Dog Shedding - Deal with Excessive Dog Shedding or Find a Non-Shedding Dog Breed
Dog Shedding - How to Escape Having Hair, Hair, Everywhere!
Teddy the poodle shown here has LOTS of hair, but poodles actually shed very little. Here's how to avoid having dog hair all over your house, by either choosing the right non-shedding dog breed, or dealing with dog shedding painlessly.
Around our house with a yellow Labrador retriever, a black Labrador retriever and a Cocker Spaniel controlling dog shedding is necessary for survival. Okay.... I exaggerate, how about in order to not arrive at work with your clothes looking like a disaster.
Sometimes I think our dogs must be hairless dogs by now, based on how much of their fur seems to have fallen out on our floors and clothes.
Low Shedding Dog Breeds
Here is a list of dog breeds the AKC recommends for allergy sufferers because of their low shedding
Here is a list of dog breeds that the AKC recommends for their low shedding. Click on the name of each breed to go to the AKC's official description and at the bottom of each breed's page are links to puppies and photos of each low-shedding dog breed. Good luck finding the perfect dog for you!
- Bedlington Terrier - check these guys out, looks like a cross between a sheep and a dog, very soft and cuddly looking
- Bichon Frise - AKC says "breed is often compared to a cotton ball due to its curled double coat, which consists of a textured outer coat and a silky undercoat", but cautions that while this dog does not shed, its long, continually growing coat requires a lot of grooming.
- Irish Water Spaniel - the AKC describes as "the clown of the spaniel family", if a clown then this dog is a big clown
- Kerry Blue Terrier - a bit more moderate in size and appearance
- Maltese - oh, my gosh... check out the hair on these guys. They look like walking yarn balls, but the yarns exploded off the ball. The puppy pictured above is a Maltese puppy. Adorable, huh? That fur just keeps growing and growing, check out the AKC link to see how long it can get.
- Poodles (Toy, Miniature or Standard) - Everyone knows what these guys look like, but check out the link to learn about their disposition and the different sizes they come in
- Portuguese Water Dog - Bo, the dog who shares the White House with the Obamas, has to be the most famous Portuguese Water dog of all time. While the last link gives you the official description of the breed (and links to photos and puppies), I also found this nice blog post about Bo and Portuguese Water dogs to be a good read and helpful.
- Schnauzer (Miniature, Standard or Giant) - the bushy eyebrows, whiskers and tendency to bark at strangers gives the Schnauzer a bit of a 'grumpy old man' appearance if you ask me. But I'm told they are quite affectionate.
- Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier - in contrast to the Schnauzer's wiry coat, the soft-coated Wheaten Terrier is appropriately named and just looking at the dog makes you want to pet him/her.
Non-Shedding Dogs
These dogs do not shed at all, because they have no hair!
The Xoloitzcuintli is a hairless dog breed. Here are some photos of Xoloitzcuintlis and here is additional additional information about the breed.
The Chinese Crested dog breed is also officially considered 'hairless', however it does have fur on the top of its head (hence the name 'crested'), so I believe it is considered 'low-shedding' while being listed as 'hairless'. Here are some photos of the Chinese Crested dog. It wouldn't be my pick, but to each his own.
Choosing the Right Dog Breed
How much your dog sheds is one factor in deciding what dog is right for you. Here are some pointers on other things you want to consider before falling in love with that cute puppy.
The Low-Shedding Hypoallergenic Dog, Bo Obama, Arrives at the White House - The Obamas picked a Portuguese Water Dog for its low-shedding and high recommendatio
If you want to learn more about Bo Obama, you can visit Barack Obamas Dog.
How About Labradoodles? They Don't Shed, Do They?
A Labradoodle (whose parents and grandparents are some combination of Labrador Retrievers and Poodles) is ON AVERAGE a low-shedding dog. To predict whether a labradoodle puppy will shed, you must know whether it is a first-generation labradoodle (when a Labrador Retriever is bred to a Poodle), or second-generation (when one Labradoodle is bred to another Labradoodle). People who really know stuff about when Labradoodles shed and how much, have posted Labradoodle information here and more Labradoodle information here.
Also, check out, the story behind the Labradoodle breed
My Dog Sheds Too Much Hair -- Dealing with Excessive Shedding! - The Furminator Dog Brush will help you deal with excessive shedding. Here's how to save money o
The furminator dog brush really pulls the hair off of your pet before it falls all over your clothes and home. I think their list price is a little high (about $50), but Ebay Sellers are now having a price war on Furmintor Dog Brushes and you can probably get one, possibly including shipping, brand-new for $20. Check it out:
