Can Poodles Have Straight Hair? Why?
Poodles with their curly hair are the cutest. However, owners do sometimes wish they were easier to
Can Poodles Have Straight Hair?
All Poodles have naturally curly hair. A Poodle puppy has straight hair up till it achieves full maturity. Some Poodles’ hair can take even longer to curl. However, pureblood Poodles will all attain curly locks in a few years. Some mixed breeds may have straight hair, known as an improper coat.
If you are a dog lover and are looking for a Poodle with straight hair, I can tell you that there is no such pure breed. I can help you understand the type of coats a Poodle has and when Poodle puppies start to get curly hair.
As a Poodle parent, I love my Poodle’s beautiful bouncy curls and don’t mind spending the extra effort grooming her. I can help you understand how to appreciate the curly hair of your Poodle more.
Why Do Poodles Have Curly Hair?
Do you know that a Poodle is a water dog breed? This is the reason why they have bouncy curls, unlike the vast majority of dogs that have straight coats.
Poodles were bred specifically to have tight curls because they would help protect them from the cold temperature of the water.
Originally, Poodles were used as hunting dogs. Over time, people realized these water dogs were highly intelligent and hence Poodles started working in a variety of fields, including sailing, seafaring, and military.
Hence, they were used for a variety of purposes like retrieving goose, fowls, and other game birds shot by hunters, retrieving objects that have fallen overboard, and passing messages between ships.
Since they are so smart and have curly hair, they are at the top of the list of working dogs.
How Does Curly Hair Protect Poodles?
Poodles only have a single layer of coat that keeps them warm, unlike most dogs that have a top coat and an undercoat of fur.
The coat of an adult Poodle is thick, curly, and dense and has a cotton candy or fluffy cloud-like appearance. However, it is quite wiry to the touch. This is because this coat was designed to help the pooch repel water and help in its role as a water retriever.
The dense, curly hair prevents the water from reaching their skin and keeps them warm in cold waters. The curls do not hang down straight like most dogs, increasing the Poodle’s aerodynamic abilities. In addition, the coat also traps air, which warms the dog’s body and helps it maintain its body temperature underwater, preventing it from getting cold and shivering. In addition, the coat also traps air, which warms the dog’s body and helps it maintain its body temperature underwater.
What is the Reason Behind Poodles’ Fancy Haircut?
The fancy haircut that Poodles are famous for was not originally just for show. Although some of us think that these cuts make the pooch look silly, they actually have a practical application.
Since Poodles have thick and curly hair, it can get quite heavy when wet, which can slow down the dog in the water. So, historically, the owners of these dogs would shave the Poodle’s hind legs to make them more aerodynamic and swim faster in the water.
Today, the Poodle is still used as a working dog by people in many fields so that haircut has stayed on. However, it is more popularly known as the look for a show dog.
Types of Poodle Hair
Although adult Poodles are supposed to have curly and wiry hair, you will find that many Poodles have different hair.
Puppy Coat
After Poodles are born, they will have a straight puppy coat. This hair will be thin, wispy, and very soft but will grow thicker and curlier as the puppy ages. Typically, your Poodle will have a puppy coat till it is around 12 months old and sometimes even longer than that.
Curly Coat
As the Poodle transitions to adulthood, its coat will become dense, wiry, and curly that covers it from top to bottom. This coat is non-shedding and hence considered hypoallergenic. However, a Poodle will shed a few hairs once in a while, so it is important to keep its coat brushed and groomed so that it does not become matted.
Improper Coat
An improper coat is a Poodle coat that has a straight or somewhat wavy texture. The curly coat in a Poodle is caused by the keratin gene and a variation of the CU locus, which blocks the non-curl chromosomes, resulting in the Poodle’s signature curly coat.
Every Poodle should have two variations of the chromosome that results in a thick and curly coat. However, improper breeding when breeders fail to test their canines that carry only one of these chromosomes can lead to a somewhat straight coat or a patchy coat with wavy patches. This process is genetic and can be passed down to the puppies as well.
In this case, the Poodle will have a coat that resembles the coat of a Poodle puppy. Although there could be waves and curls on their coat, the Poodles will lack the denseness and the tightness of the curls that people appreciate in pure Poodles.
Good breeders eliminate the non-curling chromosome from the breeding process and ensure that every Poodle inherits and exhibits the perfect characteristics of evenly curled hair as well as check the Poodle for coat patterns or hereditary illnesses.
When Will My Poodle Puppy’s Coat Grow Curly?
If you have a Poodle, you may be wondering when its hair would grow curly. Typically, Toy and Mini Poodles will start their transition from their smooth coat to a curly coat from the age of 9 months and will achieve a perfectly curly coat by the time they are 18 to 24 months old.
Standard Poodles will also start getting curly hair at the age of 9 months but they will get a full coat of curls by the time they are 1 year old. During the transition phase, your puppy’s coat will be more likely to tangle and mat. They will also need daily brushing if you want to keep their coat long since the soft puppy coat will tangle with dense and wiry curls if not groomed properly.
This is one of the very few times in a Poodle’s life that you will see increased shedding since the curly hairs will be replacing the straight puppy hair. Once the adult coat has fully developed, your puppy will no longer shed its hair as much as other straight-coat breeds.
Will My Poodle Always Have Curly Hair?
Not all Poodles you see have curly hair. Since the Poodle is a popular breed, there are several unscrupulous breeders who are reproducing Poodles without checking or understanding the breed standard or performing health tests on the Poodle.
The most important thing to consider about your pet Poodle isn’t that it has a straight coat; it’s the indication that the breeder is reproducing Poodles without the right knowledge or in accordance with the best practices.
I understand that you will love your Poodle, no matter the type of coat it has, but it is just as important to consider that they are healthy and have the right temperament so that they can become a part of your family for a long time.