Rebecca, Irena Farm Posted July 14, 2009 Report Share Posted July 14, 2009 I was just thinking it looked like Fly. And I knew another female like that too. Exactly like that. Wait, I knew two. Both purebred. Laura's June's dam is one of them. Every year at shedding season it was a horror to get out. She was a smooth coat. The other was a smooth coat too, but I wasn't sure whether the weird curliness was from the severe demodex we were battling with her. The reddish cast and crispy look makes me think you'll see a lot of improvement with good food and destressing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
muddy bob Posted July 14, 2009 Report Share Posted July 14, 2009 I just had to add that our little BC Stevie had a very brittle coat. I never thought any thing of it until he got some bald spots after we had him for a couple of years. I had his thyroid tested and now that he is on treatment for a low thyroid his coat is now soft and his bald patches have grown in. Low thyroid is usually a problem in older dogs but Stevie was eight months when we got him. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PSmitty Posted July 14, 2009 Report Share Posted July 14, 2009 Awww, he's cute. I admit his coat is a little odd, but he looks all BC to me. Tall, lanky BC. I know you weren't really asking if we thought he was purebred or not, I'm just babbling. I wonder if they bathed him a lot, or with some kind of harsh soap, to try to cut back on the kid's allergies? I am sure with time under your care, he'll have a much nicer coat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phej Posted July 14, 2009 Report Share Posted July 14, 2009 Mary, my dog's coat was the same when he came to rescue last fall. It was somewhat curly, wirey, brittle and he looked odd. I was actually wondering if he was pb the first few days. He was a stray, and I think it was a result of poor nutrition and a lack of care. His coat is now long and soft and he looks like a different dog altogether. Here is a picture of him the day after I picked him up from the shelter and another one few months later... i bet you will see a similar transformation. few months later Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kaos Posted July 14, 2009 Report Share Posted July 14, 2009 Do you think they may have tried to shave him down in a silly attempt to control their son's allergies? Sara Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MaryP Posted July 14, 2009 Author Report Share Posted July 14, 2009 Do you think they may have tried to shave him down in a silly attempt to control their son's allergies? Sara They said that he had not been shaved or given a haircut. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jvw Posted July 14, 2009 Report Share Posted July 14, 2009 I have seen a few border collies with a curly coat like that. I can't speak to the wirey part. But definitly have seen the curls. Jennifer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Journey Posted July 14, 2009 Report Share Posted July 14, 2009 Good diet and maybe a thyroid check and he hopefully will turn around and be soft and curly! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OurBoys Posted July 14, 2009 Report Share Posted July 14, 2009 Good diet and maybe a thyroid check and he hopefully will turn around and be soft and curly! I agree. Also, at 11 months old, I would think his coat isn't finished filling out. When Josie came here, she was 6 mos old. Her coat was in really bad shape. Now, at 15 mos old, I still wonder if her coat is finished filling out. Even a few weeks ago her back feathering use to look like she was having a bad hair day. Now they're gorgeous. With time and proper care, I have a feeling he'll look like a different dog. (I hope he keeps the curls though. They're cute! As is he!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BCDreamer Posted July 16, 2009 Report Share Posted July 16, 2009 I've seen some pure border collies with coats like that, and I can almost feel his coat under my hands. Psyche's bum fluff is the same way. When she came here, it was all of her that was that way, and she had like, NO coat. Now she's getting fluffy and the hair is slowly coming in. My guess is still that he was on bad food there, and the longer he's with you, the better it'll get. He's cute! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SoloRiver Posted July 16, 2009 Report Share Posted July 16, 2009 Honestly, it could just be his coat. Fly is healthy as a horse, and her coat has never, ever been soft. It is thick and springy and harsh to the touch, and slightly oily no matter what she's fed. She's the most Teflon Border Collie I've ever met. NOTHING sticks to her and she dries instantly after being wet. It's not the most pleasant coat to touch, but it certainly is easy to maintain. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MaryP Posted July 16, 2009 Author Report Share Posted July 16, 2009 I was looking at his coat again last night. I really do think there is something abnormal going on with it. You can grab a fist full of the wiry, curly coat on his back adn it just comes out by the handful. The first inch of the base of each hair is white. Very odd. I've never seen fur that is white at the roots, but black along the rest of the hair shaft. I'll try and get another video/picture. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carson Crazies Posted July 16, 2009 Report Share Posted July 16, 2009 I was just thinking it looked like Fly. And I knew another female like that too. Exactly like that. Wait, I knew two. Both purebred. Laura's June's dam is one of them. Every year at shedding season it was a horror to get out. She was a smooth coat. The other was a smooth coat too, but I wasn't sure whether the weird curliness was from the severe demodex we were battling with her. Interestingly enough - June's coat looks like this pictured dog's coat right after a bath during shedding season (minus the crinkly dull thing). She's not curly coated, but right after a bath she looks a bit like a freak - and her guard hairs are very wiry. I too agree with some destressing and good food I'll bet the dog in question's coat will look a whole lot more "normal" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest amylobdell24 Posted July 16, 2009 Report Share Posted July 16, 2009 Ha! That's identical to Decklan's coat - complete with the "mohawk" - it is very wiry, curly, and pretty short - he is supposedly a purebred BC, but was a rescue & has no papers - we tell him he's a BC so his feelings don't get hurt :-) Here's pics: and when he was younger: I have better pics at home I can post later - it's hard to see the ridge of hair down his back, but it looks just like the one on yours! He even has the long legs & tiny head! He's about 55# now, including his enormous brisket - a big hunk of maybe muscle, but probably fat in between his front legs. Looks like a water buffalo when he's running.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest amylobdell24 Posted July 16, 2009 Report Share Posted July 16, 2009 Here's another recent one: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MaryP Posted July 16, 2009 Author Report Share Posted July 16, 2009 OMG, they look like they could be related! I'm glad there are folks out there that think this is a cute look, LOL! Oreo is so goofy looking in person, I keep thinking, "You'd better be talented at something, dog, because you're not going to woo any potential adopters with your looks alone." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest amylobdell24 Posted July 16, 2009 Report Share Posted July 16, 2009 I tell Deckers the same thing!! He's not smart, not pretty, definitely not coordinated, but he's the cutest, sweetest dog - such a cuddler & the one everyone wants to take home with them once they know him! Decklan would have a thousand homes if I ever.....well - I guess if I ever died - cause there's no other reason I'd ever part with him! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liz P Posted July 16, 2009 Report Share Posted July 16, 2009 I was looking at his coat again last night. I really do think there is something abnormal going on with it. You can grab a fist full of the wiry, curly coat on his back adn it just comes out by the handful. The first inch of the base of each hair is white. Very odd. I've never seen fur that is white at the roots, but black along the rest of the hair shaft. I'll try and get another video/picture. I used to own a smoothie with hair like that (white base). She blew her coat like mad every time she went into heat, you could actually pull out huge clumps. I also own some male relatives who blow their coats like that. Many of their relatives have hair with white at the base, especially over the shoulders and over the gland at the base of their tail. It just seems to run in the lines, especially on the smoothies. The rough coats in that particular bloodline also tend to have very curly fur as they get older. I never did know a related double coated smoothie, but my guess is that they might be curly too (as opposed to the slick coated smoothies, who really couldn't have curly fur). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
geonni banner Posted October 20, 2009 Report Share Posted October 20, 2009 I also think you might want to get a thyroid scan. I once had a rescue tri Rough Collie bitch that had a coat like that. She was also very thin, though her appetite was good. I asked for a thyroid scan 'cause I had a hunch she was hypothyroid. The vet said she had the wrong symptoms for hypothyroid, but I said, "Come on doc. It's my $16.00." (This will tell you how long ago that was...) And sure enough, she came back hypothyroid. We put her on thyroxin and she grew soft, thick hair and put a little weight on without changing her rations. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dal & Mad's Mom Posted October 20, 2009 Report Share Posted October 20, 2009 Maddies hair is softer looking but, has that sort of look to it. It's flippy by my description. Sort of a high wave. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MaryP Posted October 20, 2009 Author Report Share Posted October 20, 2009 I also think you might want to get a thyroid scan. Too late, he was adopted about a month or so ago (Thank God!). For all those folks who say, "I could never foster dogs because I would want to keep them all," I give you Oreo as Exhibit A, why that is not true Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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