Grooming and coat
How long does it take a Puli's coat to form cords?
Last updated 23 September 2026 · How we write and check this
Short answer
Cording typically begins between eight and twelve months of age and takes another one to two years to develop into full length, mature cords reaching close to the ground. The process needs active help from an owner separating developing cords by hand rather than happening entirely on its own.
The early stages
A Puli puppy's coat starts soft and wavy, and as the adult coat comes in, the undercoat and outer coat naturally begin to tangle together in a way that would be considered matting on any other breed. Around eight to twelve months, an owner starts gently separating these early tangles into individual, pencil width sections rather than brushing them out.
Why the process cannot be rushed
Each cord grows from the roots outward, so getting to full show length cords, often reaching the ground on an adult Puli, realistically takes another one to two years beyond when cording begins, with cords needing to be checked and separated regularly the whole time to keep them from fusing into wider mats.
What happens if separating is skipped
Neglecting the separation step for even a few weeks during the early cording stage can let individual cords merge into large matted sections that are much harder to correct later, sometimes requiring cords to be cut apart and restarted in that area, which is why consistency matters more than any single technique.
Key takeaways
- Cording usually begins between eight and twelve months of age in a Puli.
- Full, mature cords typically take another one to two years to reach ground length.
- Regularly separating cords by hand during this period prevents them fusing into large, hard to fix mats.