# minimal shedding AND minimal grooming?



## annp (Jun 7, 2012)

Hello, 

My first post here. After a few years of saying no, my husband finally okay'ed to getting a dog... on two conditions: first, very little shedding AND minimal grooming (like occasional brushing and bathing), and second, no or little doggy odor.

Since I knew that he doesn't like dog hairs all over the place, I was initially thinking about poodles, but they don't definitely meet this "minimal" grooming requirement (he doesn't want to spend time/money on grooming). I also searched the internet but different documents say differently on shedding and grooming. So I thought I'd ask the real dog owners. 

Most of the docs say, however, that low shedding means higher maintenance, but are there any breeds that are low shedding + grooming with little doggy smell? If so, would you please recommend? 

Oh, and we are looking for medium to large sized dog (small breeds are fine too as long as they are sturdy). We have a fenced backyard which is quite large and the dog will get plenty of exercise, so we are open to any energy-level.

Once we narrow down to 2-3 breeds, we plan to contact breed-specific local rescue groups. 

Thank you.


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## Willowy (Dec 10, 2007)

Really, you're always going to have either shedding or grooming. It's one or the other when it comes to coats.

Maybe something super short-haired/single-coated. 

But I'm kind of concerned that he doesn't want to spend time/money on grooming (I assume he doesn't want YOU to spend time on grooming either or it wouldn't be a problem). Will he object to spending time/money on vet care? Quality food? Training? Most guys I know who said stuff like that ended up making their wives get rid of the dog eventually.


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## Sighthounds4me (Nov 7, 2010)

My first thoughts go to short-coated sighthounds. Greyhounds and Whippets, specifically.

But, then I have to ask what your thoughts are about energy level. Both of these breeds are relatively low energy (the Whippet being a bit higher than the Greyhound). But generally, they shed little, need little, if any brushing, and only need baths a couple times a year. They have little, if any odor, and are very cat-like in keeping themselves clean.

I know there have to be other breeds out there that would fit, but these are the first that come to mind for me.


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## annp (Jun 7, 2012)

Wow. Thank you for super quick reply. He understands well that having a dog is very time and money consuming. Some of the aspects of dog ownership such as playing, exercising, training, food, vet, etc are required and common for any breed, and he's willing to spend time/mony on them. But he thinks grooming is one thing we can actually control based on the breed we pick. So he's hoping to saving time/money on that. I think he doesn't mind if I do all the grooming, but I'm really really clumsy with my hands so not sure if I can handle that. 

What are some of the examples with those super short haired/single coated dogs?


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## georgiapeach (Mar 17, 2012)

Check out this link I found:
http://voices.yahoo.com/four-lowmaintenance-dogs-youll-love-8693755.html


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## annp (Jun 7, 2012)

Sighthounds4me and georgiapeach, thanks for the suggestion. Low-energy dogs are fine as long as they don't mind occasional hiking which we enjoy. So far, I put greyhound, whippet and basenji in my list.


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## Sighthounds4me (Nov 7, 2010)

A Whippet or a Basenji would be able to keep up with hiking. A Greyhound *might*, depending how long the hikes are, and how strenuous. If you work with a good adoption group, you should be able to find one who can keep up.

Our girl was actually rather high energy for a Greyhound. She could do 2 or 3 mile hikes with little trouble. As she got older, of course, this changed. But in her younger years, she could go, go, go! (BTW, our idea of hikes are usually a nice trail in a state park. Fairly level, usually sand or crushed limestome base. Occasionally some hills as we climbed dunes, but nothing killer!)


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## Bordermom (Apr 28, 2010)

I find most of the short haired breeds to be the worst shedders. A beagle where I used to work was NASTY, big clumps of hair coming out of him all the time. I snuck in a bit of combing but it wasn't something I had the time to do. He might have been better with a proper grooming, but it wouldn't be any different than a coated breed as far as that goes.

Mexican hairless? You'd have to do sunscreen and lotion....


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## georgiapeach (Mar 17, 2012)

I'd LOVE to have a greyhound, but I have 2 small dogs, which greyhounds would find a great treat to chase! After all, that's what they're bred to do. They, along with other sight hounds, can't be trusted off leash, b/c they'll chase anything small they can see (small dogs, cats, rabbits, ferrets, hamsters, etc.)! Maybe some day...


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## Gina_1978 (Jun 3, 2012)

To avoid the smell (I too have a thing about smells-especially when it comes to animals),you are going to need a dog with a single coat.

Maltese
Poodle
Yorkshire Terrier
Biewer yorkshire
Coton De Tulear
Soft Coated Wheaton Terrier
Kerry Blue Terriers
Portuguese Water Dog 
etc

This is my experience with the breed I have - I have (and always have had) yorkshire terriers,and to me,they are perfect for all tht you are looking for (it´s what I was looking for too).The shedding is minimal to none because their coat is very similar to human hair,so whilst you_ will _often find a hair here and there (like you can with a person),you dont get clumps of it falling out like you would with other breeds.The smell is non exsistant thanks to their coat too.Even when wet,a yorkie doesnt smell at all.This means no one will ever walk into your house and think "wow..this person owns a dog",just by the smell  As for grooming,with a yorkie you can have it both ways.You can let it grow long and keep it pretty,but if you prefere a low maintinence coat,you can keep it in a puppy cut and just brush it once in a while  

Also,whilst yorkies _are_ a toy breed (< 7lbs - but they can weight up to 10lbs too),the ones on the larger end of the standard _are_ *very* sturdy little dogs.I prefere the bigger ones because I have 3 kids who love to hug,chase and play with mine.They do have alot of energy so you can take them on long walks,but they also adapt to a very mellow way of life too.hey´re perfect for a small house or apartment.
They´re extremely affectionate and very loyal..this is why they are considered "lap dogs"  They´re small enough that you can take them anywhere and everywhere and although they do have a bad reputation about yapping and being "terriers",I find them to be amazing little dogs on so many levels and I dont have anything bad to say about them  

HTH


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## Wicket (Aug 21, 2011)

Though this is a small dog, have you considered a Chinese Crest? They can be great little dogs with very little grooming and no shedding. Like with the Mexican Hairless, you'd need to put sunscreen and lotion on them. They're cool little dogs, I personally think they look like tiny horses


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## CptJack (Jun 3, 2012)

This may sound weird, but - Rat terriers. They DO shed, but unlike a heavily double coated breed (beagle, labs) it's not as much there TO shed. No undercoat. Similar to the sight hounds, actually, but more energy and a terrier personality. There's also an "American Hairless Terrier" which is basically a hairless rat terrier.


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## lil_fuzzy (Aug 16, 2010)

I have a JRT x, he has a pretty long, wire coat, just like a rough JRT, but he doesn't shed all that much, and he doesn't smell. JRT's are high energy though, and I've heard the smooth type sheds more than the rough.

As for the single coated breeds, you minimise grooming needs by keeping them cut quite short. If you do let them grow a bit longer, all they need is brushing to avoid tangles and matting. It really doesn't take that long if you keep on top of it. A shave at a pet store doesn't necessarily cost all that much either, or you can buy your own clippers and do it yourself. If you go with a single coated breed, keep in mind that the purebred ones generally require less grooming than if they are mixed together. Mixing them produces weird coats a lot of the time, very prone to matting.


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## Tankstar (Dec 30, 2006)

I would go with a whippet or grey hound.



Gina_1978 said:


> To avoid the smell (I too have a thing about smells-especially when it comes to animals),you are going to need a dog with a single coat.
> 
> Maltese
> Poodle
> ...


All of those breeds have tons of grooming nothing what the op wants to do


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## Fuzzy Pants (Jul 31, 2010)

If your ok with a dog in the 15-20lb range I'd suggest a Wirehaired Fox Terrier. They shed little to no hair and just require bathing only when needed and brushing with a bristle brush.


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## MemphisHusky (Jan 29, 2010)

I would by no means suggest a dog breed purely on shedding characteristic. From my own personal experience, having a beagle growing up and knowing may labs, short hair doesnt' necessarily mean light shedder. And long hair doesn't necessarily mean low odor. 

My previsous dog was a husky. I have never seen a dog shed more, but at the same time, she was practically odor-less (unless she was wet). She would come in from outside and you could smell someone was grilling or burning a fire, 5 mins later the smell was gone. She grommed herself like a cat. I would say from a grooming standpoint, husky/northern breeds are very easy to maintain. Very rarely do they need baths. No regular brushing to keep their hair from matting required. But then I consider shedding differnt than grooming. They shed by the bucket and twice a year by the truckload.

My current dog, is a wirehaired pointing griffon. After all the shedding we had with our husky, we too were looking for a change. This was pretty low on our priorty list, but did factor in. our WPG is a year old now. In the first year, i can hold all the hair she has shed int he palm of my hand. Grooming is trivial. I brush her out maybe once a month. They are somewhat of a rarer breed, so it may be harder to find one especially from resuce. And i would never suggest this breed purely based on its shedding/grooming profile.

Here is a pretty good list of light sheders.

http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/lightshedders.htm

But i urge you to pick a dog based on other characteristics first. big/small, energy level, drive, trainability, etc. And also consider grooming differnt than shedding. I personally would take a high shedder anyday over a dog i have to brush and pamper daily.


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## Gina_1978 (Jun 3, 2012)

Tankstar said:


> All of those breeds have tons of grooming nothing what the op wants to do


Ooops,sorry.My bad,I was concentrating on the single coats to avoid the doggy "smell" and the ones that dont shed


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## annp (Jun 7, 2012)

Thank you all for great suggestions. I totally understand we should pick based on other characteristics as well. My plan is to form a list of breeds that have shedding/grooming needs acceptable to my husband and then pick one based on our other preferences. I know there is no perfect breed. I just want to respect my husband's requirements as much as I can since he really gave in (but don't worry, once he says yes on anything, he's very devoted. I'm pretty sure he already did quite a lot of research on dog ownership by himself).

I shared my partial list with him and he liked Basenji the best so far. Whippet is a a close second. But he also read Basenji is not easy to train. We are not expecting a circus dog that will do lots of tricks, but just basic obedience plus housetraining. And we are practically the first time dog owner (he owned several when he was young, I haven't had any yet). Will a Basenji or a Whippet be suitable for first-time owners? Or any of the breeds mentioned above? 

Will definitely look into other breeds mentioned. Thanks a ton!


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## Haruka (May 2, 2012)

I have never lived with one so I cannot know for sure, but I've read that Basenjis shed very minimally, meticulously groom themselves (they're very finicky about their appearance) and don't have that doggy smell, so only minimal grooming is required! They're small but almost medium-sized (averaging at 24 pounds) dogs, they're exceptionally sturdy and athletic, and they don't bark (which doesn't mean they're not vocal; they produce a yodel-like sound instead.) Although, just as with any other dog breed, it's important to establish rules from the moment the dog steps in the house, as Basenjis are very intelligent and often try to be top dog. Lots of research is required! 

This site explains the main characteristics of the breed: http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/basenji.htm
And here is the breed's description & information according Canada's Guide to Dogs: http://www.canadasguidetodogs.com/basenji.htm

Good luck in finding the perfect dog for your household!

Edit: Oops, I hadn't seen your previous post! In my opinion if one has done proper research (and by proper I mean lots and lots of thorough research preparing for any eventuality) and is truly devoted, they can own a Basenji as a first-time dog. And since your husband has owned dogs before, if he know how to establish authority, I would say you two should be fine! For housebreaking, I've heard Basenjis are very quick to learn since they are very clean and don't like to soil their living areas. As for training, I think that differs from one individual dog to another, since generally speaking the websites I've checked have deemed them trainable dogs and eager to please!


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## Bordermom (Apr 28, 2010)

Wicket said:


> Though this is a small dog, have you considered a Chinese Crest? They can be great little dogs with very little grooming and no shedding. Like with the Mexican Hairless, you'd need to put sunscreen and lotion on them. They're cool little dogs, I personally think they look like tiny horses


I keep drooling over them, love the look of a little pony. I'm hoping that the kids want to get into JRs and the borders are too much for them. LOL


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