Strange fur on back

Equus5O · 05-21-2010, 10:41 AM

Axl is three months old. The fur running down the length of his spine is growing differently than the rest of his coat. It reminds me of a cow-lick. I've seen mention of a "bitch stripe." Axl is a male.

What is this called? Is it something that will be out-grown? Or is just a cow-lick? He's not a show dog. I'm just curious about it.

Lin · 05-21-2010, 10:48 AM

Do you have a photo?

Bitch stripe refers to the tan ticking of hairs down the back, and it happens to males as well.

onyx'girl · 05-21-2010, 10:49 AM

It is the adult coat coming in, usually silky and wavy. It will blend when the rest comes in! And it will come in overnight it seems!

**Liesje** · 05-21-2010, 10:53 AM

Is it just the adult coat? It starts on the tail, it's like a 2 inch thick ring of thick, shiny fur. Then it becomes a stripe down the back and tail, thicker, shiny fur that is longer and wavy.

**JKlatsky** · 05-21-2010, 10:58 AM

yep. The adult coat! It's easier to see on sables because their puppy fur is grayish/brown so when the black of the adult coat comes it it's more apparent and easier to see...but it's the same thing in black and tans and the other colors. It starts on the back and tail and then goes on down the sides.

This is Tag and Cade at about 3 months and 10 weeks.

Lilie · 05-21-2010, 11:58 AM

Don't feel bad. My GSD is a long hair, and when I saw this happening I took him to the vet. I thought he had some sort of mange, even though he didn't have any bald spots. It just looked so very strange.

Equus5O · 05-21-2010, 12:06 PM

I don't have any photos of his back, but yes, it is wavy. And there's no change in color; it's the same black. I thought maybe it was just a cow-lick! LOL

The base of Cade's tail is similar to the texture of Axl's.

**JKlatsky** · 05-21-2010, 12:15 PM

Right. He wouldn't change color like that if he's black and tan or black because their puppy fur follows the color of their adult fur. It's just the sables with their banded fur that shows a darker color change when their adult coat comes in. It'll continue to come in for the next few months.

Equus5O · 05-21-2010, 12:23 PM

Thank you

Jax's Mom · 05-22-2010, 12:53 AM

Jax had that too... His puppy fur was kind of wooley or like Teddy bear fur but the stripe on top of his back is glossy and wavy... It's slowly creeping down his sides.
The vet said not to get excited because his adult fur won't be as soft as his Teddy bear fur but I think it's even softer hehe

05-21-2010, 10:41 AM	#1 (permalink)
Equus5O Member Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: NorthWestern NJ (Knowlton) Posts: 68	Strange fur on back Axl is three months old. The fur running down the length of his spine is growing differently than the rest of his coat. It reminds me of a cow-lick. I've seen mention of a "bitch stripe." Axl is a male. What is this called? Is it something that will be out-grown? Or is just a cow-lick? He's not a show dog. I'm just curious about it.

05-21-2010, 10:49 AM	#3 (permalink)
onyx'girl Crowned Member Join Date: May 2007 Location: SW, MI Posts: 21,204	It is the adult coat coming in, usually silky and wavy. It will blend when the rest comes in! And it will come in overnight it seems! __________________ Jane~ Kept by Onyx, Kacie and Gideon v Wildhaus aka Karlo

05-21-2010, 10:53 AM	#4 (permalink)
Liesje Moderator Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Grand Rapids, MI Posts: 16,279	Is it just the adult coat? It starts on the tail, it's like a 2 inch thick ring of thick, shiny fur. Then it becomes a stripe down the back and tail, thicker, shiny fur that is longer and wavy. __________________ Liesje & the K9s Nikon (GSD) U-CH SG Alta-Tollhaus Bono SchH1 KKL T1 FO PA TF-III FDCh-S CL1-R UJJ U-CA HIT TT CGC Coke (All-American) VPC's Coca-Cola CGC, couch warmer extraordinaire Indy (All-American) Blue Horizon's Indigo Girl, flyball star in training Rainbow Bridge Kenya (GSD) U-CH Alta-Tollhaus-Krieger Lamb Chop CL1-R CL1-F RA HIT TDI TT CGC vom Blauen Horizont / Blue Horizon GSDs

05-21-2010, 10:58 AM	#5 (permalink)
JKlatsky Moderator Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Riverview, FL Posts: 2,988	yep. The adult coat! It's easier to see on sables because their puppy fur is grayish/brown so when the black of the adult coat comes it it's more apparent and easier to see...but it's the same thing in black and tans and the other colors. It starts on the back and tail and then goes on down the sides. This is Tag and Cade at about 3 months and 10 weeks. __________________ Bianka vom Eisernen Loewen IPO3, CGC, TC 1-3-08 Cade vom Eisernen Loewen IPO1, CGC 3-25-09 D'Artagnan (Tag) vom Eisernen Loewen BH 2-2-10 G Aiko von Burkndeiros SchH 3, IPO3, FH, TC, KKL2 9-17-02 (Retired) Tampa Bay Working Dog Club

05-21-2010, 12:15 PM	#8 (permalink)
JKlatsky Moderator Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Riverview, FL Posts: 2,988	Right. He wouldn't change color like that if he's black and tan or black because their puppy fur follows the color of their adult fur. It's just the sables with their banded fur that shows a darker color change when their adult coat comes in. It'll continue to come in for the next few months. __________________ Bianka vom Eisernen Loewen IPO3, CGC, TC 1-3-08 Cade vom Eisernen Loewen IPO1, CGC 3-25-09 D'Artagnan (Tag) vom Eisernen Loewen BH 2-2-10 G Aiko von Burkndeiros SchH 3, IPO3, FH, TC, KKL2 9-17-02 (Retired) Tampa Bay Working Dog Club

05-21-2010, 10:48 AM	#2 (permalink)
Lin Knighted Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Indianapolis, Indiana Posts: 3,423	Do you have a photo? Bitch stripe refers to the tan ticking of hairs down the back, and it happens to males as well.

05-21-2010, 11:58 AM	#6 (permalink)
Lilie Crowned Member Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: South Texas Posts: 8,977	Don't feel bad. My GSD is a long hair, and when I saw this happening I took him to the vet. I thought he had some sort of mange, even though he didn't have any bald spots. It just looked so very strange.

05-21-2010, 12:06 PM	#7 (permalink)
Equus5O Member Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: NorthWestern NJ (Knowlton) Posts: 68	I don't have any photos of his back, but yes, it is wavy. And there's no change in color; it's the same black. I thought maybe it was just a cow-lick! LOL The base of Cade's tail is similar to the texture of Axl's.

05-21-2010, 12:23 PM	#9 (permalink)
Equus5O Member Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: NorthWestern NJ (Knowlton) Posts: 68	Thank you

05-22-2010, 12:53 AM	#10 (permalink)
Jax's Mom Knighted Member Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada Posts: 2,226	Jax had that too... His puppy fur was kind of wooley or like Teddy bear fur but the stripe on top of his back is glossy and wavy... It's slowly creeping down his sides. The vet said not to get excited because his adult fur won't be as soft as his Teddy bear fur but I think it's even softer hehe

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