Curly Haired Dogs: Awesome Dogs! - All About Dogs

Curly Haired Dogs

Curly Haired Dogs

Different hair types require different care, so to provide the best care possible for your dog, you must first determine what type of coat he has. 

Here you will find a list of curly haired dogs. The curly-coated dogs are few in number, but you’ll recognize them. They’re the Poodles, the Portuguese Water Dogs, and the Irish Water Spaniels. These dogs have curly coats that require extreme maintenance, including clipping and brushing.

Top 7 Curly Haired Dog Breeds:

1. Havanese
2. Maltese
3. Airedale Terrier
4. Poodle
5. Welsh Terrier
6. Irish Water Spaniel
7. Portuguese Water Dog

HAVANESE

Havanese

The Havanese is one of the most popular curly haired dogs. The coat is long, soft, lightweight, and silky. The Havanese coat is slightly wavy, profuse, and undulating. Unlike other double-coated breeds, the Havanese outer coat is neither coarse nor overly dense, but rather soft and light. Because of the tropical nature of the Havanese, the fine and lightweight coat are designed to act as a sunshade and cooling agent on hot days.

MALTESE

Maltese

The coat is long and silky and lacks an undercoat. Some Maltese can have curly hair. The color of the coat is pure white. A pale ivory tinge is permitted on the ears. In some standards, pure white coat with slight lemon markings is tolerated. Some people prefer to have the coat short. Malteses are popular curly haired dogs.

AIREDALE TERRIER

Airedale Terrier

Like many terriers, the Airedale Terrier has a curly-haired coat. The coat is hard and wiry. The coat is meant to be kept not so long as to appear ragged, and lies straight and close, covering body and legs. The outer coat is hard, wiry and stiff. Airedales may have an undercoat which is softer. The hardest coats are crinkling or just slightly waved. Curly soft coats are highly undesirable.

POODLE

Poodle-Toy

Unlike most dogs which have double coats, Poodles have a single layer coat (no undercoat is present) composed of dense, curly fur that sheds minimally. The Poodle does shed, but instead of the fur coming off the dog, it becomes tangled in the surrounding hair. This can lead to matting without proper care. Texture ranges from coarse and wooly to soft and wavy. Poodle show clips require many hours of brushing and care per week, about 10 hours/week for a Standard Poodle.

WELSH TERRIER

Welsh Terrier

Welsh Terriers have had a short wavy outer coat that is harsh to the touch. The undercoat is soft. Regular grooming is necessary to keep it in a good state. Also, the beard should be cleaned daily. The colors are usually black and tan though some dogs come in black, tan, and grizzled colors.

IRISH WATER SPANIEL

Irish Water Spaniel

Irish Water Spaniel have the coat consists of dense, tight, crisp curls. The hair on the face is short and smooth, framed with a distinctive topknot. The topknot is the breed’s characteristic which should not be trimmed in an excessive manner. With age, the hair may become slightly gray. The coat tends to mat, so at least once a week or preferably more frequent combing is necessary. Trimming should be done on a regular basis, too.

PORTUGUESE WATER DOG

Portuguese Water Dog

The Portuguese Water Dog does not shed its hair. The hair is either wavy or curly. Many dogs have mixed pattern hair: curly all over the body but wavy on the tail and ears. From the Portuguese Water Dog Club of America Revised Standard for the Portuguese Water Dog come these descriptions of the two coat types: Curly coat: “Compact, cylindrical curls, somewhat lusterless. The hair on the ears is sometimes wavy.” Wavy coat: “Falling gently in waves, not curls, and with a slight sheen.

Photo Credit: SheltieBoy/Flickr;

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