The full coat that your adult Golden Retriever will not be found on a little puppy. This is something that the puppy will need to grow into as they get older and start to mature. If you have a Golden Retriever puppy though, you may be curious when they will start to get their full coat.
By 3 Months your Golden Retriever will start to get their full coat. Over the next several months, the coat will get thicker and more pronounced, but in the beginning, it is hard to tell that the coat is coming in without taking a closer look at it. The full adult coat should be in by the time your Golden Retriever is two years old.
Let’s take a closer look at some of the milestones that happen as your Golden Retriever gets their adult coat, when you should start to expect to see some of the parts, and when the full adult coat should be in for your Golden Retriever.
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When Will My Golden Retriever Get Their Full Coat?
You will start to notice that the adult coat of your Golden Retriever will start to come in when they are about three months old. The initial growth that comes in is going to be subtle so it is possible that you will not be able to see it right away. If your puppy is already past this age, you may not have noticed the coat come in. If they have not reached this age yet, then you should check it out closely to see whether or not you can notice it or not.
This growth will take some time to complete though, which is part of why it is so hard to notice that the coat is coming in. Pet owners should expect that the Golden Retriever will get their full coat in by the time they are two years old. They will have their adult coats all the way in by that time.
Each dog will be a little different in the type of coat they get and the timing of when the new coat will come in. some will start to grow it really fast, while others may seem to not get it until they are a lot older. Often it is going to be based on what the parents of the puppy had and the genetics of your puppy. This means that you should not be surprised if the puppy seems to start growing the hair in quickly, or if it seems to take them a long time to get that adult coat you are waiting on.
The Golden Retriever’s Feathers and When These Come In
Most of us do not assume that Golden Retrievers are going to get feathers in. We assume that this is just something that a bird will have. But when we mention feathers on your dog, we are talking about some of the patches of fur that are found around the legs, tail, and stomach of your dog. As your dog grows, the coat that is in these areas will start to make the transition from the short fur of the puppy to the long and feathered fur that you see on an adult Golden Retriever.
This type of feathered fur has a specific purpose with your Golden Retriever. Unlike the topcoat of fur, which is water-resistant and thick, the feathers are going to be light and soft. The coat is going to help regulate the temperature of the dog, thinning quite a bit during the summer and then getting nice and thick again during the winter months.
When you see this feathered fur, it is a sign that your dog is maturing and getting older. When this first coat comes on, it is part of the first bit of the full coat transition that the puppy will have as they make the transition to a full-grown dog. While it is different for each dog, you should start to notice these feathers showing up behind the hind legs of your dog first.
The Full Coat Timeline
As your Golden Retriever gets older, it is important to know when they will see their coat come in and get fuller. This can vary based on the dog, but most Golden Retrievers tend to follow this kind of schedule pretty closely when it comes to getting rid of their puppy coat and growing in the full, adult coat as they get older. Some of the important dates to keep in mind when it comes to the coat of a Golden Retriever include:
- At three months old they will start to get some of their adult coat, but it will come in
slowly. - At eight months, the feathering will become more prominent. It could be more or less
present on your dog depending on how it came in for their parents. - At one year old, you should be able to see the feathering. It should be present and
noticeable at this time. - At two years the coat should be in full by this time
Each dog is a little bit different though and you may notice that some have their coats come in earlier than others and some may take the full two years to see results. You can always start looking when they reach three months old and see if you notice any of the feathering or other adult coat parts coming in.
Can I Do Anything to Get the Coat In Faster?
While there are differences between each dog and some just will not grow their hair in any faster than what their genetics say, there are a few ways that you can make the transition from the puppy coat to adult coat faster than before. Grooming is one of the safest and most effective methods to use when you want this to happen.
First, make sure that your puppy is used to being groomed, especially the sitting still part of it. Starting off with a grooming brush could end up scaring them away from this because it is a little bit rough and uncomfortable for your dog. A better option is to use a soft-bristled brush first. It isn’t really going to do a lot when it comes to grooming. But the idea is to get your puppy used to the grooming process, the feel of the brush, and having to sit still.
As your puppy gets used to that brush, you can slowly move on to using a pin brush. This is a useful option if you would like to help get the adult coat in a little faster. It is going to help with removing some of the hair that is loose more than the original brush. Removing the loose hair is going to promote the growth of new hair, which can speed up the transition. These brushes are also great at increase blood flow to the hair, which can help the new coat come in faster.
If you are ever concerned by the speed at which the hair for your Golden Retriever is coming in, then you will need to discuss this with your vet. They will be able to discuss what is normal and what may need to be looked at a little more, giving you some of the peace of mind that you need.
Helping Your Golden Retriever Get Their Full Coat
Most Golden Retrievers will get their full coat in with a little time and as they age. Most will be able to see differences when they are three to four months, even though you may need to search for some of these changes in order to notice them. By the time your Golden Retriever is 2 years old, the whole coat is going to be in and you will be able to notice is.
Some Golden Retrievers may have a slower hair growth compared to some of the others. This means that some will start right away with the growth at three months and may get the full coat in before they turn two. Others may be closer to two before you see much of a difference. While you can talk about the coat with your vet if you are concerned, it is normal to have some of this variance when it comes to the adult coat of your Golden Retriever coming in.