) told me to get Tresemme' moisturizing conditioner. She had me dilute it and pour it over her and pull it through with my fingers making sure it got all the way to the ends. Then i only rinsed a little bit of it out. 

That was the last day she knotted!!! :aktion033::aktion033::chili::chili: It's been a month or two since then. I still don't know if it was a coincidence or not.....but I can't stop using it....just in case...:thumbsup:

I'm sure every malt's hair is different - the same as people. And I am envious of those who don't have to use conditioners or many products on their pups. But with a dry cottony poufy coat...you do what you gotta do. I am still in a learning curve to see how I need to continue to care for her hair. My hope is that now it'll have a chance to grow in more healthy with the correct products.


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## jmm (Nov 23, 2004)

janettandamber said:


> I do not use conditioner on my malt and she DOES NOT mat. I have no reason to lie


I wasn't accusing you of lying about what works for your dog. I'm just saying I don't think it is a solid rule for most other Maltese. 

I have a coat that won't mat no matter what...but it is in a better condition using conditioner so long as I don't soften the coat with the products. I would hazard to say most coats are not that easy to care for.


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## janettandamber (Jan 19, 2009)

jmm said:


> I wasn't accusing you of lying about what works for your dog. I'm just saying I don't think it is a solid rule for most other Maltese.
> 
> I have a coat that won't mat no matter what...but it is in a better condition using conditioner so long as I don't soften the coat with the products. I would hazard to say most coats are not that easy to care for.


 Sorry JMM I over reacted. I am going thru a stressful time. My sisters cancer has spread to her spine, ribs and her lung. So sorry, please accept my apology.


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## uniquelovdolce (Mar 10, 2010)

janettandamber said:


> Sorry JMM I over reacted. I am going thru a stressful time. My sisters cancer has spread to her spine, ribs and her lung. So sorry, please accept my apology.


 
i am sorry you are going thru this my mom died of cancer almost three yrs ago and i know how stressful and devastating it can be (((hugs))))


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## jmm (Nov 23, 2004)

janettandamber said:


> Sorry JMM I over reacted. I am going thru a stressful time. My sisters cancer has spread to her spine, ribs and her lung. So sorry, please accept my apology.


I'm so sorry to hear that. We just lost my FIL to cancer shortly after Christmas. I understand how stressful that it.


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## janettandamber (Jan 19, 2009)

uniquelovdolce said:


> i am sorry you are going thru this my mom died of cancer almost three yrs ago and i know how stressful and devastating it can be (((hugs))))


 Thanks for the hugs, Liza. I lost my mom and dad from cancer.


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## janettandamber (Jan 19, 2009)

jmm said:


> I'm so sorry to hear that. We just lost my FIL to cancer shortly after Christmas. I understand how stressful that it.


Thank you


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