# Cotton Coat versus Silky Coat



## kwaugh

Maybe you all can help me understand this a bit more...I have heard these phrases being used in describing the maltese coat. 

Now the AKC states, "The coat is single, that is, without undercoat. It hangs long, flat, and silky over the sides of the body almost, if not quite, to the ground. The long head-hair may be tied up in a topknot or it may be left hanging. Any suggestion of kinkiness, curliness, or woolly texture is objectionable. Color, pure white. Light tan or lemon on the ears is permissible, but not desirable." (copied this from www.akc.org under the maltese standards)

So I'm curious...when people refer to a maltese having a cotton coat...are they referring to the appearance that the coat gives when a maltese isn't groomed. Or is it that some malts are born with coats that resemble cotton balls? Or is woolly texture the same thing as Cotton coat that people refer to? And by woolly coat are they referring to a coat that sort of has the same texture as the great prye?? 

And does anyone have pictures they can post that give a good example of these different types of coat?

I know what the show maltese coats look like after they've been groomed up. But would be nice to see if photos of the different types of coats a maltese might have, correct or not. 

I have also seen maltese that I was told have correct coat and when I go to see them in person, I don't see the correct coat. But again maybe they do and I just think it's not correct cause they aren't all groomed up.

If a breeder has a good example of a puppy, newborn to the time they are placed and to adulthood, whose coat is within the AKC standards, I'd love to see those photos too. 

Thanks for entertaining my curiosity,
Karyn


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## PreciousPrince

From what I've seen, a cotton coat has a more thick and wooly texture to it, and can be accompanied by some wave. People that have cotton coat malts often keep them in a puppy cut because it can be harder to brush and more prone to matts. If it's important to you to have a Malt that you can keep in a nice full coat, you should look at very reputable breeders and look at the coats of the lines where the pup came from, because just because a Malt is "purebred" is no guarantee. 
I'm sure the people that show and breed on this site could give you more information as well as pictures.
Good luck in your search!


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## kwaugh

Thanks for the info. But I'm not looking for a maltese at the moment. I'm putting my search on hold till after September when the weather starts to cool off. I just seriously made this post to better understand the breed since I have more time to research now.







I'm still probably going to look at adopting a rescue or adult maltese so standards aren't going to be a big deal to me, but it's always nice to know for my own info and to understand them in case I ever do look for a puppy in the future, or if people ask me questions about the breed.









Karyn


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## MissMelanie

We have two Maltese with silky coats and one with a partly "wooly" type coat. My wooly girl is Bella Mia and we know she came from a pet store and most likely a Puppy Mill. She not only has the partly wooly hair but she also is a bit longer then tall so that told my Vet somehow that she has BF in her somewhere. In all other matters she is VERY Maltese. She is loving and smart and fun. We tried to grow her hair out, my thinking was that perhaps the weight of her hair would pull the slight wave out but it didn't and it was a nightmare to keep combed. So back to puppy cut for Bella Mia.

Our adult silky hair is Sir Micro and he is kept in a short cut coz he is my daughter's dog and she likes his hair short but he has a great straight silky coat. Our other silky coat is Mr Wookie who currently still has puppy hair, so I am HOPEFUL this hair will be silky as an adult. With his breeding I have a lot of faith it will be. If you wish to see photos of Bella and Mr Wookie check out the thread in PHOTOS "Mr Wookie goes to Groomer" or something like that from last Friday or Saturday.

enJOY and good luck in finding more out about Malts,
Melanie


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## Maltese Please

*A long time ago, someone posted the ***ULTIMATE MALTESE DOG STANDARD WEBSITE* from WAMPUM MALTESE that has excellent photos showing silky, cottony, stand-out, wooly, and kinky coats. It is incredible, even though it only shows a few of the coat types visually. Here are some guidelines I've noticed about coats:*
*
All* *SILKY COATS* *are COOL to the touch because they act like a radiator and heat goes right through the hair shaft, instead of being kept in close to the body. Therefore, you can do a test and touch a maltese.... you will feel a silky-coated dog's hair squishing down to "nothing" in between your fingers. You can often feel heat from the BODY but if you ISOLATE the hair, it will feel completely COOL to the touch. Some coats are MODIFIED SILK, meaning there is a little bit of cottony mixed in... those coats will be easier to maintain but will have small knots sometimes. My Snow White maltese has this coat so I have to brush a lot. A** HEAVY SILK* *coat will still look very straight at the ends but will be more dense as a whole, like in the show dog below:*










*BABYFINE SILK * *coats are as above but much more like an old lady's hair or newborn baby's haha... very compact, velvety, and "almost nothing" when you press it down... this is what my darling puppy Mickey Mouse and his family have (baby fine silk). Static shows more but this coat doesn't have to be brushed for days. It can be easily damaged though and must be wrapped to grow it out. It flows like a waterfall and can be seen below:*










*COTTON COATS * *feel sometimes like poly fill (foamy pillow filler) that you find in teddy bears... it can be bouncy or springy, like a bichon or poodle dog.... it can be thick, curly, thin and bouncy, or wavy (especially near the part.) Cottony coats are warm to the touch and sometimes tangle much faster due to static electricity. I don't have a dog like this but a lot of my friends (and people I've consulted with), do. A cotton coat will often stand out from the body like a powder puff and will look CLUMPY easily with hairs forming intertwining lines. A cottony coat usually will be more silky near the ears, face, and tail for some reason (which explains how the puppy cut look came about where they cut the rest of the coat down but leave those places full and long.) This type of hair can look like dredlocks or the "afro" or a down comforter... with 2 examples below (I mean it, no harm intended in ANY way, I had to search hundreds of malt pics to find one who was NOT from this site.) COTTON COAT (Even though young, adult coat is similar):*









*
and:*









*
Here's the link to the ULTIMATE MALTESE DOG STANDARD INCLUDING A DOZEN COAT AND NOSE PHOTOS: *

ULTIMATE MALT PICTURE STANDARD COMPARISON CHART WITH PICS
*
I hope I did not offend anyone - every malt coat is incredible, but the silkier, the easier to maintain, whether that coat is short or long!!! Let me know if this helped please.*


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## Cosy

I had forgotten about that website you posted. It's a great visual of just what a maltese
is all about conformation wise. 

Here are a couple pics of Toy when she was in full coat. This is a strong straight silk coat, flat to the body

with no undercoat and cool to the touch.

[attachment=7041:attachment] 
[attachment=7042:attachment]


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## kwaugh

Thanks, that's a great web site that graphically shows the standards and what to look for in terms of standards. Thanks for posting it cause I would have eventually gotten around to asking about all the other stuff I am seeing on that website. I liked that they listed the standards for the UK, AKC, and FCI as well. It's helpful information for some folks, especially when they see a variation to the AKC standards in a dog that may be from a foreign registry.

Oh my goodness Toy's coat is just amazing! I love it, it reminds me of satin ribbons (sorry if that's a bad example to use). 

So is the coat a big reason breeders will hold a show maltese till they are 6 to 12 months...well aside from everything else. I have to ask cause with berners show puppies will actually get placed at 9 weeks (some at 8 weeks, depending on the breeder) along with the rest of the litter. But the evaluation of a puppy for show potential is alot like that site you posted and you can see if a puppy has show potential early on. I'm sure the size difference in the breeds has alot to do with it. 

Newbie question: Is it really obvious as a young puppy on whether or not they will have the woolly coat versus silky coat? Or is it really a guessing game on what type off coat your malt will have when they grow up? I know, looking at the sire and dam and if possible the grand sire and dam might help, but even that doesn't guarantee a puppy will have their same coat. 

Thanks,
Karyn


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## abbey

> I had forgotten about that website you posted. It's a great visual of just what a maltese
> is all about conformation wise.
> 
> Here are a couple pics of Toy when she was in full coat. This is a strong straight silk coat, flat to the body
> 
> with no undercoat and cool to the touch.
> 
> [attachment=7041:attachment]
> [attachment=7042:attachment][/B]


Just wanted to say that Toy is beautiful!!!


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## thinkpink

> index.php?act=findpost&pid=197886
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> I had forgotten about that website you posted. It's a great visual of just what a maltese
> is all about conformation wise.
> 
> Here are a couple pics of Toy when she was in full coat. This is a strong straight silk coat, flat to the body
> 
> with no undercoat and cool to the touch.
> 
> [attachment=7041:attachment]
> [attachment=7042:attachment][/B]
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> Just wanted to say that Toy is beautiful!!!
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> [/B]
Click to expand...


I agree! That picture is perfection!


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## gwilbrin

That was a very interesting read. I didn't know there were more than two types of coats. 

CuteCosyNToy, your photo of Toy is beautiful!


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## Deanna

Great site, and great pictures of Toy- she is a knockout!

Wilson's hair has a bit of a wave to it when it's not brushed. When I brush him it straightens out, and curls up a bit at he end- but I wonder if that's the cut? I am curious as to what the silky coat looks like in a puppy cut, any one have pictures?


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## dolcevita

I must be dense, because in spite of all this great info, I STILL can't tell what type of coat Dolce has. It feels and looks silky, but it tangles easily. I guess it doesn't really matter, I just keep hoping that someday her hair will get easier to manage.


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## Zoe and Bella's mom

> I had forgotten about that website you posted. It's a great visual of just what a maltese
> is all about conformation wise.
> 
> Here are a couple pics of Toy when she was in full coat. This is a strong straight silk coat, flat to the body
> 
> with no undercoat and cool to the touch.
> 
> [attachment=7041:attachment]
> [attachment=7042:attachment][/B]


Toy is so beautiful!!

ginny & zoe & bella


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## Zoe and Bella's mom

> *A long time ago, someone posted the ***ULTIMATE MALTESE DOG STANDARD WEBSITE* from WAMPUM MALTESE that has excellent photos showing silky, cottony, stand-out, wooly, and kinky coats. It is incredible, even though it only shows a few of the coat types visually. Here are some guidelines I've noticed about coats:*
> *
> All* *SILKY COATS* *are COOL to the touch because they act like a radiator and heat goes right through the hair shaft, instead of being kept in close to the body. Therefore, you can do a test and touch a maltese.... you will feel a silky-coated dog's hair squishing down to "nothing" in between your fingers. You can often feel heat from the BODY but if you ISOLATE the hair, it will feel completely COOL to the touch. Some coats are MODIFIED SILK, meaning there is a little bit of cottony mixed in... those coats will be easier to maintain but will have small knots sometimes. My Snow White maltese has this coat so I have to brush a lot. A** HEAVY SILK* *coat will still look very straight at the ends but will be more dense as a whole, like in the show dog below:*
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> *BABYFINE SILK * *coats are as above but much more like an old lady's hair or newborn baby's haha... very compact, velvety, and "almost nothing" when you press it down... this is what my darling puppy Mickey Mouse and his family have (baby fine silk). Static shows more but this coat doesn't have to be brushed for days. It can be easily damaged though and must be wrapped to grow it out. It flows like a waterfall and can be seen below:*
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> *COTTON COATS * *feel sometimes like poly fill (foamy pillow filler) that you find in teddy bears... it can be bouncy or springy, like a bichon or poodle dog.... it can be thick, curly, thin and bouncy, or wavy (especially near the part.) Cottony coats are warm to the touch and sometimes tangle much faster due to static electricity. I don't have a dog like this but a lot of my friends (and people I've consulted with), do. A cotton coat will often stand out from the body like a powder puff and will look CLUMPY easily with hairs forming intertwining lines. A cottony coat usually will be more silky near the ears, face, and tail for some reason (which explains how the puppy cut look came about where they cut the rest of the coat down but leave those places full and long.) This type of hair can look like dredlocks or the "afro" or a down comforter... with 2 examples below (I mean it, no harm intended in ANY way, I had to search hundreds of malt pics to find one who was NOT from this site.) COTTON COAT (Even though young, adult coat is similar):*
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> *
> and:*
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> *
> Here's the link to the ULTIMATE MALTESE DOG STANDARD INCLUDING A DOZEN COAT AND NOSE PHOTOS: *
> 
> ULTIMATE MALT PICTURE STANDARD COMPARISON CHART WITH PICS
> *
> I hope I did not offend anyone - every malt coat is incredible, but the silkier, the easier to maintain, whether that coat is short or long!!! Let me know if this helped please.*[/B]


Thank you for such great information. Zoe has wonderfully silky hair that rarely tangles BUT it is wavy. Bella's hair is much straighter BUT it is not as soft and silky as Zoe's. Her hair tends to tangle more but now that she is over a year old, her hair seems much easier to care for, and her texture has gotten softer than when we first bought her.

ginny & zoe &bella


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## Littlemans Mom

> I had forgotten about that website you posted. It's a great visual of just what a maltese
> is all about conformation wise.
> 
> Here are a couple pics of Toy when she was in full coat. This is a strong straight silk coat, flat to the body
> 
> with no undercoat and cool to the touch.
> 
> [attachment=7041:attachment]
> [attachment=7042:attachment][/B]


I have always thought your little ones were both totally adorable, but the pictures of Toy are just incredable. What a gorgeous baby you have







Too precious for words


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## momtoboo

Quote:*COTTON COATS feel sometimes like poly fill (foamy pillow filler) that you find in teddy bears... it can be bouncy or springy, like a bichon or poodle dog.... it can be thick, curly, thin and bouncy, or wavy (especially near the part.) Cottony coats are warm to the touch and sometimes tangle much faster due to static electricity. I don't have a dog like this but a lot of my friends (and people I've consulted with), do. A cotton coat will often stand out from the body like a powder puff and will look CLUMPY easily with hairs forming intertwining lines. A cottony coat usually will be more silky near the ears, face, and tail for some reason (which explains how the puppy cut look came about where they cut the rest of the coat down but leave those places full and long.) This type of hair can look like dredlocks or the "afro" or a down comforter... with 2 examples below (I mean it, no harm intended in ANY way, I had to search hundreds of malt pics to find one who was NOT from this site.) COTTON COAT (Even though young, adult coat is similar):

This does describe Boo's hair.Funny thing though,he has the coarser silky hair mixed into the cottony hair on his back.I can see it sticking out straight as a stick among the softer cottony waves.It's especially noticable after a haircut.*


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