What dog breeds are non shedding?

All dogs shed hair, even the "hairless" breeds. They must shed their coats to make room for new fur. Some dogs shed less, or have shorter or less hair, or they shed the same amount but their wiry or double coat holds the hair that is shed until you brush it out with regular grooming. That leaves less hair behind on people, clothing, and houses.

Don't believe all that people say when they advertise a certain breed as being non shedding, is not true. That would be like your keeping the same exact hairs you were born with for life and never losing any, it is a physical impossibility, individual hairs do not last forever.

Some Dog Breeds that fit one or more of the "low shedding" categories above are: Airedale Terrier, Border Terrier, Chinese Crested, Lakeland Terrier, Miniature Pinscher, Puli, Komondor, Welsh Terrier, Standard Poodle, Miniature Poodle, Miniature Schnauzer, Short Haired Dachshund, Shih Tzu, Yorkshire Terrier, Welsh Corgi, and Toy Poodle.

If you are asking because you or someone else you know has Allergies or Asthma, then it's not the fur/hair, it's the dander from the skin of the dog that usually triggers the allergic response (and sometimes the proteins in saliva or urine cause the allergic responses). See related questions below about dander and allergies.

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Hair cells on all mammals grow to a particular length depending on where the cell is on the body, then the hair shaft falls out and a new hair grows.

On long-haired dogs the hair grows longer before it is shed than it does on short-haired dogs. So the number of hairs shed will be more in short haired dogs over a given period of time, although the long hair piles up more and is more obvious.

Dogs that are brushed and washed often, will have loose or shed hairs removed during this grooming, so less hair tends to be shed in unwanted places at other times when proper grooming is done. The hair on regularly clipped dogs gets cut to a short length before it is shed, so is less noticeable, as is the shed hair from a naturally short-haired dog.

• All varieties of Poodles are low shedding. Poodles are being cross-bred with other breeds of dogs for this reason, and some results are the Cocka-Poo and Labradoodle. Labradoodles are also said to be a great pet for those who have allergies.

• Bichon Frise is a good breed for low shedding.
• Shih-Tzu's are also known not to shed as frequently. Their hair continually grows, so you need to get it cut periodically. It is also easier to care for if you have it in a pet cut rather than show grooming. Shorter pet cuts create less noticeable hair on things.
• A Wheaten Terrier is a good choice if shedding is an issue.
• Portugese Water Dogs are low shedding and also have the added advantage of being well tolerated by many people with allergies.
• The Afghan Hound doesn't shed more, but the very long hair is able to accumulate to look like more around the house. They are also a poor choice for those with dog allergies.

A short list of some of the dog breeds that shed lightly, or have other characteristics of their coats that make them better for those who want to avoid shedding hair from their dogs, are:

1. Affenpinscher
2. Airedale Terrier
3. Bedlington Terrier
4. Begamasco
5. Bichon Frise
6. Bolognese
7. Border Terrier
8. Brussels Griffon
9. Chinese Crested
10. Chinese Shar Pei
11. Coton De Tulear
12. Dandie Dinmont Terrie
13. Giant Schnauzer
14. Havanese
15. Irish Water Spaniel
16. Komondor
17. Lakeland Terrier
18. Maltese
19. Miniature Pinscher
20. Miniature Schnauzer
21. PBGV (Petit Basset Griffon Vendeen)
22. Polish Lowland Sheepdog
23. Poodle
24. Portuguese Water Dog
25. Puli
26. Pumi
27. Shih Tsu
28. Short Haired Dachshund
29. Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier
30. Standard Schnauzer
31. Toy Poodle
32. Welsh Corgi
33. Welsh Terrier
34. Westies
35. Wirehaired Pointing Griffon
36. Yorkshire Terrier