Puppy coats

[Sue and Cash]

Let's talk about puppy coats.  Our breeder told us that they lose it about 8 months.  Have you found this to be true with yours?  I ask because Cash is hairy.  Super hairy on the legs.  Lighter in color, cute wispy, going every which way fur.  In fact yesterday a guy at the park called him Chewbacca, from Star Wars.  I laughed about it too, but then thought should I be somehow grooming it down?  I do have thinning shears, should I attempt to manage it a bit?  Or just leave the pup be and see how it all turns out at a year.  I also have a groomer who is taking that lighter fluff off the side of his face for me every so often and cleaning up his feet.  We felt he should be on the table and be used to being groomed a little at a time to get him used to it since judging by the parents, he will need grooming several times a year.  He is a pet only.  But I like an attractive well kept dog.  When I got him he had like mutton chops on his cheeks!  Cute as it was, it was a bit much and I had her shave it off.  It hasn't really grown back again since we did it at least 7 weeks ago so perhaps it is just baby fluff.  Your thoughts please?  And as the other poster mentioned finding a groomer that actually knows how to cut a setter can be a challenge in some areas.  Our friend who is a groomer is fine for what has been done thus far, she is willing to watch video's for the right cut and I feel she is qualified to learn it right and not ruin him when he gets his feathering.but I did meet a woman with a gorgeous english setter at the park the last week who is a groomer.  And leaves near by.  Maybe she is the one to try first since she knows how to do it properly. 

[Louise Perry]

Hi susan, I haven't trimmed reubens coat at all as yet but had his feet done underneath ( well a groomed , not me). I wouldn't know anyway what they are susposed to look like anyway but Reuben is lovely as he is. He has quite a wavy coat and the feathering is still quite short anyway. I did trim the fur around his winkle( exscuse the phrase, lol) for hygiene wee reasons and brush him a fair bit. But I am curious about when he should malt etc as haven't seen it yet. I have a groomed close by who is susposed to be good with Irish setters, so will no doubt use them when the time comes. I don't plan to show Reuben but will want him to look nice and tidy for practical reasons. When do they malt?

[Sue and Cash]

What is malt exactly? Never heard that before. Is that like seasonal shedding? I never had a setter change coats really. A bit thicker in the cold weather with more neck hair coming in to keep warm. But not like a GSD that actually looses the undercoating. And thanks Viv that is exactly what I wanted to know. I will leave it be and let him be Chewbacca for the summer and see how things turn out on him! That is why I left it because I don't want to do harm to his budding coat. The hair on his back is parting it is getting these long sections. I was told that is puppy coat and it will fall out and smooth out on his back. So we left him alone. My last one had short hair so I never had to do anything but the feet and a good brushing. I wish you lived closer too! Our breeder is a six hour round trip but she did offer to teach me as well. Just a bit far to do again. I know when I see pictures of his father, his coat is so gorgeous that I can only hope Cash is half the handsome hunk that dog is. Here is a picture of his legs!!

[Sue and Cash]

Viv I have not neutered him yet, he is only 5 months. Hope to wait a few more months. That is why I am worried to have his coat looking decent since I know it will be harder once I neuter.
In the picture does that look like fuzz or dead hair? Or is it just hairy hair?

[Ilona & Gina]

Hi Susan,

Funny, the thing with their hairdo. Gina and Anton are 20 months now, both desexed. Gina has a wonderful shiny chestnut coat with long blonde feathers. Anton still has these cute whispy fluff tufts around his legs. But then, Gina never really had a puppy coat - in contrast to Anton. You should think as they are littermates they would be the same?

Anyway, we just brush them every day and use Alpha Keri Oil (a non-greasy bath oil). Out two dogs are pets, too, but of course, you want them to look their best. We don't know a groomer who is good with Irish setters. And I understand that unexperienced groomers can do more damage than good.

[Sue and Cash]

Is the furminator a stripper as well? I mean would that work? I looked up the Coat king and now I see what you mean.

[Angela Roberts]

The pale dry coat is dead hair and think of your dogs coat rather like a garden. If you let all the weeds grow it will eventually take over but if you keep pulling them out the grass and flowers that are supposed to be there will keep growing. So get the pale dead hair out (not cut it off) and the nice glossy coat will keep coming through.

[Sue and Cash]

Beatles is such a great looking dog, you give me hope now that he will smooth out later on. We adore our hairy beast. After a bath his hair is going every which way. I have bought some finishing grooming spray which with a brush gets it laying down again! I appreciate all the input.

[Louise Perry]

I also like reubens wavy coat and it is silky too. He is 9 months, so presumbly it will go straight?
I am as yet undecided about neutering as I know it can affect his coat. However the last two days he has become a sex pest to spayed labs and this is really the only time his recall goes to pot! Do they continue to be sex pests or can I really train him to ignore the call of the wild? Sorry didn't mean to gatecrash thread but was kind of relevant

[Sue and Cash]

I will just leave him be. And Louise I can let you know how the neutering effects the coat since I will for sure be doing him. I was told if I am going to do it, I should do it sooner than later if I don't want marking and humping to start. I am thinking between 6-7 months. The wellness insurance I have makes me do it before 10 months or I pay way more for the surgery. So that means in mid april or beginning of May I will bite the bullet. I saw no change in Dublins coat at all. But he was very leggy and I was told that was from an early neuter.

[Louise Perry]

Oh gosh I may have a permanent humper then lol. No seriously I have read your previous posts on neutering and understand why you are going to get cash done. It's interesting that you didn't see a change in dublins coat, that's good and hope the same for cash. Part of me Is leaning towards neutering for lots of reasons but I am scared stiff of doing the wrong thing

[Sue and Cash]

Yes Vivian the tides have turned and research shows that more bone cancers in neutered boys as well. Again, in a perfect world if I had a large spread of land and could own several setters like I dream of, I would leave him intact. But my only means daily of running my dog and hiking off leash is in a dog park setting. That means dozens and dozens of other dogs of all kinds and I have seen over the years the change in attitude when the intact male comes in. Setters are gentle dogs and don't fare well with let's say GSD challenging them and humping them. The other neutered males are either upset by the intact dog or like Dublin was, submissive and wouldn't leave them alone in a playful manner. Either way I do not want other dogs bothering Cash. I want him to be safe and just enjoy his two hours in the woods everyday with me. I cringe doing it to him, but I decided last week it has to be. Or I can't own a dog. I know it will mean possible health problems, or shortening of his life span even. But then again, I have many friends with neutered males who are 12 years old now. So it's a genetic crapshoot I guess.