# Low/light shedding dogs



## theproman23 (Oct 30, 2014)

I've been thinking of getting a dog for a while now and have my eyes set on pointers as I used to dog sit a German short haired pointer and I loved him! Although he shed it wasn't to the degree that it really caused an issue for me, he used to be at my place at least once a week. 

I've found a few pointer mixes for adoption and am wondering if I'm blindly thinking that all pointers will be like him, shedding wise. Also the mixes are with either a beagle or a hound mainly so not sure if that adds to the shedding issue. 

Any suggestions for a 30 year old single active guy looking for a low shedding dog that's masculine looking? All the low shed ones I've researched about online either don't look good to me or look too feminine. I know this is a typical guy request but would great appreciate some thoughts. Thank you!


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## CptJack (Jun 3, 2012)

If you're just looking for a dog who won't leave dust bunnies all over, a short haired, single coated dog will do it for you. Basically get your hands on the dog. If it's got a thick lab like, or german shepherd like coat go the other direction. 

That said, all dogs who don't have drop/constantly growing coats shed. At times of the year even the single coated dogs shed like mad and require some clean up, so be careful.


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## Jacksons Mom (Mar 12, 2010)

What kind of personality are you seeking, first? Border Terriers are certainly smaller than 30lbs (though you can find terrier mixes in shelters that may be closer to 30... think Benji-looking mixes) but they don't shed and are very scruffy and I know lots of men love them. They do require their hair to be hand-stripped if you want them to look like the photo below (it's a coarse coat) but I heard it only has to be done a few times a year.










They are terriers, so should be active and have enough energy to keep on hikes and runs, etc, but they're also known to be great house pets. I'm in love with the breed and have researched a lot so if you want anymore info, let me know if these even sound like a fit for you. 

Maybe an Airedale Terrier? Again, not even sure if terriers are your thing.

As far as Beagles and hounds, I find their little hairs to be really annoying personally. Even though they're not coming out in thick clumps, the tiny hairs all over the couches, etc, can be annoying and hard to get off furniture and clothes.

Greyhounds, Whippets and Italian Greyhounds are extremely low shedding. But not sure they're 'your thing'. 

My friend does have a Pointer mix and he doesn't seem to shed very bad. Unsure what he's mixed with.

Otherwise completely non shedding breeds are going to be terriers, poodles, or hairless breeds. They do have coated Xoloitzcuintli's - my friend just got a pup who is awesome. 

My dad has a long haired Dachshund/spaniel mix and a JRT/shihtzu mix. The long haired dog has a TON of hair when not shaved down and you would think he would shed all over the place. I've only ever seen hair come off him in the bath. The JRT shihtzu mix has coarse hair more like a JRT and sheds all the time.

I would think no matter what breed you get, the more you brush them, and keep up with their grooming, the less hair you'll have around. I mean, my uncle has a Chocolate Lab that he takes to the professional groomer every month and for a lab? I'm shocked at how little he seems to shed.


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## Dog Person (Sep 14, 2012)

Something I would like to add about shedding - long haired dogs and short haired dogs have a different type of shedding. Long hair seems to be like rolling tumbleweeds and short hair seems to be everywhere.


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## gingerkid (Jul 11, 2012)

Dog Person said:


> Something I would like to add about shedding - long haired dogs and short haired dogs have a different type of shedding. Long hair seems to be like rolling tumbleweeds and short hair seems to be everywhere.


I second this. IME long hair also sticks less to clothes and ulpholstry than short hair does.

But, just because the dog has a smooth single coat doesn't mean they won't shed like crazy. ONe of the worst shedders I know is a JRT with a smooth, single coat. I'd say if you can pet the dog without hair flying off the dog or sticking to your hand, it's probably a "low shed" individual.


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## Kathyy (Jun 15, 2008)

My rough coat Jack Russell shed horribly and the hairs were hard to get off cloth too. My spaniel mix's coat shed year round and I had to strip out the old coat weekly to reduce the dust puppies in the house. The lab mix's coat mostly shed twice a year but boy did she lose coat then! Even though the hair was only an inch long I could stuff a quart yogurt cup full weekly for a couple months. Both the JRT and lab mix were active dogs that could keep up with any human activity. Interesting how nearly the same type dog has different behaving coats!

If the coat on the GSP didn't bother you then I bet that type coat would work fine. That would include the short haired pointers, Doberman, bull terriers I think. Hounds? Do hounds have single coats? Greyhounds and whippets for sure anyway. Be sure the coat really is single with no undercoat. I mistakenly thought Sassy was a single coat as I looked at the hair on her back. Look on the sides and hindquarters for undercoat! 

I would give the dogs a bath and rub them dry to remove a lot of loose hair. I bet that would reduce dust puppies from a single coated short haired dog to just about nothing plus that dog would dry really fast.


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## Dog Person (Sep 14, 2012)

gingerkid said:


> I second this. IME long hair also sticks less to clothes and ulpholstry than short hair does.


Yes to this!

Maggie's hair was much easier then Zoey's. I don't know double coats or not but even when Maggie was clipped to look like a lab it was a different shed then Zoey. And Maggie's hair when clipped was easy as well

Maggie (long hair):



Maggie (clipped):



Zoey:


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## Eenypup (Mar 21, 2014)

If you're looking at shelters or rescues I'm sure you can find a low shedding bully breed mix. Since they're single coated a lot of the dogs I met when looking at shelters didn't shed much. There were a few that we had to pass on because when we pet them we could tell they'd shed more than we wanted, but we ended up with a very low shedding dog!


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## Larsrs89 (May 20, 2014)

The miniature schnauzer in my family barely sheds at all. Even though he's small (~20 lbs.), he's pretty manly looking with a deep bark. Guys on the street always stop, and seem to like him! One downside with any dog that doesn't shed much is that a lot of them will require regular trips to the groomer.

I agree with whoever said that the short hair dogs can sometimes be more of a problem with their shedding than the longer haired dogs. I can't believe how much my my terrier mix sheds and how much the little pin hairs stick to everything!


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## ireth0 (Feb 11, 2013)

IME diet also plays a large role in shedding. Luna has a short double coat, and she shed like mad when we first brought her home. Like, in an hour the living room floor was covered. 

Once we switched her to better food, the shedding became almost negligible. Compared to what she did in an hour, I've never seen that level of fur on the floor again, and I don't vacuum nearly as often as I should.


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## Amaryllis (Dec 28, 2011)

Kabota is a single coated, longish furred dog and 11 months of the year, I vaccuum 2-3 times a week and it's no big deal. (I am a total clean freak, btw, so it isn't that I just don't notice or don't care.) Right now, we're in the middle of one of two 2 week sessions of serious shedding per year. I vacuumed around 11 am yesterday, by 2 pm there were tumbleweeds of fur. So even if you do get your hands on a dog, I wouldn't reject the dog outright based on what comes off in your hands, you might pass over an awesome dog because it happens to be shedding and will be done shedding in 3 days.


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## theproman23 (Oct 30, 2014)

CptJack said:


> If you're just looking for a dog who won't leave dust bunnies all over, a short haired, single coated dog will do it for you. Basically get your hands on the dog. If it's got a thick lab like, or german shepherd like coat go the other direction.
> 
> That said, all dogs who don't have drop/constantly growing coats shed. At times of the year even the single coated dogs shed like mad and require some clean up, so be careful.


Perfect! Thanks for the tip! I'm looking at a pointer/hound mix right now. Hoping to visit him sometime this week.


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## theproman23 (Oct 30, 2014)

Jacksons Mom said:


> What kind of personality are you seeking, first? Border Terriers are certainly smaller than 30lbs (though you can find terrier mixes in shelters that may be closer to 30... think Benji-looking mixes) but they don't shed and are very scruffy and I know lots of men love them. They do require their hair to be hand-stripped if you want them to look like the photo below (it's a coarse coat) but I heard it only has to be done a few times a year.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


wow thanks for all the advice! I've looked up all the dogs you mentioned and although they're good looking dogs I just feel like I'd like a dog that's a little bigger.



Dog Person said:


> Yes to this!
> 
> Maggie's hair was much easier then Zoey's. I don't know double coats or not but even when Maggie was clipped to look like a lab it was a different shed then Zoey. And Maggie's hair when clipped was easy as well
> 
> ...


They're both great looking dogs! And thanks for the advice and pics! Will keep it all in mind.


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## parus (Apr 10, 2014)

For substantial-sized basically non-shedding dogs I like Airedales and Standard/Giant Schnauzers.


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## marti1357 (Jun 8, 2013)

Among breeds that shed less you have the Dobermans, Standard Poodles and Standard Schnauzers. (A Standard Poodle is a very intelligent dog and if you groom it neatly, it doesn't look feminine or ridiculous at all).
You can find them at specific breed rescues, all over the US.


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## Foresthund (Jul 17, 2013)

gingerkid said:


> I second this. IME long hair also sticks less to clothes and ulpholstry than short hair does.
> 
> But, just because the dog has a smooth single coat doesn't mean they won't shed like crazy. ONe of the worst shedders I know is a JRT with a smooth, single coat. I'd say if you can pet the dog without hair flying off the dog or sticking to your hand, it's probably a "low shed" individual.


Not with short double coats and even the Newfie I have had who's fur really ingrain in the carpet and everything but his fur was very dense but overall shed about as much as the Rottie who also has really sticky fur. I think denseness can make a difference,the fur is like needles that stick everywhere. With my experience with double coats is none can pass that test,so I think single coats are generally safer.
Bully breeds,Doberman,Schnauzers,Airedales,Pointers,Danes,maybe Boxers?

But it's cats,especially thick or long haired cats that are the worst.


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## gingerkid (Jul 11, 2012)

Foresthund said:


> But it's cats,especially thick or long haired cats that are the worst.


I have to admit, it is 100% possible that I simply don't notice Snowball's shedding because the cat sheds so much more, and has similar coloured hair. (It is so bad sometimes, I've asked the vet about it. Its ridiculous).


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## jaybarr (Jun 3, 2016)

I think a labrador would be a good choice. They do shed quite a bit but it depends upon the climate where they live in.If you are living in a place where the climate is kind of stable all year round then it won’t be much of a problem. The best way of getting rid of excessive shedding in the house is to brush your dog everyday . Here’s an article that provides some tips on how to clean after a dog that sheds http://www.sunrise-cleaning.com/blog/cleaning-tips/cleaning-up-after-dogs-that-shed/


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