# medium sized dogs that dont shed



## Fletch (Jan 28, 2008)

Hello everyone,

About 6 months ago I lost my golden lab at the age of 13. She had a great life but old age caught up to her. I think I am ready to move on and I am just researching what kind of dog to get next. 

I loved the energy that my previous dog had, and am looking for another athletic dog. I need one that is mild mannered and good around children. Lastly, though Id love another lab I want a dog that doesn’t shed, It was a full time job cleaning up after my old girl. 

If any of you have suggestions for me it would be greatly appreciated.

So in a nut shell, ideally my next dog would be;

-Medium sized
-Non-shedding
-Mild mannered
-Athletic
-10+ year life expectancy

Thanks for reading. I hope this is in the correct section.


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## ChrissyBz (Aug 10, 2007)

You could look at Min poodles?
cairns? Not sure what else to suggest.


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## Inga (Jun 16, 2007)

Schnauzer
Poodles

Both breeds are great. Whether or not they are good with kids will depend on if they are brought up with them and if the children are taught proper manners around dogs. Dogs and kids are great together but I have to mention, though I am sure you already know. No child should ever be left alone with any dog no matter how good they are with the kids.


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## RenaRose (Mar 22, 2007)

Well, lovemygreys might mentions this, but maybe a retired greyhound. They are good mannered indoors and active outside. I don't beleive they are heavy shedders but I don't have any personal experiance. 

Also 
The Airedale terrier
Standard poodle
and Basenji

They don't shed much and are quite athletic, although the Airedale and Basenji can be headstrong and they need plenty of exercise.


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## digits mama (Jun 13, 2007)

Cairns are great and wonderful with kids as long as you find a reputable breeder and they have sound temperments. They dont shed ( i still do the black sweater test) but they have to be hand stripped every 6 months to maintian the coat. If you clip them or not strip them, thier coat will become sheddy. Mild mannered to a certain extent, Slightly bullheaded when pups, once they get it, seems they really get it. I only started being a Cairn owner 6 months ago. And loved them since a child. Have been around them some growing up and I havent met one I didnt like yet. Good luck on your research.


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## lovemygreys (Jan 20, 2007)

Greyhounds make great pets, but it depends on what your idea of athletic is. They aren't athletic like a lab or border collie or even a poodle would be. But, they love to go for a sprint every once week or so and love going on walks and hikes and things like that. It wouldn't be the breed I'd choose if I wanted a jogging partner. 

Greyhounds do shed, but it's nothing near approaching what a lab would shed. A minute of brushing with a curry comb is about all you need for regular maintenance a coupel times a week.

Many are good with well behaved kids. Most people would consider them a large breed dog, I think. Not really a medium sized.

I think a poodle would be a good choice to look into. I'd go with a standard sized poodle personally, but I like my dogs big  I've had this weird obsession with Airedales lately. Love the look of them.


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## Love's_Sophie (Sep 23, 2007)

My Border mix doesn't shed as much as hubby's Corgi mix-who sheds year round...most 'longer double coat' dogs don't shed as much as short haired dogs...they have a couple of yearly sheds Spring and Fall, but not to the extent of short haired dogs! 

So a Golden Retriever might be a good choice for you...they would have the activity of your previous lab mix, but not the crazy shedding that she did. Like I said, she would shed good a couple of times a year, but the longer hair is also easier to 'brush' off of couches too...Lol! 

Otherwise, perhaps a Cocker, or Springer may be good choices too...they have coats that require more grooming though over all...even though they don't shed so profusely.


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## Dogstar (May 11, 2007)

You might also research Portuguese Water Dogs- lovely personalities, but, lie poodles, need a fair amount of grooming.


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## doggone6 (Sep 7, 2007)

Either a Miniature Poodle (on the large side) or a Portuguese Water Dog would be ideal, but they do require fairly frequent grooming. You might also consider a Brittany Spaniel - they can be a bit tricky to find, but are lovely dogs that shed minimally.


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## chucky (Mar 5, 2007)

doggone6 said:


> You might also consider a Brittany Spaniel - they can be a bit tricky to find, but are lovely dogs that shed minimally.


brittanys do shed, my brittany sheds more than my pit used to, and pit was much bigger.


labradoodles don,t shed.


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## tcasby (Apr 30, 2007)

Wheaten Terrier

My Molly









PM Sent -----------


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## lovemygreys (Jan 20, 2007)

chucky said:


> labradoodles don,t shed.


not true. I wish that myth would go away.


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## xoxluvablexox (Apr 10, 2007)

You might want to try doing a search on hypoallergenic dogs. Usually they have fur that is almost like human hair in the fact that not many people are allergic to them and I'm pretty sure most if not all don't shed a lot.The poodle and wheaten terrior are hypoallergenic. There's also the Bichon but thats a pretty small dog.

Oh and if you want something with no hair there is always the Xoloitzcuintle.  Don't even want to try to understand how people pronounce that word.


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## MyCharlie (Nov 4, 2007)

I'm partial to mini schnauzers since that's what I have 



Fletch said:


> Hello everyone,
> 
> So in a nut shell, ideally my next dog would be;
> 
> -Medium sized


Charlie is 5 1/2 months and weighs 19 lb. Their avg. is something like 13-18 pounds, but the vast majority of other mini schnauzer owners I have talked to have dogs in the 20-24 lb. range. We love his size!



> -Non-shedding


Charlie doesn't shed, but they do have grooming needs. 



> -Mild mannered


Charlie is great with my daughter. She's 12, but she carries him around like he's a baby, makes him "dance" on his back legs, etc. I try to discourage this as much as I can, but on the other hand he doesn't seem to mind and I'd rather have him get used to as much different handling as possible.



> -Athletic


Even at his age, he outruns me in no time when I'm at a full sprint. Not that I'm an olympic athlete or anything, but he loooves to run and jump.



> -10+ year life expectancy


I think their average life span is 15 years or so. And from what I have read, they don't show signs of age until very late in life. 


I know Charlie is only one dog and may not be representative of the breed, but sounds like a dog like him would fill your needs!

Good Luck!


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## tcasby (Apr 30, 2007)

lovemygreys said:


> not true. I wish that myth would go away.


Not quite a myth. Most curly coated F1b doodles don't shed and the ones that do shed very little. F1s may shed quite a bit, especially the wire haired ones as can F2s and multi-gens.


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## chucky (Mar 5, 2007)

tcasby said:


> Not quite a myth. Most curly coated F1b doodles don't shed and the ones that do shed very little. F1s may shed quite a bit, especially the wire haired ones as can F2s and multi-gens.


thank you.

the ones that were bread right(some think if you mix lab and poodle you get labradoodle), cuz my neighbour has one, the right labradoodle, he got it from australia, paid like 5k including flight. his dog doesn,t shed at all.
there is a huge difference between right breeder, and backyard breeder.


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## Dakota Spirit (Jul 31, 2007)

chucky said:


> thank you.
> 
> the ones that were bread right(some think if you mix lab and poodle you get labradoodle), cuz my neighbour has one, the right labradoodle, he got it from australia, paid like 5k including flight. his dog doesn,t shed at all.
> there is a huge difference between right breeder, and backyard breeder.


There isn't any breed that flat out *doesn't* shed. Every dog sheds to some degree - some are just very minimal.


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## tcasby (Apr 30, 2007)

Dakota Spirit said:


> There isn't any breed that flat out *doesn't* shed. Every dog sheds to some degree - some are just very minimal.


Dogs that have hair (such as my Wheaten), don't shed at all. The lose hair the same way we do.


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## xoxluvablexox (Apr 10, 2007)

Yupp. My dog doesn't shed and he's a poodle. My dad has asthma and can't be around dogs but because poodles are hypoallergenic he has no reaction to him. When he goes to my sisters house, she has two golden retrievers, he can't breath and needs an inhaler. He's barely in the house for more then 5 hours at a time but he has difficulty breathing hours after. So there really is a difference with the fur and dander when it comes to hypo. dogs. So to the OP, if your looking for a dog that doesn't shed that kind of dog is your best bet.
Just wanted to add that I'm not trying to say that all other dogs shed a lot so you might be able to find a dog outside of the hypo. catigory.


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## Love's_Sophie (Sep 23, 2007)

tcasby said:


> Dogs that have hair (such as my Wheaten), don't shed at all. The lose hair the same way we do.


Dogs like Poodles, Wheatens and such, DO STILL SHED people!!! Why do you think they matt??? That is hair that has shed, but has not fallen out, and gets tangled in the existing coat instead...

I wish people would realise that there truly is no "non shedding" animal out there, exept on that is totally hairless...


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## xoxluvablexox (Apr 10, 2007)

My dog sheds like me. If I brush my hair then some pieces of hair come out, it's not like hair falls off my head. Same with my dog. The only time I see dog hair that isn't attached to his body is when its in the brush. As opposed to some dogs where you see hair all over the place.


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## lovemygreys (Jan 20, 2007)

tcasby said:


> Not quite a myth. Most curly coated F1b doodles don't shed and the ones that do shed very little. F1s may shed quite a bit, especially the wire haired ones as can F2s and multi-gens.


It is a myth. EVERY dog sheds.


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## Ella'sMom (Jul 23, 2007)

I am not going to jump into the shedding battle here (Ella doesn't shed...like at all....nothing...nada....zilch.) 
But I will say.....I am now officially in love with wheaton terriers. That picture of Molly is too cute. My 5 year old just walked by my computer and said "oh mommy that doggie is the cutest!" I agree.

In defense of Lovemygreys........I have also heard that every dog sheds - it's just more noticable in some breeds and minimal in others.

And now back to the great shedding debate.........


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## crazydays (Jul 24, 2007)

I recommend both my breeds-medium dogs.

English Springer- sporting and very athletic. Affectionate with everyone-Absolutely a delight! I don't find she sheds much. She loves to run at dog park. She doesn't like to get in the middle of dogs aggressively playing. Just happy go lucky with sticks hanging from her mouth!

Standard Schnauzer-working dog and very athletic. Cagney goes to the dog park daily and keeps up to the best of them-very fast and likes to herd. Cags does not shed very much at all. These dogs are devoted to family and if raised with kids-no problem. Smart!!! Avid swimmer.

Both dogs are groomed approx every 10 weeks.


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## Shalva (Mar 23, 2007)

Dogstar said:


> You might also research Portuguese Water Dogs- lovely personalities, but, lie poodles, need a fair amount of grooming.


I was gonna suggest a portie as well.... they have hair not fur so don't shed but the original poster needs to remember like you mentioned that a dog with hair needs to be trimmed but porties in a puppy cut are adorable.... medium sized, athletic and no shedding..... GREAT Dogs..... 
s


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## lovemygreys (Jan 20, 2007)

Shalva said:


> I was gonna suggest a portie as well.... they have hair not fur so don't shed but the original poster needs to remember like you mentioned that a dog with hair needs to be trimmed but porties in a puppy cut are adorable.... medium sized, athletic and no shedding..... GREAT Dogs.....
> s


They are great dogs. And every PWD (3 of them) I've known has been so smart, it's almost frightening. they were also really high energy and LOVED LOVED LOVED the water.



Shalva said:


> I was gonna suggest a portie as well.... they have hair not fur so don't shed but the original poster needs to remember like you mentioned that a dog with hair needs to be trimmed but porties in a puppy cut are adorable.... medium sized, athletic and no shedding..... GREAT Dogs.....
> s


They are great dogs. And every PWD (3 of them) I've known has been so smart, it's almost frightening. they were also really high energy and LOVED LOVED LOVED the water.

....and they shed minimally.


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## flipgirl (Oct 5, 2007)

Wheaton terriers or schnauzers - both are great dogs...wheatons keep their puppy attitude and are the least aggressive of the terriers. My friend has one and he's so gentle natured. they will run with you, lay with you and when you meet them, watch out for those wheaton greetings!! Schnauzers are great as well - they are obedient, loyal, will gladly go as far as you want to, and have so much character. 

I'm not sure where the myth that labradoodles don't shed came from but they may or may not shed as much as a lab but there is no guarantee they won't shed. Plus, I read that it makes a difference how they are mixed. For example, if a purebred lab and purebred poodle is mixed, you may get a less shedding dog. If a purebred and a mix are mated, there is less of a chance that dog is not going to shed; If two mixes mate, then there is even less of a chance of non-shedding. 

I didn't know that Basenjis don't shed!! They are lovely dogs and very intelligent so be prepared to be outsmarted. And they have this yodel like bark; well, not even a bark.


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## tcasby (Apr 30, 2007)

flipgirl said:


> Wheaton terriers or schnauzers - both are great dogs...wheatons keep their puppy attitude and are the least aggressive of the terriers. My friend has one and he's so gentle natured. they will run with you, lay with you and when you meet them, watch out for those wheaton greetings!! Schnauzers are great as well - they are obedient, loyal, will gladly go as far as you want to, and have so much character.
> 
> I'm not sure where the myth that labradoodles don't shed came from but they may or may not shed as much as a lab but there is no guarantee they won't shed. Plus, I read that it makes a difference how they are mixed. For example, if a purebred lab and purebred poodle is mixed, you may get a less shedding dog. If a purebred and a mix are mated, there is less of a chance that dog is not going to shed; If two mixes mate, then there is even less of a chance of non-shedding.
> 
> I didn't know that Basenjis don't shed!! They are lovely dogs and very intelligent so be prepared to be outsmarted. And they have this yodel like bark; well, not even a bark.


You are right on about Wheatens. The biggest problem is they are dirt magnets. I don't care for the beard so we don't do it. Wheaten greatins are bad enough without a filthy, muddy beard sloshed all over you face.

As for doodles and shedding, you have it backwards. First generations (F1 - pb lab and pb poodle) coats are completely unpredictable. Second generation (F1b - F1 doodle and pb poodle) are much less likely to shed. If a non-shedding F1 doodle is pared with a poodle the offspring are almost (but not quite) guaranteed not to shed.


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