Poodle- shit zu mix

Question
I have a shih poo that is 4 months old now. When I received her she was so soft and a apricot color. Now her hair on her back is starting to become wirery and the puppy fur is shedding off. She is shedding like crazy. The breeder told me she would not shed after she looses her puppy fur and her coat should be curly by 8 months. Is this true?

Answer
Hello Erin,
This should happen to your dog because of the Poodle in her.  Poodles are born with fluffy, wavy hair that eventually falls out giving way to curly and more wiry hair.  This is the adult hair and is why the Poodles hair gets curly yet stands up.  The Shih-tzus hair is also soft as a puppy, but tends to not get as wiry as the Poodle coat.  If your dogs coat is getting curly already, that would be due to the Poodle in her.  The Shedding is normal as both the Poodle and Shih-Tzu will shed the puppy coat out, only when a Poodle sheds, it gets caught in the curls and you don't see it.
You might try giving her 1-2 sardines in Olive oil every day for a couple of weeks to help her skin and keep it from drying out.  This way, she won't shed as much and it will also keep her from having dander in her coat.

Give it a try and if you have other questions for me, please feel free to ask.

Thanks for using AllExperts.com,
Kim