Non-shedding Dogs

[dee lee]

Conspicuous lack of Goldie owners posting in here! :laugh:

The majority of other breeds are NON shedders in comparison! I can sweep my floor boards 4 times a day & still spy a brand new tumbleweed of cream fur immediately after. .

I love her so much that it's a small price to pay but... I'm not sure I would ever get a long haired breed again.

It drives me bonkers... And then, as well as shedding she takes hours to dry when she gets wet or muddy.

I adore the breed, but next time I will be seriously considering the short haired, single coated, wash n wear, gun breeds.

There are lots of breeds out there that may not be non shedding, but certainly shed LESS, & that will be unashamedly one of my criteria. With the level of hair in my house, I totally understand why others find shedding a turn off.

[ann21]

Sheridan, you were talking about non-shedding being the first criteria. That's what I'm arguing for.

It being the ONLY criteria is, of course, careless. But no more careless than choosing it for its size, looks, etc. To say "I'm picking on non-shed-lovers" (slight paraphrasing) is to both generalise and pick on someone for preference.

A dog should be chosen to fit the owners' lifestyle, personality and needs. The ORDER of the criteria shouldn't matter.

Isn't it your first criteria? What happens when no non-shedding dog is suitable to a person's lifestyle? Most of them are terriers and I can't think of nothing worse than a terrier breed in the hands of someone who doesn't get terriers.

I didn't think most of the non-shedders were Terriers? I can only think of the Poodles, Bichons, Maltese, Shitzu, Lhasa, Havanese etc, quite a few to choose from - none of which are Terriers. Surely one of those would be suitable for most people?

+1 terriers are not on my list but I don't think I am want for choice for my lifestyle with nonshedding as an important criteria

[halfthewords]

Nothing is worse to me than dog hair, and lots of it, in the house or car! I worked at a dog shelter and used to regularly transport some foxies and JRT types to the beach and various places... The car was never the same! Tiny white hairs on everything. Somehow I managed to sell it

We have a variety of coats in the house... Our cat, Rory, used to shed all over everything until he passed away. EVERYTHING. The current cat is just a DSH but he is blue so it's not as noticeable. He does stink a lot more than the previous cat, suspect it's because he spends half his life mowing his head around the kitty litter.

Both of the Miniature Pinschers are super low maintenance and only need a bath like once every three months, and a Furminator session maybe once a fortnight. That said, they do drop a bit of hair when they are excited or anxious... i.e. at the vet's. :laugh: They don't smell unless they roll in anything.

The Bichon Frise has a much higher maintenance coat. I clip him every 5-7 weeks to a #10 because I personally hate his hair long. He gets covered in burrs, he goes in mud, and he starts turning yellow. Baths are at least once every 8 weeks or depending how often he gets filthy! He rarely gets brushed as his coat is kept relatively short. :) It's lovely not having to worry about him shedding on anything.

Carl (terrier x) has the double coat of a Cairn Terrier but I keep him clipped very short. The outer layer is really thick and harsh and he gets hot easily, so keeping him short is just easier on both of us. The hair on his head and legs is quite fine and will start to mat/dreadlock easily if not brushed once a week or so. He sheds very minimally which is perfect, since he's the one who sleeps in the bed. :D Never gets the "doggy" smell, either. I only wash him when I'm about to clip him.

I could never own a long-coated breed like a GSD or BC or anything that sheds the way a Lab or GR does... Too much work, and hair everywhere. I'd rather do a little maintenance every now and then than deal with tufts of hair everywhere.

[WreckitWhippet]

The dog hair I can put up with, it's the bloody cat that drives me crazy.

[Zug Zug]

have to say i have asthma, grew up with a german shepherd (outside dog) that said i used to crawl around the dirt in all his hair etc. was never a problem. now my 2 coolies live in my house sleep in my room get snuggles on the bed...i do notice the dog hair but if i vacume regularly the house seems to stay relatively clean (well clean enough to keep me happy) not clean enough to keep non dog lovers happy i do worry about the hair with a new bubba on the way...but maybe i can just clean more or brush/wash the dogs more to minimise any allergies risks? but pple with allergies can live with pet cant they? there is medication available?

I looked into that before getting my latest puppy

It's just not that simple and obviously depends if you're allergic to pet hair (dog hair in particular) and to what degree.

I have what I would describe as a moderate to strong reaction, depending on the dog and how much allergen is around. There are drugs I can take, but they cause drowsiness. There are drugs that don't cause drowsiness, but are less effective (not good enough in my case - may work fine for others). And for me, I just don't want to be taking drugs every day of my life if I can avoid the need for that by selecting a non-shedding breed.

There is also the option of a series of desensitisation injections. But it's expensive, goes for well over a year, and isn't always effective.

So seriously if you have allergies, and you can avoid the cause of those allergies, then that is by far the simplest way to go. I don't have issues bumping into other dogs in public, but my allergies would not allow me to share a home with a shedder without drugs.

So I don't. Problem solved and no drugs required.

Edited May 14, 2013 by Zug Zug

[Dame Aussie]

From reading this it turns out that all the non shedding breeds are all breeds I wouldn't have anyway, so I'm lucky I don't mind hair :laugh:

I would go for long or medium hair over short spiky hairs though, easier to clean up as it balls up in tumbleweeds.

[Zug Zug]

Sheridan, you were talking about non-shedding being the first criteria. That's what I'm arguing for.

It being the ONLY criteria is, of course, careless. But no more careless than choosing it for its size, looks, etc. To say "I'm picking on non-shed-lovers" (slight paraphrasing) is to both generalise and pick on someone for preference.

A dog should be chosen to fit the owners' lifestyle, personality and needs. The ORDER of the criteria shouldn't matter.

Isn't it your first criteria? What happens when no non-shedding dog is suitable to a person's lifestyle? Most of them are terriers and I can't think of nothing worse than a terrier breed in the hands of someone who doesn't get terriers.

Honestly I think this is unlikely to happen. There are so many breeds around that are low or non shedding. Everything from a bichon to a standard poodle to a komondor to a bedlington terrier to a lagotto to a havanese to a schnauzer to a puli to a....

You get the idea. There are plenty of options. It's not that limiting really. The main limiting factor is the coat maintenance that goes with it.

[PuddleDuck]

The only dog hair I've ever reacted badly to was off my brother's old beagle. I don't know if it was cos it was short so it could get up your nose and in your eyes but I couldn't be near that bugger without an antihistamine. Thankfully I like my fluffball of a Toller :)

[Panzer Attack]

I'm a groomer and dog hair drives me crazy. Unfortunately during my quest to find a rescue poodle, I ended up coming home with a Cavalier. OMG NEVER AGAIN. He sheds SO MUCH it drives me INSANE. I adore him, he's the sweetest little dog in the entire world, but the hair. We have an ancient Poodle that I clip every couple of months (a 3 comb, so not toooo short, but nothing difficult to keep on top of), the Cav and my Papillon who never sheds unless he's scared. When he was recovering from his leg operation he shed constantly, but I ended up clipping him short as he would attack me whenever I tried to brush him.

My first dog is a JRT x and I was not even thinking when we got him - he sheds like no one's business. I looooove him sooooooo much and miss him like crazy when he's not here, but I don't miss the hair! The Whippet doesn't shed yet, but we shall see!

My next dog will either be a Bedlington or a Mini Poodle.

[julesluvscavs]

We have 3 cavs, 2 fluffy cats and a bunny that comes inside at night , who sheds a fair bit MEH i wouldn't have it any different, Its always on our furniture, clothes etc . I try to keep the house reasonably clean and if I know we are getting visitors I try get rid of the worse of the hairballs and whirley whirleys,as not everyone appreciates that look Once i would have cared about being anal about the house , but at age of 47, life takes on a different priority for me these days . I suffer with allergies, more seasonal ones, but I can't say the pet fur has aggravated mine. Each to their own tho, luckily dogs come in all sort of sizes, colours and coat types

Edited May 14, 2013 by Jules❤3Cavs

[dancinbcs]

Having owned a Lab I would never have a dog with a short double coat again, especially an oily coat. Hair everywhere 365 days a year, grease marks on the walls and that doggy odour.

I love my long coated BCs and JS that shed twice a year in clumps, have no doggy smell and can be groomed in 15-20 min. I do love Poodles and nearly bought one before getting my first BC but I decided to show and was not prepared to put in that much time grooming such a high maintenance dog. A non shedding breed is too much grooming commitment for me and I have no idea why so many people want them as pets.

[luvsdogs]

From reading this it turns out that all the non shedding breeds are all breeds I wouldn't have anyway, so I'm lucky I don't mind hair :laugh:

I would go for long or medium hair over short spiky hairs though, easier to clean up as it balls up in tumbleweeds.

My thoughts exactly. So much easier to vacuum up tumbleweeds than a covering of short hairs. My son's dog, now gone to the rainbow bridge, had a short stiff coat. It's so much better to be able to pat a soft long haired dog, running your hands up & down the coat. With Sooty you could only pat with the hair growth, it was impossible to pat the other way. :laugh: She never stopped shedding, you just couldn't get rid of the loose hair. She was a funny, goofy & beautiful dog to live with though & we all miss her heaps.

[Wazzat Xolo]

all dogs shed, even my hairless, they shed dander, it would depend on what each and EVERY individual is allergic to in each and every case with each and every dog! I have had many people test my dogs and they are still allegic reactions that happen.

Also hairless dogs are very dirty and need grooming/scrubbing every second day and a lot of skin maintenance, of course you don't have to, but mine are and kept in good condition like our own skin. Also due to the care of the skin the olis carry sand and dirt into the house, so maybe no hair, ut plenty of dirt!

Just had to add as most people assume differently.

No such thing as a totally non shedding dog! Everything living sheds!

[Tara and Sam]

I have a allergy to my CKCS

my vet thinks it is the dander from her

I use Furminator shampoo and conditioner and brush out the undercoat and regurlar brushing and washing helps a bit

but the hair she looses is Everywhere

didnt have same problem with my Border Collie X or my Cocker Spaniel

Yet I dont have the problem with mum's CKCS ( my girls Aunty )

Dont know what it like to live in house without some form of dog hair :laugh:

[keasarge]

I have a lab x who sheds like crazy at least twice a week I groom and my new puppy a flat coated retriever, I vacuum every day to keep on top of it, its only bad cause we have white (and I mean snow white) carpets and two black dogs shedding wasn't on the priority list when looking for a dog but coat length/ daily management was (couldn't handle a collie or something that needed daily brushing)

[Her Majesty Dogmad]

I think a lot of folk think "non-shedding" will mean a cleaner house (which it does)

What they fail to realise is that "non-shedding" equals "high maintenance". I think some folk don't think non-shedders still shed into their coats, not onto the floor and furniture.

And of course, that hair in the coat mats unless removed by brushing. And the coat grows and grows.

Personally, I can think of no shedding breed comparable to a poodle in temperament and character.

Absolutely right. When I'm rehoming dogs people often tell me they want a Non-shedding dog. When I explain this will involved bottom and eye cleaning, regular brushing, paid for grooming and so on, many of them have no idea ... and that's not what they want.

[wire]

After my hairy shedding cat passed away and I decided to get a dog I did take shedding into consideration but it wasn't a deal breaker, I love all dog breeds. Their personality, temperament and our life style was my priority.

I came across Wheatens on google and just loved the way they looked but as i started reading more about them I was falling in love, even though I had never met one. It was a heart decision.

I have 2 Wheatens now, a 5 year old & a 3 year old and they are everything and more that I'd hoped for.

I keep their hair short cause when I try and brush them one bolts and the other starts to hyperventilate but they bring in all the dirt, twigs, bird feathers and any other type of crap they can gather. I think they do it on purpose, to prove their manliness!

They go to the groomers every 6 weeks and always wipe their beards on our legs or the sofa after every meal

[SkySoaringMagpie]

Another angle on the shedding thing, I'm someone who doesn't mind dog hair as a general rule. So in the past I've had trouble wrapping my head around why it's so important to others.

However, we do have one dog who is a drooly breed, one of the less drooly ones, but still we have to deal with drool. And I would rather deal with a hair tumbleweed the size of my head, than drool. So while drooly dog owners might think me precious, I personally would choose to avoid any dog that drooled. Understanding that has helped me understand other peoples' "I'd rather not if I don't need to" dog preferences.

OTOH - I also agree with HW that there are some pretty unrealistic expectations out there about a "low maintenance" dog and "non-shedding" is often wrapped up in those unrealistic expectations. Part of the point of agreeing to take care of a living creature is that you're going to have to do at least some maintenance, so it's about picking the jobs that bother you the least. I'd rather vacuum than clip, but really, if the breed I totally loved required clipping, I'd just learn it.

[Alkhe]

have to say i have asthma, grew up with a german shepherd (outside dog) that said i used to crawl around the dirt in all his hair etc. was never a problem. now my 2 coolies live in my house sleep in my room get snuggles on the bed...i do notice the dog hair but if i vacume regularly the house seems to stay relatively clean (well clean enough to keep me happy) not clean enough to keep non dog lovers happy i do worry about the hair with a new bubba on the way...but maybe i can just clean more or brush/wash the dogs more to minimise any allergies risks? but pple with allergies can live with pet cant they? there is medication available?

I looked into that before getting my latest puppy

It's just not that simple and obviously depends if you're allergic to pet hair (dog hair in particular) and to what degree.

I have what I would describe as a moderate to strong reaction, depending on the dog and how much allergen is around. There are drugs I can take, but they cause drowsiness. There are drugs that don't cause drowsiness, but are less effective (not good enough in my case - may work fine for others). And for me, I just don't want to be taking drugs every day of my life if I can avoid the need for that by selecting a non-shedding breed.

There is also the option of a series of desensitisation injections. But it's expensive, goes for well over a year, and isn't always effective.

So seriously if you have allergies, and you can avoid the cause of those allergies, then that is by far the simplest way to go. I don't have issues bumping into other dogs in public, but my allergies would not allow me to share a home with a shedder without drugs.

So I don't. Problem solved and no drugs required.

Yup, they didn't work for me. For most of my life I thought that the only dogs I'd ever be able to have were Poodles (which I grew up with for that reason) - I was HIGHLY allergic to pretty much all dogs for most of my life, but seem to have been getting better in recent years. The drugs I can take for it are basically antihistimines, and it's just not practical or workable on a daily basis. I don't want to be popping hayfever pills every day, and my allergies turn into asthma, which is just a nightmare. I was hospitalised numerous times as a kid for asthma and still get it.

I fostered a greyhound a few years ago and he was a REALLY bad shedder. He was mostly white and came to us in really bad shape so was even worse, he shed less and affected me less as his coat got healthier. As much as I loved him and wanted to keep him, I just couldn't deal with allergies like that on a daily basis; it is just too hard to feel like sh*t constantly and .. it's just impossible. I have constantly steaming eyes and conjunctivitis like symptoms, some dog saliva gives me itchy rashes, and the asthma..

It's amazing how many people assume that 'non-shedding' = fine for people with allergies. It depends on the allergies, and the dog - most of the dogs that are purportedly non-shedding still give me allergies, including Bichon Frises, Japanese Spitz, some Malts/Shih-Tzus etc. I foster for a rescue that mainly takes SWF types and thankfully have been fine with most of our fosters so far (except the Schnauzer x). It's doable in the short time, but it's just not workable to expect people to suck it up all the time.

Edited August 15, 2013 by Alkhe

[Airedaler]

Having owned Airedale Terriers for forty years I have to say that there is not a lot of extra grooming with this breed to off set the lack of shedding. Granted I clip mine right off every 8-10 weeks now but do very little in between clips. I have also had a couple of Curly Coated Retrievers during this time and they did shed but it seemed to be in clumps rather than individual hairs and was not too bad. Although I would not base my decision on what breed to have solely on whether it shed or not it would be a large consideration.

ETA: Of course hand stripping the breed would give a much better result than clipping but now that I am not showing I do not consider that a viable option.

Edited August 15, 2013 by Airedaler