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Dogs That Do Not Shed

Dogs that do not shed are often sought by those who have allergies, but there are a few other reasons pet lovers may seek out the non-shedding breeds!

For example, some may be interested in these breeds because they're tired of vacuuming their clothes every time they get dressed to go out. Or, maybe they have previously been blessed with a heavy shedder that needed more grooming time than they planned on? Perhaps they've even been embarassed when their guests have picked up more than a bit of hair on their dress or suit?

Whatever your reason, I'm gonna have to be honest and say that there are really no dogs that absolutely do not shed, at all, but there are preferred dogs for people with allergies. Unfortunately, if allergies are your problem, even the hairless dogs may affect you, and here's why.

Although dog hair may sometimes trigger an allergic response, most of the time, dander is the real culprit when it comes to human sensitivities to pets.

Dander is formed from protein molecules in a dog's saliva. When a dog licks himself, these proteins dry out - forming dander.

What is more, both people and dogs themselves can become allergic to dander.

But don't get disheartened, it's not all bad news - more frequent bathing or wiping down a dog's coat will help reduce the amount of dander that causes itching and sneezing.

Also, on another positive note, some dogs produce less dander than others. These are mostly the single coated dogs, but there are also double coated dogs to be found among the breeds whose coats produce less dander. Here are a few hypoallergenic dogs to consider:

Breeds Of Dogs That Do Not Shed

Airedale Terrier

Basenji

Bedlington Terrier

Bichon Frise

Border Terrier

Cairn terrier

Chinese Crested

Havanese

Kerry Blue Terrier

Maltese

Poodles

Schnauzer

Soft-Coated Wheaten Terrier

Yorkshire Terrier

Whippet

Wire Fox Terrier

Havanese

Irish Water Spaniel

Lhasa Apso

Xoloitzcuintle

Dyson Groom

As you can see from this list, there are both large dogs that do not shed, as well as medium-size and small dogs - in other words, something for everyone!

Non-shedding Dogs - Dispelling The Myth!

Shedding in dogs is natural and is not that much different that normal hair loss in humans. A certain amount of hair follicles die and fall out to make room for new hair growth. Dogs generally shed more heavily twice a year - in the springtime and fall. The springtime shedding leaves the coat lighter and more comfortable for warmer weather. In the fall, shedding makes way for a thicker winter coat to form.

Some of the dogs that do not shed, listed above, are light shedders and produce less dander - these are often referred to as hypoallergenic dogs and are mainly the single-coated ones. Others, including some of the double-coated ones may also be light shedders, but this is because they shed inwardly. In general the smaller dogs produce less dander simply because they have less skin area - make sense?.

When it comes to selecting one of these breeds that are considered more suitable pets for people with allergies, there are a few questions to ask yourself.

How clean do you like your house to be?

If you're a more fastidious housekeeper, you may want to go with one of the single-coated, light shedding breeds so that you're not always having to drag out the vacuum. Or, you may want to switch to hard flooring surfaces, like tile, that are easier to clean.

How much time do you want to spend grooming your dog?

Even though you may choose a breed of dog that doesn't shed a lot or produce much dander, sometimes the trade off is that you will have to be the one removing the dead hair from his coat as well as keeping the coat free of mats. The Yorshire Terrier is one example. Another is the Soft-coated Wheaten Terrier.

In fact, a well-brushed and bathed dog of any breed will have far less sneeze-producing allergens to release into the air.

How much time you want to spend removing dog hair from your clothes and car seats?

In addition to hair on the couch, if you don't like to be constantly fighting a battle of hair on your clothes, the answer is definitely to choose one of the breeds that shed minimally. The Border Terrier is one of those.

Around The House Tips

Now that we've given you the bad news that all dogs shed to some degree, on the bright side we can still do a lot to minimize the impact of this natural occurrence.

Most people that are allergic to dog dander or dog hair can do a few simple things to cut down on the allergen population in their home.

Switching from carpet to hard wood or other hard surface floors. Carpet not only traps dander but every other kind of allergen such as dust mites, pollen etc.

When it comes to furniture - leather or vinyl upholstery is the best choice for allergy sufferers.

Window treatments - choose shutters or blinds to cover windows instead of drapes which are another magnet for allergens, plus harder to keep clean.

And lastly, if you don't want to spread the shedding problem to the bedroom, sadly, you may have to ban bowser from the bed!

If you implement these tips, not only will the changes benefit your air quality, they will also make houskeeping a lot easier!

Top Photo credit: tara.airedale/flickr
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