color change...what to expect

[Ewokpup]

So I've read about the magical color changing powers of the havanese...and that it's often part of blowing coat I think?

I was hoping someone could describe exactly how it works, I would be thrilled. This is kinda a spin off from my white hairs showing thread.

Does the new color creep in under the old? Do pups develop an undercoat with a new color? Do some colors change more than others?

[Ewokpup]

Some background...


As Bama is a havapom, I've looked into how the poms change color. One thing says usually after 2 months what you see is what you get. Another thing said sables are most likely to have changes. The puppy uglies start between 2-7 months, and Bama is at 6 3/4 months.

The vet says she thinks she will keep the type of hair she has now...although she also says she's never seen a dog like her. I think she is cottony, but her tail and head have spots that feel more silky (or more 'yorkie like' as i describe it). She has areas of distinct waves on her back, but the rest is more of a generic fluff (especially after brushing) and kinda spiky on the head (fluffs after brushing but then gets back to the spiky look). She came all black with white under her chin and at the tip of her back paws. She has definite white on her chest now, and white on the pads of her front paw (not really visible when she is walking around). She has white hair underneath her black hair, a few that show and are long like the rest of her hair, and others that are shorter and only visible when combing. I did a 'super hygienic' rear trim, including the top of her hind legs. since all the hair is shorter there the white definitely shows through.

Picture 1 and 2 are of the same area...the one of the left is when it's combed to expose the white hairs, the one on the right is how it looks when it's brushed down like normal.

[TilliesMom]

no idea, as you have a mixed breed...

Tillie's change grows in at the roots... when she was a puppy the tips of her hair were a dark red and it got lighter the closer to her skin, as that grew out, she eventually was mostly white with the darker tips, then I had her trimmed and she lost the dark tips, so she looked mostly white at 1 yr. Fast forward to this year and her hair has been growing in a light apricot, but I am starting to see at the base it is lighening up, so my guess is she'll be all white again when she is near 3 ... Her color change had nothing to do with blowing coat. And she didn't grow in new hair that I could see.
I am guessing that the pom hair could be much more wirey than the fine hav hair, so maybe you can see hair growing in, but I sure couldn't...

[TilliesMom]

here's the color change...

Tillie at 13 weeks, 14 months, and 2 yrs in the bath (otherwise only *I* can see that she has color! lol)

[Ruthi]

Tillie is beautiful. Otis has some color changes going on. He is 10 months, so, we will see.

[angiern2004]

Originally Posted by TilliesMom

here's the color change...

Tillie at 13 weeks, 14 months, and 2 yrs in the bath (otherwise only *I* can see that she has color! lol)

I call BS on the "only you see color" thing. I totally saw it when we were up there.

[dodrop82]

Bama's hair looks more Pomish to me. Yogi was a red sable, and before her first haircut, her hair was red at the tip, then grayish, then white, then peachycream. She had four different colors on her hair stands. She's kinda peachy creamy now at 3 years old.

[TilliesMom]

Originally Posted by angiern2004

I call BS on the "only you see color" thing. I totally saw it when we were up there.

lol, awesome, I'll take it!! I think maybe the camera 'white's' her out or something...

[Ewokpup]

Originally Posted by dodrop82

Bama's hair looks more Pomish to me. Yogi was a red sable, and before her first haircut, her hair was red at the tip, then grayish, then white, then peachycream. She had four different colors on her hair stands. She's kinda peachy creamy now at 3 years old.

at one point she seemed to have fur that was two toned-black and brown. but if it's there, we can't see it. when she's in the sun you can see more brownish tones in her black hair, and around her nose is getting a bit brown.

I am thinking that some of her hair feels not as cottony lately. Poms have the soft undercoat to add fluff and coarse guard hairs over that. And she has silky spots. Also, at the moment her legs are trimmed (to even up after the shaved arm from spaying), but usually they are much more fluffy and hav-like.

I want to take her to the groomers and get their opinion on her hair. I have to figure out where though. We've been to one that has self grooming stations and they also will do it for you, but I may look at another as well. I've read some bad stories about some of the grooming places in town so it's hard to decide. I can't even find a hair dresser for myself since moving to town two years ago!

[Ewokpup]

Originally Posted by amrileb7

It's really hard to tell since Bama is a havanese/Pomeranian cross.i do have a black German spitz(mittel) who is black and when he went through his puppy uglies got a rusty color and a couple of months later he was a jet black ball of fluff and energy.with my havanese the color chage comes little by little, in some cases the coat keeps changing throughout the dogs entire life.about the blowing coat part,I've never experience it with any of my havanese dogs,all I know is that when they are aprox. 4-5 months old the coat starts growing real fast.

She's almost seven months and we haven't had any puppy uglies! No patches of missing or thin hair, no real mats to speak of (knock on wood). no shedding besides what comes out when I brush her, and no big noticeable changes. But her hair is longer for sure, fluffier, and her tail is so beautiful!

These pics are from 9 weeks, 3 months (the one on the hotel bed), and just over six months (not sure what order they will show up)