What is Blowing Coat?

If you have a havanese, you probably heard the term, 'blowing coat' which lends a thought to hair blowing out but is it really that? How long does this stage last?

The thing about the blowing coat stage, it is difficult to give an exact timeframe. It depends on undercoat growth. Just like humans, hair grows at various degrees in the same time period so they say usually 3 to 6 months but I have seen a blowing coat stage last as long as 9 to 10 months. What this stage is actually about is the undercoat is coming in and you do lose more hair than usual due to this stage for various reasons but knots play a huge part in it. You can duplicate a blowing coat stage by cutting the coat different lengths. If you ever shaved the tummmy and then let it grow out, you will see mats between the new growth at the tummy line and the old coat. It will go away when the new growth gets halfway down the coat length of the old hair. Does that make sense?

 That is also why you never thin a coat out by giving it a shag type look. When it starts growing in, you will have a nightmare on hand. The key is leaving the hair similar in length.

 The reason why clean coat mats less is the cuticle is clean and glides but when dirt adheres to the cuticle, it sticks together. Keeping the coat clean will reduce the work you have dramatically during this stage. Also, being thorough by using a comb to find any knots you may not have found with a brush, and eliminating them, you will reduce the possibility of having a knot grow that you may not be able to get out without damaging a coat.

 Now to complicate things, a damaged coat (brittle) or broken can duplicate the blowing coat stage as you will have hair of various lengths due to damage and a coarse, open cuticle tends to knot vs a healthy closed cuticle. If you find your coat is damaged, then have it cut like you would your own hair by evening it up and cutting off the damaged ends. Damaged ends will break and create different lengths also giving you grief.

 The point is even if you like a long coat, and you are not showing, getting the ends cut off gives a healthier appearance and knots less.

 Those of us that breed have a different issue where nutrients are pulled from the hair along with puppy damage to lend a dry coat. Some dry out more than others but it also depends on the type of hair your dawg has. If it starts out healthy but on the dry side, after pups you will see a brittle coat. If it is oily, you will see a damaged coat from pups but not a brittle texture. It shows you that dawgs have different types of hair from texture to degree of oils. It's why when asked how often should I wash their coat, it actually depends on the environment and the texture of the hair.

 That's probably more than you wanted to know but hopefully it helps.

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