Natural Double Coat

The American Dirus dog Coat

A young American Dirus dog around the age of eight weeks to about five months old has what is called a puppy coat.  Your puppy will look fluffy and light colored at this time.  This is the undercoat that sheds and grows back in with the seasons.  Depending on what time of the year your puppy was born, adult guard hairs will begin to grow up and out of this fluffy undercoat.  If your puppy was born early in the year its puppy coat will not shed like an adult dog's undercoat would. The first time the undercoat will shed out will be next year around April.  If your puppy was born later in the year, your puppy will have had time to grow out his adult coat and will shed all its undercoat when the weather gets warmer. 

Adult guard hairs are long single strands of hair that are harsh to the touch.  These hairs will pop up through your puppy's coat at the spine and appear at the tip of the tail and the scent gland area.  The head of your puppy will begin getting a nice grown up look about him as his ears begin to stand.  During these months (two months old – five months old) just a pin brush or a bent steel brush (slicker brush) will keep your puppy's coat looking good.