Puppy hair growing white - health problem??

[graceandgratitude]

Hi everyone,
I am picking up a puppy cavapoo next week and noticed that some of it's hair looks like it is growing through white. Given it is a tri-coloured cavapoo, this doesn't seem right. It looks like hair that was black/tan is now coming through white. I'm worried it might be an indication of a health problem or I have read it could be an indication of stress. The puppy currently lives in a busy household with another dog and 6 month old baby, and they are selling it as they are struggling to find time for it. I will ask the owner about this but thought I could do with some advice first.
Many thanks

I'm not sure how I can add a picture but you can find it here: www.reddit.com/user/cavapoobear/comments/pi985l/is_this_normal_puppy_hair_turning_white_stress_or/

Firstly, puppy hair colour can change as its adult coat comes through, and secondly it's a cavapoo so you're really not going to have any idea of its heritage.

If there are white poodles in the mix, which is highly likely, that could explain the white hair.

Re the poo part - I have a red toy poodle, and as a puppy she really was as red as a red setter, but when her adult coat came through it was/is a similar colour to that coming through on your puppy's head, a sort of pale red. I wouldn't call that hair white though that you are showing.

Poodle fading gene.
Very common.

Its really difficult to tell.

How old is the dog?

I have just fostered then adopted a cavapoo, currently 14 weeks old. A patch of hair is coming through white on her head and is getting bigger as she grows.

You say she is tri colour, what 3 colours?

In that photo, the puppy doesn't look particularly well groomed?

Do you know the breeder she came from?

And it's really not usual for them to change colour completely as they get older

In the cavapoochon groups I have joined one woman is getting very frustrated because she really wants a red one that will stay red. Everyone keeps telling her no one can gaurentee it will stay red.

I am picking up a puppy cavapoo next week and noticed that some of it's hair looks like it is growing through white. Given it is a tri-coloured cavapoo, this doesn't seem right.

All tricolour means is three different colours - normally white, red/tan and black. It's very, VERY normal for tricolour puppies to have white in them.

You also picked a puppy that's a mix of two breeds that have white in them as standard. Tan and white/tricolour are very popular coat colours for cavaliers, and poodles come in white as a standard colour too.

What colours were you expecting?

My Cavapoo started red but his adult fur is completely different. X

It's very, VERY normal for tricolour puppies to have white in them
ALL tri colours have white!
They are all Black and Tan or a dilute like blue and tan or chocolate and tan with white spotting gene; which tends to show as a white blaze, white neck, belly and sometimes legs.
If it had no white it would be a bi colour eg Black and Tan.

I don’t know what you were expecting OP, it isn’t tri colour unless it has white!

I also agree with a PP, the dog in the photo looks matted and unkempt.
I would be worried about the conditions it has been raised in, whether it has been socialised at all, carrying infection etc

ALL tri colours have white!

Google tells me that technically, a mix of any three colours counts as tricolour, it's just that the vast, vast majority of tricolours happen to include white in them, even if it's just a tiny amount.

The puppy currently lives in a busy household with another dog and 6 month old baby, and they are selling it as they are struggling to find time for it

I’m reading this as a rehoming situation - I don’t think the OP is buying from the breeder.

OP I’m another one to say I’d be concerned about the condition of the puppy and the way it’s been raised. It looks dirty and unkempt in that photo.

If the puppy is under 6 months old doesn't Lucy's Law apply?

Yes I think op is rehoming. But the current owners should have the original breeders details. Op can then check them out

I would guess puppy farm though, from the Information given.

To be fair, could be a scam as well.

@Daisydoesnt

The puppy currently lives in a busy household with another dog and 6 month old baby, and they are selling it as they are struggling to find time for it

I’m reading this as a rehoming situation - I don’t think the OP is buying from the breeder.

OP I’m another one to say I’d be concerned about the condition of the puppy and the way it’s been raised. It looks dirty and unkempt in that photo.

You're not allowed to rehome puppies from owners when they're under six months old.

It's now illegal under Lucy's Law.

Technically it's not allowed under Lucy's law. But it depends on the vet the sees the dog when op takes it to report it. Or maybe the chip company

Would be interesting to find out ti's age and why they aren't going back to the breeder. I think I know why, but would be interesting to heat what they told op.

Google tells me that technically, a mix of any three colours counts as tricolour

It’s going a bit off topic, but I’m fairly sure a non white tricolour is genetically impossible because in dogs you have only two colour families - black and red and all colours are part of either black and red, for example, chocolate is a dilute of black and lilac/Isabella is I believe a dilute of chocolate.

I can’t think of a single breed where you could have two colours both within the black or red family which would be required for a non white tri colour.

When you have a multicoloured dog it’s always one colour + white spotting gene making some of the dog white (Parti colour) or one colour in black family and one in red + white spotting (tri colour) or one colour in black family and one in red family (bi colour)

black and red and all colours are part of either black and red
OR, not and.

Also, PPs made a really good point re Lucy law.
It could be a scam.
Especially as the pup looks in poor condition

@Powertothepetal

Google tells me that technically, a mix of any three colours counts as tricolour

It’s going a bit off topic, but I’m fairly sure a non white tricolour is genetically impossible because in dogs you have only two colour families - black and red and all colours are part of either black and red, for example, chocolate is a dilute of black and lilac/Isabella is I believe a dilute of chocolate.

I can’t think of a single breed where you could have two colours both within the black or red family which would be required for a non white tri colour.

When you have a multicoloured dog it’s always one colour + white spotting gene making some of the dog white (Parti colour) or one colour in black family and one in red + white spotting (tri colour) or one colour in black family and one in red family (bi colour)

I'm more talking about mixes than pure breeds - could you not get a mixed breed pup whose parents were both mixes of two of colours that don't involve white?

So maybe a red and black mum and a tan and black dad could result in offspring that had coats that were black, red and tan?

I'm not sure how possible that is in terms of genetics, though!

Hi everyone - thank you so much for your comments - so so helpful! To add more context, the puppy lives with its mum who is a family pet. This was the first and only litter for the mummy dog - the other puppies were sold and the owners had planned to keep one puppy. However, they have made the decision that they can't cope with a new puppy and a 6 month old baby. So hopefully a slightly different situation to maybe what it seemed and I assume Lucy's Law therefore is not applicable? Sorry I appreciate that wasn't clear. Lucy's Law is very good to know about too. I have also connected with the owner over her personal instagram and can see her family photos with the dogs and how they were brought up within their home - I think she has just been a bit overwhelmed. I was a bit paranoid too about scams so have done what I can to check what I can. I have also seen health certificates too.

By tri-colour, it is black, tan and has some white - it was the change in the growth of hair that initially concerned me as it looked like it was black turning white - but it seems that could be very natural as it is still so young at 16 weeks. Thank you so much for giving this reassurance and for the helpful advice - really appreciate it!!

I really want to ensure the puppy has the best start in life - I get the feeling it has been in a very hectic household and hasn't had the attention it deserves. I am going to see it this Thursday so will get a better view of how things really are - but wanted to get a view beforehand. Assuming there are no problems, I can't wait to clean him up and give him all the attention he needs... I'm sure it will be a lot of work so any tips always welcomed!

So maybe a red and black mum and a tan and black dad could result in offspring that had coats that were black, red and tan?
I don’t know for sure but I don’t think so.
The only time I’ve ever seen red and tan together has been red, tan and white as a dilute of tri colour.

I’ve got a doodle and he was black for the first few months then started getting loads of white hair on his back. He’s 1 now and keeps getting more and more. We just assume it’s because of his Bernese side coming out 🤷🏻‍♀️

It looks totally normal, and yes tricolour dogs have white so the coat could, and probably will, get whiter in places as the adult coat comes through.

@graceandgratitude

Hi everyone - thank you so much for your comments - so so helpful! To add more context, the puppy lives with its mum who is a family pet. This was the first and only litter for the mummy dog - the other puppies were sold and the owners had planned to keep one puppy. However, they have made the decision that they can't cope with a new puppy and a 6 month old baby. So hopefully a slightly different situation to maybe what it seemed and I assume Lucy's Law therefore is not applicable? Sorry I appreciate that wasn't clear. Lucy's Law is very good to know about too. I have also connected with the owner over her personal instagram and can see her family photos with the dogs and how they were brought up within their home - I think she has just been a bit overwhelmed. I was a bit paranoid too about scams so have done what I can to check what I can. I have also seen health certificates too.

By tri-colour, it is black, tan and has some white - it was the change in the growth of hair that initially concerned me as it looked like it was black turning white - but it seems that could be very natural as it is still so young at 16 weeks. Thank you so much for giving this reassurance and for the helpful advice - really appreciate it!!

I really want to ensure the puppy has the best start in life - I get the feeling it has been in a very hectic household and hasn't had the attention it deserves. I am going to see it this Thursday so will get a better view of how things really are - but wanted to get a view beforehand. Assuming there are no problems, I can't wait to clean him up and give him all the attention he needs... I'm sure it will be a lot of work so any tips always welcomed!

Lucy's law isn't applicable if they bred the puppy.

However, I would be very wary. They are experienced enough in dog ownership that they bred. But also were surprised by how much care a new puppy needs?

Chances are they were planning to use this dog for breeding and changed their minds, possibly due to the colour change. Or its been returned to them from whoever they sold it to.

If they aren't very experienced and bred anyway, they aren't responsible. What health checks certificates have you seen.

Health checked and health tested are 2 different things. What breeds are the parents? Are they cavapoos or a cavalier and a poodle? I am guessing it's a F1 and they don't know how to deal with the puppies hair? Are the parents health tested?

I am also really concerned about the state of the dog, given they are the breeder.

Chances are you will see the dog and bring it home. Especially, if it's not in great condition. Most of us would to be honest. It's hard to walk away, when you see a dog in poor condition. I transport for a rescue, Foster and have adopted 2 through the same rescue. I would find it difficult to walk away.

But you have to realise that the 'we are only breeding once' is likely a lie and your money is supporting poor breeding practices. From the look of the dog and what the owner has said to you, I don't think they are being honest. It appears they have no clue how to look after the dog.

So it's a 4 month old puppy, and they have a 6 month old baby? So around her due date she thought breeding a bitch was a good idea?!

I'd stay well clear personally for the reasons @Hekatestorch has set out.

Oh and for tips.

We got a tangle teaser for ours. We brush her through with that, every day followed by a metal comb. Where she had been before had not looked after her coat and it was matted in places, so we slowly snipped them out over about a week.

I would recommend crate training or a puppy pen, helps sleeping time.

Mainly puppies need patience and consistency most training techniques work, as long as you are consistent and keep at it.

Our girl is only 14 weeks. After a lifetime of cockers and having her sprung on us (we were meant to be Foster but fell in love with her so adopted her) it's a steep learning curve. There's a few cavapoo owners groups on fb, they cam be useful. I would join them. I would also search the group for this breeder and see of they posted anything.