Non-shedding Dogs

[silentchild]

I used to have a Rottie who would deposit tumbleweeds of fur everywhere... fur absolutely EVERYWHERE.. and I used to think that was bad but a good vacuum every week used to take care of it. Now I have an Aussie Shepherd...... OMG.... I eat my words, I have never been covered in so much fur in my life!!!!!!!! I can't wear nice clothes anymore. Luckily I don't mind and I adore my dogs to bits despite having their fur caught in my teeth, down my bra, in my shoes...

I love a good shiny coat over a non-shedding one which requires super high maintenance.

[mita]

From the Mayo Clinic: Interesting they say allergens can be on the fur.

Seems all fur can pick up allergens like pollens, smoke etc from outside.

Cats and dogs

Allergens from cats and dogs are found in skin cells the animals shed (dander), as well as in their saliva, urine and sweat and on their fur. Dander is a particular problem because it is very small and can remain airborne for long periods of time with the slightest bit of air circulation. It also collects easily in upholstered furniture and sticks to your clothes.

Pet saliva can stick to carpets, bedding, furniture and clothing. Dried saliva can become airborne.

So-called hypoallergenic cats and dogs may shed less fur than shedding types, but no breed is truly hypoallergenic.

I agree many pets owners mean they don't want a messy house when they ask for 'non-shedding'. But I've found both long & short hair bring their own problems. There's drifts of fur from the shelties & tibs. But there's little sharp spikes of hair from the short-haired dogs. I get our pet tibbies clipped...in our Qld weather they're more comfy.

Edited August 15, 2013 by mita

[Wazzat Xolo]

From the Mayo Clinic: Interesting they say allergens can be on the fur.

Seems all fur can pick up allergens like pollens, smoke etc from outside.

Cats and dogs

Allergens from cats and dogs are found in skin cells the animals shed (dander), as well as in their saliva, urine and sweat and on their fur. Dander is a particular problem because it is very small and can remain airborne for long periods of time with the slightest bit of air circulation. It also collects easily in upholstered furniture and sticks to your clothes.

Pet saliva can stick to carpets, bedding, furniture and clothing. Dried saliva can become airborne.

So-called hypoallergenic cats and dogs may shed less fur than shedding types, but no breed is truly hypoallergenic.

I agree many pets owners mean they don't want a messy house when they ask for 'non-shedding'. But I've found both long & short hair bring their own problems. There's drifts of fur from the shelties & tibs. But there's little sharp spikes of hair from the short-haired dogs. I get our pet tibbies clipped...in our Qld weather they're more comfy.

that's exactly right and most people fail to see NO non shedding dogs!

People need to test what they are allergic to before accusing a breed or even a dog, one dog is not the same as the next even if the same breed.

[mita]

WX, I didn't know that about pet saliva. I'd heard that about cat saliva & allergies. But I should've figured the same would apply to dogs.

Also how pets can bring in allergens on their fur (long or short) from outside.

But so can humans. One tip given to people during the really bad pollen season, is to wash their hair when they come home.

[Purdie]

I found out recently from my neurologist why i am allergic to dogs when i wasn't before.I have become sensitive to smells that can trigger a migraine.

Many everyday odors can give me an instant headache and nausea .Strong doggy odor will trigger a headache almost instantly or can take a few hours of exposure before i get a reaction.So i guess i will have to find a breed with low / little odor;that would be more important to me than shedding;however i would prefer less shedding but would manage some moderate shedding for a suitable dog that i could live with without a reaction.

My last dog shed but the hair stayed mostly in her coat and i could brush it out and would only find a few hairs in the house if at all.

I read the other day that the Smooth Collie does not have a strong doggy odor !... Is this so ?? ..If it is then i will put Collies on my to look at breeds list..

[OSoSwift]

Purdie, Whippets are dogs with no (none that I can smell) odour, even when not washed for a long time, so if needing a low odour dog is high up there I would consider looking at them.

Mine go months between washes and still don't smell

Also they do shed but very little. When mine are having a coat change they get a brisk scrubb over with a zoomgroom and that takes care of that.

My OH is very sensitive to doggy odour and he can't smell them either.

[sparkycat]

I could say that my Lappie is non-shedding because her fur doesn't fall out by itself BUT she does have a huge coat which requires regular brushing otherwise her undercoat mats and she gets full of bits of garden. :) So when she is inside she drops leaves, dirt and twigs everywhere.

[tdierikx]

I'm one who is allergic to cat saliva... I break out in hives on contact... not pleasant on top of the hayfever it also sets off.

Dog slobber doesn't bother me at all thank dog!

I have a friend who is specifically allergic to Rotti saliva... best way to find out if a dog has Rotti in it is to let it lick her... lol! Then hand her the antihistimines. It's a godsend for one who works in rescue... *giggle*

As for "non-shedding" - it seems to be one of those terms that people are picking up from the advertising of breeders of those designer breed types... lots of claims of "non-shedding" there... *sigh*

I could definitely do without the amount of fur a couple of my "short haired" dogs shed all year around - and my Lab also drops coat at least once a year which is a complete nightmare - but I care not... a bit of dog hair won't kill me.

T.

[mita]

I have a friend who is specifically allergic to Rotti saliva... best way to find out if a dog has Rotti in it is to let it lick her... lol! Then hand her the antihistimines. It's a godsend for one who works in rescue... *giggle*

Anyone told you, you're a genius! A Clayton's DNA Test. :)

[Starkehre]

Oh god yeah dog hair in the car is awful!

Go the station wagon - can't stand it when I get into a car and the seat itself is covered in fur. But that can be managed by getting the dogs to ride in the back I suppose.

(OK maybe I would end up with a poodle anyway...) :laugh:

LOL, I find the easiest way to get my head around the hair in the car... is to call it the "kennel" instead of the car and expect it... along with nose and tongue juice all over the windows. I have pretty much given up cleaning it and just say to myself that I will do so before I sell it :D

[Birkat]

Back home in Belgium I never thought much about shedding, my 2 dogs (Bernese Mountain Dog and Australian Shepherd, both black hair) were outside in the garden (without access to the house) during the day and only came inside when we came back from work in the evenings and during the night.

Here it's a different story: We do not want them to destroy our loandlords garden too much, so they are inside with access to the backyard. And yes, they are shedding like hell! Did I mention that we have white tiles in the whole ground floor? But we have as well the vaccum robot, who is doing overtime when we are at work.

So, it's not very nice to look at (masses of black hair on white tiles), but I personally do not mind.....as long as we do not have unannounced visits

I mean as long as you don't judge doghair as 'dirt' it's alright.. in my opinion.

[angelsun]

My opinion as a groomer, the non shedding requirement is simply due to laziness. What so many fail to realize when they get poodles or poodle crosses and the like, is that they may not leave hair on the carpet, but that doesn't mean they don't have to brush or groom them. Annoys the hell out of me! Can't tell you how many want my breed because they truly believe that they don't shed (short single layer coat) and when I tell them that they shed constantly, they are gobsmacked! I ask why they want non shed and most of the time, its because they don't want the 'mess'...why get a dog?? Lets face it...they can be messy....what will they do when one pees on the floor (or worse!) LAZY...plain and simple. VERY few want it because of an alleged allergy...what they ALSO don't realize is that tolerances can be achieved and its the dander not the hair that's the problem.

[Purdie]

Purdie, Whippets are dogs with no (none that I can smell) odour, even when not washed for a long time, so if needing a low odour dog is high up there I would consider looking at them.

Mine go months between washes and still don't smell

Also they do shed but very little. When mine are having a coat change they get a brisk scrubb over with a zoomgroom and that takes care of that.

My OH is very sensitive to doggy odour and he can't smell them either.

Thanks OsoSwift;I already have Whippets on my short list thanks to HW in a past thread. I like the solid colours .My father had a Whippet as a child and often said what a wonderful dog he was..

[ann21]

My opinion as a groomer, the non shedding requirement is simply due to laziness. What so many fail to realize when they get poodles or poodle crosses and the like, is that they may not leave hair on the carpet, but that doesn't mean they don't have to brush or groom them. Annoys the hell out of me! Can't tell you how many want my breed because they truly believe that they don't shed (short single layer coat) and when I tell them that they shed constantly, they are gobsmacked! I ask why they want non shed and most of the time, its because they don't want the 'mess'...why get a dog?? Lets face it...they can be messy....what will they do when one pees on the floor (or worse!) LAZY...plain and simple. VERY few want it because of an alleged allergy...what they ALSO don't realize is that tolerances can be achieved and its the dander not the hair that's the problem.

Like I said before I disagree. I do not want hair on the floors and I would rather deal with brushing everyday (that's with a pin brush, a metal tooth comb, and a slicker) and grooming every 8 weeks. I am also about to enter a grooming course just so I can do all the groomimg myself. Wiping the bum and feet? Religiously every time after I take him out. Pees and poops for toilet training? Can't tell you how many messes I've cleaned up when in the toilet training stage and got a bit of it on my hand as a side (not to mention the 4am rushed trips to downstairs because I still wanted him to learn to go outside as well). So I get offended when people assume I am unable to deal with the 'mess' or am lazy. Just because I want a non shedding dog.

[BrigadoonRose]

I don't know how anyone could say 'non-shedding' is the easy option. I'd rather deal with Labrador dust bunnies any day to the extra grooming a non-shedder requires! I'm still haunted by the daily removal of burrs from our Mini Schnauzer (& carpet) nearly 20 years later :-P

[~Anne~]

My opinion as a groomer, the non shedding requirement is simply due to laziness. What so many fail to realize when they get poodles or poodle crosses and the like, is that they may not leave hair on the carpet, but that doesn't mean they don't have to brush or groom them. Annoys the hell out of me! Can't tell you how many want my breed because they truly believe that they don't shed (short single layer coat) and when I tell them that they shed constantly, they are gobsmacked! I ask why they want non shed and most of the time, its because they don't want the 'mess'...why get a dog?? Lets face it...they can be messy....what will they do when one pees on the floor (or worse!) LAZY...plain and simple. VERY few want it because of an alleged allergy...what they ALSO don't realize is that tolerances can be achieved and its the dander not the hair that's the problem.

Wow, talk about judging people.

I can assure you I am not lazy but if I ever get another dog or even cat it will be non shedding. I have no allergies I simply don't like the mess. How arrogant are your statements! To assume people who don't want mess are lazy. I mean seriously?!

That's as bad as saying people who don't mind dogs that shed aren't house proud.

Good grief.

Edited August 15, 2013 by ~Anne~

[Salukifan]

My opinion as a groomer, the non shedding requirement is simply due to laziness.

And then there are those of us who love their breeds despite their coats, not because of them.

As someone who grooms her own poodles, I don't think I fit into the "lazy" category.

[Rascalmyshadow]

Non shedding is not always due to laziness that's a little unfair. I loathe dog hair and drool yet I have 5 dogs. Two poodles,, a shihtzu x silky that is usually kept in full coat, a pom x chi that has a double pom coat and a smooth coat chi.

One of the poodles gets bathed and fully blow dried every 3-4 days due to skin issues, the other three long haired dogs are washed and blow dried no less than fortnightly and the short haired chi is washed and dried monthly.

The poodles are also clipped regularly and the shihtzu x is clipped for summer.

I would still prefer the high maintenance of the long coats over the little hairs everywhere from the chi.

[gila]

As a groomer I will put my hand up and say I'm 'lazy' about grooming! I don't care about hair around the house, but when I'm not at work I don't want to have to spend ages grooming my own dog. So for me, grooming requirements would still factor in to my choice of breed. I'd much rather have a poodle (I do genuinely have a soft spot for them) that I can just clip off regularly, than a dog with a big double coat that needs lots of brushing and combing.

[Her Majesty Dogmad]

I don't know how anyone could say 'non-shedding' is the easy option. I'd rather deal with Labrador dust bunnies any day to the extra grooming a non-shedder requires! I'm still haunted by the daily removal of burrs from our Mini Schnauzer (& carpet) nearly 20 years later :-P

I def. haven't found it to be the easy option. My little Mickey the Maltese who passed away a few weeks ago was a nightmare. He was a biter and I couldn't even clean his eyes without risking life or limb ... he got banned from 3 groomers and I had to get him in a headlock to do his bum on occasion. He certainly didn't let me brush him either.

My other high maintenance coat dog is fine with me cleaning and brushing but I personally prefer a wiry coat.

Even my low shedding Italian Greyhound leaves white hairs all over me but nothing like my beloved Foxy/Iggy cross who I lost a fortnight ago, he had phenomenal shedding. I would say it would be my preference to only ever have wiry coats in future but quite honestly I'm just going to keep helping the dogs I want to help without worrying about what sort of coat they have, I just love them for who they are. They are all picked for their beautiful natures and what's a little hair between friends? :D