While everyone may love dogs, not all people love all of the shed hair that can come with them. A dog thatβs going through a particularly heavy shed can leave what seems like clumps of hair in every corner of the room.
For people who are neat freaks, this can present an issue. Whatβs more, people with allergies can truly suffer from an abundance of hair in a home. Itβs important to remember that itβs not the pupβs fault, though, of course.
Did you know that there are some dogs that donβt shed? This makes cleaning up after them a little bit easier and can really assist those who have issues with their dog allergies.
Check out these non-shedding dog breeds that you can rescue today:
Why Do Dogs Shed?
In a healthy dog, shedding occurs for one of two reasons. The first reason that dogs shed is due to temperature control. As seasons change, dogs will shed excess fur to reduce their temperature. Additionally, when their winter coat starts to come in, theyβll begin to shed heavily, too.
The other reason is the same reason that people shed their hair β the hair has stopped growing, and itβs time for it to be replaced. Out with the old, in with the new. Shedding is completely natural.
Excessive Shedding Can Mean Other Things, Too
If your pooch is shedding excessively when they never have before, it can also be signs of something else. It can be an indicator that theyβre undergoing a lot of stress or that they may have an underlying health condition. Excessive shedding from a dog that hasnβt traditionally shed heavily should be checked out.
Who Benefits From Non-Shedding Dogs?
For the most part, the people that benefit the most from non-shedding dogs are those with allergies. Non-shedding dogs help to reduce and relieve the issues that a person may have with pet allergies. However, itβs important to realize that just because a dog is considered non-shedding, that doesnβt mean that allergy sufferers are immune to the dog. They can still experience allergy symptoms; itβs just much harder to do so.
Overall, however, almost anyone can enjoy the benefits of having a non-shedding dog. A non-shedding dog means less clean up around the home, less possibility of allergic reactions, and less grooming expenses overall. All of these benefits can please just about anyone.
What Does Non-Shedding Mean?
Non-shedding may not mean what you think it means. If an animal has hair, then it is going to shed; thatβs just a scientific fact. When a dog is considered to be a non-shedder, it means that their coat does not readily shed like it does with other dogs. This means less cleaning up around the house overall. You can collect all the hair in a brush while grooming rather than in a dustpan while sweeping.
There are some dog breeds that are entirely non-shedding, though. What does that mean? It means that they donβt have hair. Weβll cover a few of those, too, donβt worry.
If All Dogs With Fur Shed, How Can a Dog Be Hypoallergenic?
This is an excellent question. It yields a disappointing answer, however. Non-shedding dogs are still fully capable of producing allergic reactions in people with pet allergies. This is because hypoallergenic doesnβt mean βallergy-free,β it means βfewer allergies.β This is why poodles can be considered hypoallergenic, even though they have all of those luscious curls. If youβre severely allergic to dogs, you may not even be able to withstand a hypoallergenic dog. It really comes down to the person, though.
Some Non-Shedding Dog Breeds
Now that weβve covered all the terms and definitions, letβs cover some of the non-shedding breeds available today!
Chihuahuas
Chihuahuas are largely non-shedding dogs. These pups are small, and their short coat allows for easy hair maintenance and very little shedding. When it comes to grooming, there arenβt many dogs that are much easier to care for than the Chihuahua.
They are small enough that a few passes with the brush can pick up all of their hair, and when they do shed it isnβt in massive amounts (largely thanks to their size). If you need a non-shedding dog, look to the Chihuahua when you want something in a small package.
Dachshund
Yes! The beloved wiener dog is considered to be a non-shedder! These dogs, while bigger than the Chihuahua, are still small enough that grooming is easy. Keeping their coat healthy requires some brushing, but itβs entirely unlikely that youβll find yourself sweeping up after them. Whatβs more is that they come in a variety of coats, sizes, and colors. Dachshunds are great options when it comes to non-shedding pups.
Greyhound
If youβre looking for a bigger dog that doesnβt shed enough to make an impact, then you can set your eyes on the Greyhound. These dogs are big, sleek, and hardly shed. This makes them an ideal large dog for people who have issues with dog allergies.
Greyhounds are a wonderful hypoallergenic dog for anyone, and many of them need to be rescued following the shutdown of dog-racing tracks. Look for a retired friend today!
Old English Sheepdog
You might be asking yourself, βHow the heck is the Old English Sheepdog considered a non-shedder?β Itβs simple, really. Even though this dog is known for having long, beautiful hair, it doesnβt grow very fast. As such, it doesnβt shed nearly as often as a dog that has a fast-growing coat.
If youβre looking for the luxury of a non-shedder with the long coat of a heavy-shedder, then youβll be delighted to find an Old English Sheepdog on your list of best dogs to rescue.
Standard Poodle
Poodles are the dog that everyone thinks of when they hear the term βhypoallergenic.β Poodles are covered head to toe in a beautiful, curly coat. This is what makes them an excellent non-shedding dog. Because their coat stays coiled closely to the body, as well as wound in itself, it doesnβt shed heavily at all.
That being said, their coat does require quite a bit of maintenance to be kept healthy. They need brushing and grooming regularly to be happy, and to prevent matting.
Hairless Dogs
If youβre looking for the dog that sheds the least, youβre looking for a hairless dog, like the Peruvian Inca Orchid breed or the Mexican Hairless Dogs. Funny enough, however, these dogs still do have some body hair, and they still shed from time to time. Itβs so infrequent, however, that you may never actively notice it. These dogs could be considered the nuclear option when it comes to picking a non-shedding dog.
Understanding That Shedding, Coat Length, and Allergens Arenβt Necessarily Linked
When it comes to picking a pup based on their hypoallergenic or non-shedding qualities, itβs important to understand that these things arenβt definitively linked. Dogs that shed heavily may be easier on a personβs allergies than a dog that doesnβt shed at all. Some βnon-sheddingβ dogs may have coats longer than most other breeds, while some dogs have short coats that simply fall out while being brushed.Β
Overall, attempting to correlate these three categories is nearly impossible and cannot be defined as simply picking a breed and a coat length.
Non-Shedding Does Not Mean No- or Low-Maintenance
Just because a dog is described as being non-shedding, it doesnβt mean that the dog will require less maintenance than any other dog breed. Dogs are complex creatures, and breeds are meant to give you an idea of the dog youβre considering; they arenβt rules that are set in stone.
As such, just because you pick a dog that is a non-shedding breed, it doesnβt mean that you can ignore grooming them. If anything, theyβll need to be brushed more regularly to help facilitate the growth of a healthy coat, and the removal of old hair.Β
Even then, βmaintenanceβ when it comes to dogs is not solely based on their grooming needs. They may need assistance in other health areas. They may require more attention or stimulation than other dogs. Dogs are individuals. All dogs will come with some specific needs. Itβs up to the owner to find out what those needs are.
Leave Room To Groom
Non-shedding dogs can be a great way to keep a clean house or even a way of keeping allergies at bay (depending on the person and the dog, of course). The term non-shedding can be a bit deceptive, though.
Non-shedding dogs still shed, just much less observably. When picking a dog to rescue, you can narrow down your options if you need less shedding by looking at non-shedding or hypoallergenic breeds. Both of these things can help you find a pup that wonβt leave a ton of hair behind when they leave a room!
SourcesΒ
Reasons Why Dogs Shed | Pet MD
30 thoughts on βDogs Who Don't Shed: Separating Fact from Fictionβ | DogsterΒ
Pet allergy: Are there hypoallergenic dog breeds? | Mayo Clinic
