Poodles are adorable bundles of fur that come in various shapes, sizes, and shades! These popular dog breeds make great house pets because of how intelligent they are, along with their attractive appearance. One cool fact about the poodle is that their color actually changes to another as they grow up!
This is because they would slowly lose their puppy coat as they grow, making way for their “adult” fur. So you won’t only expect them to lose the puppy coat, but to change their colors to something darker or lighter. But when do poodles lose their puppy coat, exactly?
Read on to find out!
When Do Poodles Lose Their Puppy Coat?
In general, poodle pups will begin losing their puppy coats once they hit 12-18 months old. The transition from puppy to adult coat doesn’t happen overnight, though! This process can take between 3-10 months, with them having a fully developed adult coat once they reach 2 years old.
The exact times would vary depending on the type of poodle you own.
- If you have a “standard” poodle, the process of losing puppy hair would begin when they reach 1 year old, taking 3 months to develop completely. They would have a full adult coat when they are 18 months old.
- As for Toy and Miniature poodles, the process would begin when they hit 9 months old, taking another 9 months before they fully develop their adult coat.
- For those who have poodle mixes, it may be a gamble, so it’s difficult to tell exactly when they will lose their coat. Furthermore, it’s difficult to predict what kind of coat they will have, whether they take the genes from their poodle blood, or with their mix.
Take note that poodle puppies may have different adult coats compared to when they were puppies. Poodle puppies first have gentle waves feeling soft and fluffy, which is different compared to adult poodles which have thick and tightly curled coats.
However, because poodles are considered as a non-shedding breed, how will they “lose” their puppy coat? Just because they are non-shedding doesn’t mean they won’t shed their first coat, you just won’t likely notice it compared to double-coated breeds, which have a topcoat and undercoat.
The Color Process
As your poodle puppy grows and develops, how will you know what color they will become? The determining factor for the poodle coat’s final color is its initial color. For instance, the coat would “clear”, so if it was darker before, it would become lighter and “clearer”, an apricot shade when they reach 2 years old.
If you have a black-colored poodle, their coats may “clear” to silver or blue hue once they are adults. With dark brown poodles, they would change to a “latte” shade, while there are also other varieties of poodle colors, including white, gray, red, silver, and silver beige. These initial colors might go through another change, clearing out and stabilizing once they hit 3 years old, as poodles might go through different stages until they achieve their final and permanent color.
Sometimes, poodles would keep their coat colors, which is known as “holding”. Even if their coats “clear” to a darker or lighter shade, it may not be uniform throughout the poodle’s coat. So some areas have a darker or lighter shade, while other parts of the body may have the same shade they were born with.
There are also other factors to consider when it comes to determining the poodle’s adult coat, such as the type of care and grooming you give your poodle, along with the products you use when bathing and grooming them.
Poodle Puppy Coats vs Adult Coats
As I mentioned, poodle puppies would have different coats compared to when they become adults. The main difference is the coat’s texture. Puppies would have a very soft and fluffy coat, while adults have a thicker and coarser-feeling coat.
Furthermore, puppies would have wavier hair compared to a curly coat. When they reach their adult stage, they would most likely have thick, curly hair that is slightly coarse when touched, differing from the soft and loosely waved appearance of a poodle puppy.
The coat to expect on your poodle will vary, as there are different kinds of natural coats and clips that your poodle would have. Here are the different kinds of poodle hair:
- Puppy coat
- Curly coat
- Corded coat
- Improper coat (from poor grooming)
- Different cuts, such as the puppy clip, English Saddle Clip, and Continental Clip
Wrapping It Up
Poodle hair is hypoallergenic and would shed less compared to other dog breeds, making them a popular house pet. This doesn’t mean that you can leave their coat as is and forget about grooming, though! It’s important to learn more about the way their coats grow and what to expect as they grow older, from their coat’s colors down to their textures.
I hope that this article answered your question, “when do poodles lose their puppy coat?” Now that you know about your puppy’s coat, be sure to learn more about how to groom it well so your furbaby can shed properly and make way for a fully developed adult coat in a healthy manner.