# Fur coat questions...



## Mini golden (Sep 8, 2013)

I'm just curious about golden retriever coats. I'm sure I could look it up elsewhere online or get a library book, but I figured I'd start here with all these golden retriever owners and their combined experience and knowledge.

Is there a reason there seem to be so many different varieties of fur texture on goldens? Some look super fluffy and their fur kind of fluffs out from their bodies. It also seems thicker than some other goldens. Others seem to have a thinner, silkier coat that lies somewhat flat on their bodies. Do some have an undercoat and others do not? Does it have to do with coloring at all? Often the lighter color dogs seem to look fluffier while the redder dogs seem silkier or flatter. Maybe that's wrong, just seems to be what I've noticed looking at pics here on the forum. Or does it have to do with their line? Field lines vs English lines? Does one type of coat shed more than another? Is it a unique thing from one individual to another or is it definitely related to their lineage?

Also, how old are goldens when they tend to change over from puppy fur to adult fur?

Just curious. Sorry if my questions sound ignorant. Honestly when we researched goldens, I looked mostly at temperment, health, training and personality. All I knew regarding grooming was that I was going to be in for a ton of brushing and vacuuming. Our last dog was a Rhodesian ridgeback with hardly any hair to speak of, so that was a big enough adjustment to prepare for. I didn't look any deeper into it than that as far as fur goes!


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## Max's Dad (Apr 23, 2012)

I would think that the type of coat our Goldens have has most to do with their breeding. Max has a curly type coat, but it is also very long and fluffy. By the time he was a year old, he had a fairly full coat. But at about 2 years plus, it was very long and fluffy, and even more filled-in. In the attached photo, he is 2 years, 4 months old. He is 3 years old in the signature picture.


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## itried (Jan 6, 2013)

Max's Dad said:


> I would think that the type of coat our Goldens have has most to do with their breeding. Max has a curly type coat, but it is also very long and fluffy. By the time he was a year old, he had a fairly full coat. But at about 2 years plus, it was very long and fluffy, and even more filled-in. In the attached photo, he is 2 years, 4 months old. He is 3 years old in the signature picture.


LOL Max looks fluffier than a sheep in that photo. At about 6 months Kiki lost most of her puppy fluff (but left with velvet ears at least) her coat is shorter and darker like most field goldens, but since I don't know her pedigree persay its hard to tell. There are 2 main types of fur coats as far as I can see, conformation and field. Conformation are those really big long fluffy coats with extra fluff on everything, and field is a little shorter and a little more trim, it tends to be darker.


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## Mini golden (Sep 8, 2013)

Shiloh must be a field golden then. Guess I never really asked about that or paid attention when choosing a golden. I knew she was american and not english, but I didn't look into coat differences. Like I said, I knew she'd have a ton of hair regardless, so I figured I'd just give up on a clean house and go for the ultimate family dog - clean floors be darned! ;o)

Shiloh is not too fluffy, has a fairly dark coat (though not fully red) and seems silkier and thinner than many of the puppy pics I see here on the forum. I've wondered, too, if her thin fur might have anything to do with malnutrition from her coccidia/giardia issues. Hopefully that's not the case, and she just has a thinner coat from her lineage and not her poor early health. She just seemed to lose that puppy fluff so early, and now only her ears are fluffy, but she's still super silky and soft. She is like heaven to pet. We all can't get enough of her soft fur! Until she shark bites us and the kids run for cover, that is. :


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## Max's Dad (Apr 23, 2012)

Shiloh is still very young. It will probably be several months before you get a good idea about her coat.


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## codemonkey19 (Sep 10, 2013)

It's weird because my Polly seems to e darker and fluffier and curlier than her other littermates. 







she's the one lying down. Her sibling has thinner and lighter coat than her. Sorry I dont have a proper picture of both of them. But I hope you see the difference


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## codemonkey19 (Sep 10, 2013)

Oh look. I found more photos. Lol 







this is her sister







and this is Polly







the darker one getting out of the crate is polly and you can see she has a curlier hair than her sister. Not sure why but their parents are not dark but Polly eventually is darkest among her littermates, not ti mention the fluffiest of them all 


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## Deber (Aug 23, 2011)

With mine, the puppy coat started coming out around 4 mo and finished about a month later. The first coat had a ridge down the middle of guard hairs that were harder than the puppy coat, but as the months flew by the whole coat changed and grew but by 2 yrs I could get an idea of what my two's coats would be.

If you never saw the parents I think you will need to just wait and let it be a surprise! Don't expect to see much until after the 2nd year, but bet you will be surprised and love the results. And Yes I think the lines have a lot to do with the final outcome. Seems many of our true field goldens have a bit less coat while Conformation lines seem to be larger and have much heavier coat, but remember true conformation dogs are groomed daily and much care is given to teach the dog to stand and move in the correct manner, so lots more attention than the average pet owner does in grooming. Perfect coats only go so far...good grooming by an expert can be the clincher in shows. Most of the beautiful coats you see here are God given and I love each one! Personally, during the shedding times, I wish I could wave my wand and all the hair would just fall out at once! 

You will love your dogs coat, no matter what the final result is.


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