When Do Puppies Lose Their "Puppy Fur"?

by Hazel Bethell
(Derbyshire, Great Britain)

Reader Question: How Long Do I Have To Wait To Figure Out Puppies Fur Color?

My Jack Russell bitch is now the proud mother of 7 beautiful pups. The father is a rough coated farm scoundrel (more like a fox terrier even though he is a Jack Russell) and my bitch is a smooth coated 'Queen Anne' style legs.

My question is how early can I tell if the pups are going to be rough or smooth coated? They are 4 weeks old now and it is difficult to tell at this stage, even though some look more likely to be more on the rough coated side?

Hazel Bethell

Vet’s Timeline for When Puppies Lose Their “Puppy Fur”

Hi Hazel,

I can’t say exactly when your pups will lose their “puppy fur” and start to grow in their adult coats, but it seems like the process often starts around 3-4 months of age and continues for a few months until their fur looks almost like an adult’s. I suspect that when your pups are around 6 to 7 months old, you’ll have a fairly good idea of what they’ll look like when they are all grown up.

Regards,

Jennifer Coates, DVM