Dogs That Barely Shed

Man's best friend is a welcome companion and family member, but a dog's hard-to-remove hairs left all over furniture and clothes can be annoying. While no shed-free dog exists, many breeds barely shed at all. Low-shedding breeds are perfect for people with allergies as they also produce less dander. However, many low-shedding breeds have high-maintenance grooming needs precisely because they do not shed.

  1. Hairless

    • It may seem obvious, but of course a hairless dog does not shed much hair. It is also not the fluffy companion that most of us know and love, but many of the hairless breeds have good dispositions and make great family pets. The Chinese crested, American hairless terrier, Khala, Xolo and Peruvian Inca are some of the breeds that have little or no hair. Without fur, these dogs are sensitive to sunlight and weather conditions, and special care is needed to protect their skin.

    Short Hair

    • Short hair doesn't necessarily mean low shedding, but many breeds are the perfect combination of both. Many of the medium-coat and wire-haired terriers such as the Irish, Norfolk, Lakeland, Norwich, wirehaired fox terrier and affenpinscher need only daily brushing to maintain their coats and do not shed much. Breeds such as the Manchester terrier, Basenji and Italian greyhound have short, silky coats that shed practically no hair and need little grooming.

    High-Maintenance Grooming

    • No shedding sometimes equals high-maintenance grooming as is the case with popular breeds such as the Yorkshire terrier, poodle, Shih Tzu and some lesser known breeds such as the Cesky, giant schnauzer and Havanese. These breeds require extensive grooming, clipping and brushing, most often professionally. The fluffy white poodle, bichon frise, Maltese, Bolognese and West Highland white terrier have the added nuisance of maintaining color. The curly haired Portuguese water dog, Irish water spaniel, and Lagotto Romangolo all need regular trimming and brushing to maintain their coats.

    Corded Coats

    • A soft wool-like undercoat and thicker outer coat begin to tangle and form mats on the coat of the puli, Bergamasco, Komondor and Spanish water dog as they grow into adulthood. As the hair grows and mats, it needs to be pulled apart to form cords and the ends of the cords need to be trimmed. Breeds with corded coats rarely shed and require a minimal amount of grooming when the cords are formed, but they can be more difficult to wash and especially to dry.