When Do Dogs Shed Their Puppy Coat?

Anyone who has petted a puppy knows how soft and fuzzy they are. Although dogs generally stay soft and furry throughout their lives, the velvety soft puppy fur doesn't last forever. Eventually, it's replaced with permanent adult fur, and when that happens depends on a pup's individual growth patterns.

  1. Coming Into the World a Furball

    • Puppies come into the world with many wonderful traits, including a soft, thin coating of fur. This not only feels wonderful to touch, but benefits puppies in several ways. It helps protects them from temperature changes and other weather-related elements, although no puppy should have to fight the elements, and it works to maintain their warm body temperature. As a furbaby grows, his coat does too. It becomes thicker, more pronounced, and often shorter than the puppy version.

    Watching for Shedding Fur and Patchy Spots

    • One sign that a puppy is starting to shed his puppy coat is when you begin to notice more fur around the house, and he starts to look less velvety and more patchy. This is a result of his puppy fur falling out to make room for grown-up fur. The change can start when he's as little as three months of age, but can take up to a year. This depends on the individual's growth pattern and breed.

    Watching for Color Changes

    • Another way to tell if your puppy is starting to shed his puppy coat is to watch for any changes in color. Some breeds are born looking one way, and grow up looking totally different. Some solid-colored breeds, like Labrador retrievers, will remain one color throughout life, except maybe for some grey hairs later in life. Other breeds that have undercoats of a different color may change. For example, an apricot-colored puppy might turn into a creamy-colored adult dog.

    Monitoring Pattern Changes

    • As with color changes, some puppies develop different patterns in their fur as they grow. Dalmatians, for example, don't get their trademark spots until later in life; they actually are born a pure snowy white. Beagles' color patterns also change as they mature. If you have a breed that is known for developing patterns, as dalmatians or beagles do, an evolving color pattern is another way to know your pup is shedding his puppy coat, and growing up.