Bogart still has a few, but they seem to be diminishing. I think he has about 10 of them!
I didn't know it was called kemp!

 

If I understand what Kemp is Tia has gotten a few more as she gets older. I told Kevin she looks like she is getting old with white hairs (like me). T is 20 months.

 

from my understanding usually KEMP is seen MORE on the fleece and wool coats

whereas the hair coated LD's seem to 'grey' up more ( though i could be wrong).
Max has scattered white hair that comes and goes in cycles...sometimes it's there then it goes away etc
but you barely notice it or say you could count how many he has, also it's soft, silky ..and not coarse or wiry at all.

HERE"S a LINK that shows COAT COLORS/ TYPES AND PICTURES OF KEMP....GO DOWN ABOUT 2/3rds of page
http://www.labradoodleasd.com/ASD-CoatsandColors.htm

 

Interesting...Olivia has a sprinkling of white hairs here and there through her coat. And I have just noticed a little tiny tuft of white hair grown back where her incision was from being spayed was.
Olivia is supposed to be about 2 years old although she was a stray so no one can say for sure.
Kemp huh? I will follow the link to learn more about it.
thanks for including that.

 

hmmm I think Manchie has Kemp. When I brush him the only thing that I get off is really fine and soft gray hair. Is this Kemp or is it the course white hairs that are sprinkled throughout their coats? I find the coat thing confusing but since my dogs are 100% pure Canadian F1Bs I think their coats are a bit more unpredictable than if they were Australian Doodles. Brie is def a flat coat (I'd call it wavy :wink: )

My dogs seem to be losing their sprinkle of white hairs but I can't be sure. I could just be used to them.


Sarah

 

I've been looking into this kemp thing more (not a lot of info around on it tho). Apparently it's mainly animals like goats and alpacas who have it (yes, it is the thick white hairs) and is undesirable in those animals too. The hair has a hollow middle and a comparatively thin layer of outer, so that it is quite brittle and breaks easily. It stops growing in winter.....and if you ever think of dying your doodle's kemp to blend with their coat...it is largely resistant to dye!

Charlie is a 3rd gen Aus LD but he has a noticeable amount, and if you lift up his fur he has even more hiding underneath. Annmarie, it's interesting what you said about it being mainly fleece or wool coats that have kemp....Charlie had a fleece coat, which is thinning rapidly, and the hair coat which is replacing it is where the kemp hairs are....reckon he's a changeling!

Ann

 

I have always heard of this type of hair as "ticking" and it is common in some dogs. It is very coarse and wiry to the touch, not at all soft. I have had dogs get it (usually the early generation dogs) early in life and it seems to get softer over time, but still is more coarse than the other hairs. Personally, I have found this more with the coats that are not fleece...my fleece coats don't ever get this...and it usually is associated with shedding type coats too.

 

Interesting that the Tegan Park link says that Kemp is not present in puppies, but appears as they mature. Charlie had some at 8wks, and now at 21 wks he has a lot....maybe an exception to the rule, but is there a central 'collector of information' where information like this can be notified....surely that would help the breeders to further their understanding of the genetics?

Ann

 

I think Semi has some, too. I will really look at her tonight when I brush her. But her hair is light anyway so they are not that noticeable. If it is kemp, it is still soft. She has a fleece coat. But her hair may change if she blows her puppy coat. She is almost seven months and shows no signs yet of that happening. Her hair is beautiful but so odd. It is dark at the roots and she actually looks like she has black skin. But then it grows out light and is caramel on the ends. It will be wonderful to see how it changes over time.

 

Marley started getting some kemp at about 4-5 months old, along his back. He also had a good sprinkling of grey hairs in there too.
However....since then, his coat has been slowly turning "blue". (Marley is a soft 'wool-fleece")
At 15 months old, his coat along his back is a uniform Charcoal grey color, & the hairs have softened up.
So...Any 'kemp" might possibly just be temporary.

I have always heard of this type of hair as "ticking" and it is common in some dogs

I always heard it was called "guard hairs". :? The title of "kemp" was new to me too!