We didn't get Toto until she was 16 weeks old so prior to that I don't know what her hair might have done ... it was just kinda short & spikey ... cute! The vet told us it would change texture as she began to "grow her coat"! It was that "cottony" texture that Mary Ellen described for a long time. A few months ago it began to change and at 1 year it's long and silky and much easier to care for because of the texture! Don't get me wrong ... the long coat isn't easy if it's not brushed regularly. If I brush Toto every day it doesn't get hardly any mats but if I let it go for a couple of days it's a mess, expecially the topknot!
She likes to be brushed and is very patient ... will even lay on her back in my lap to be brushed!
Be sure to keep the upper 1/3 of the leather shaped and cut very short inside and out or the long hair will pull the ears down and they won't stand up. I always brush her really good before her bath and make sure there are no mats. The only hair she "sheds" is the loose hair in the brush! After I shampoo her, I put a thick conditioner on and after it's worked into her coat I let it sit for a minute or two and then thoroughly rinse. She likes to snuggle in a big dry towel to damp dry, then we brush again! Always "spritz" with diluted conditioner [I use Coat Handlers] as you brush to prevent the hair from breaking!
