9 Family Friendly Dogs That Don`t Shed (Hypoallergenic Dogs)
It has often been pointed out that dogs have been featured in ancient communities, in hunting, guarding, serving as transport means (sled dogs), and even for companionship.
That said however, not all dogs make ideal family dogs.
The best family dogs are compassionate, tolerant, and lovable. However, if you suffer grass or pet allergies, or don’t want dog hair all through your home, then getting a family friendly dog that doesn’t shed is important.
Nothing is more frustrating than wanting to keep a lovable pet around you, but can’t due to ongoing health issues. Luckily there are a number of breeds that are a good match for families with children, as well as having low shedding coats which helps prevent health issues.
In this guide, we highlight the best family dogs that are low shedding.
17 dog breeds that are low-shedding …check out our other guide also!
What Are The Best Family Dogs That Don’t Shed?
1. The Yorkshire Terrier
The Yorkshire Terrier, popularly known as the Yorkie is named from the English city where they originated.
They were originally owned by the middle class, especially weavers.
Yorkies live for companionship and are constantly showing endless love and trust for their owners.
However, they can be jealous of their relationship with their owner and sometimes, they are not happy to welcome anyone else or any other pet into that relationship.
When it comes to their coat, you might get tempted to think their wispy curls, or often golden-colored cute coat is prone to shedding.
You would be wrong to think so because the Yorkshire Terrier is a great example when it comes to low-shedding canines.
However, due to their immense amount of long hair regular brushing is recommended.
As their hair gets longer it tends to get tangled, and gets even worse if neglected for a while.
2. The Xoloitzcuintli
Pronounced ‘zoh-loh-eets-KWEENT-le‘ the Xoloitzcuintli is also referred to as the Mexican Hairless dog, or more simply the ‘Xolo.’
The Xolo is an ancient Mexican dog that dates back 3,000 years and served both as a companion as well as a watchdog.
When it comes to people with allergy problems, then the Xolo’s almost bald coated body becomes a natural go-to dog for them.
Originally, doctors had introduced Xolo as a therapy dog in Mexico.
Besides that, peoples believed that his warm, bald skin would ward-off illness and evil spirits. As such, it has a great honor to bring health and life.
Today, the Xolo offers a remarkable companionship that will keep your family and kids devoted, with love and warm cuddles!
With patience and introduction to socialization, the Xolo will perform excellently to nature a great deal of friendship with its family and kids.
It’s rather important to note, though the Xolo was not groomed to work alongside humans or to answer to orders, they provide steadfast companionship, and they are excellent bed warmers too.
Nevertheless, even though the pronunciation of the name can be intimidating, the Xoloitzcuintli is a one-of-a-kind, also being one of the most intelligent breeds among non-shedding dogs.
3. The Bichon Frise
The Bichon Frise is synonymous with cheerful love, energy, and mischievousness.
This animated powder puff sports a tightly coiled and almost wooly non-shedding coat.
The toy face and frizzy coat of the Bichon shares plenty of similarities to the physical traits of the Poodle.
Their non-shedding coat makes the Frise ideal for families with kids that are allergic to dogs.
However, on the flipside, Bichon Frise’ non-shedding coat grows continuously.
As a result, it requires regular grooming. As the owner of this dog you’ll need at least once a month grooming to keep its coat in good condition.
Besides the non-shedding coat, this cute hypoallergenic dog has plenty of personality to share with everyone.
Though the Bichon is highly intelligent, they are not always easy to house-train, so patience is a must.
Nonetheless, the Bichon always demands attention and companionship, and don`t like being left alone for long periods.
4. The Maltese
Elegant, and energetic is the perfect way to describe the Maltese.
For hundreds of years, the Maltese have been gracing the laps of European royalty.
This low shedding dog gains favor and popularity, thanks to its affectionate and intelligent personality.
The Maltese often prefers the finer things in life, and becomes very attached to their owner.
They don`t like being left alone for long periods, and they may resort to barking, digging, and other destructive behavior.
Besides companionship, they are protective of their owners, and this makes them suspicious of strangers and outsiders.
A Maltese is characterized by a single layer of long beautiful hair similar to that of a human. Despite that its hair usually grows long, it does not shed.
Though there are numerous fantastical and fancy ways of grooming the Maltese, most Maltese owners prefer to cut the hair in what`s is called a ‘puppy cut’ which leaves for low maintenance and low shedding.
5. The Dachshund
The Dachshund is also referred to as ‘wiener dogs,’ thanks to their distinctive hot-dog-like appearance.
Though these short-legged hypoallergenic dogs were originally used in Europe to hunt for foxes as well as the larger game, they are excellent house pets and tend to be fairly intelligent as well.
One thing to notice though, there are three different types of Dachshunds closely identified by their coats.
They include the long haired, short haired, and wire-haired, with all three coats types being smooth as well as low-shedding.
While the Long-haired Dachshund sheds less, it’s not a low maintenance dog breed and needs regular grooming a few times a week.
The short hair and the wire coat, on the other hand, are low maintenance hypoallergenic breeds requiring grooming once a week.
Besides the coat, you should not forget to keep the Dachshund’s droopy ears clean and dry.
A major highlight of the Dachshund breed is that they are extremely flexible, and adapt well to almost every type of accommodation.
6. The Boston Terrier
The Boston Terrier is somewhat like a blend of a miniature bulldog and a pug.
It happens to be among the best low shedding dogs that a family can adopt.
The relatively short and sleek coat of this low maintenance terrier shed little and does not require constant grooming.
Their high energy levels mean that they constantly need exercising, and failure to that may see them engage in destructive behavior like digging and barking, typical of all bored terriers.
Nonetheless, it`s important that you do not overdo them with exercises, especially in warm temperatures.
Besides the low-shedding nature, the Boston Terrier is also a highly sociable dog, extremely energetic, and good-natured.
Finally, this low-shedding dog makes a great companion for adults and children alike.
Like hunting? Read great hunting dogs that are low-shedding.
7. The Bedlington Terrier
Known for its non-shedding and cotton-like coat, it’s one of the popular dog breeds that gained quick attention among dog lovers.
This is due to its queer lamb-like appearance with the texture and color of a Merino sheep.
This medium low-shedding dog was bred as an all-purpose terrier that can perform several tasks including guarding, hunting badgers, and chasing rabbits.
Despite its pampered appearance, the Bedlington features a unique coat of both soft and harsh hair.
Though having the advantage of being non-shedding, its coat grows fairly fast, so they need regular trimming and grooming, and it’s recommended to brush their coat at least twice a week to avoid coiling.
Just like its namesake the lamb, it’s DNA is encoded with gentleness, pureness, and spirited to obedience.
However, besides its nature of loyalty and charming physic, the Bedlington can be overprotective of its loved ones.
If you already have other small pets established in your home, then it could be difficult to introduce a Bedlington Terrier, as they aren’t known for friendliness toward cats in-particular unless introduced at a very young age.
Nonetheless, this angelic dog is worth the hustle if you are looking for a famous yet athletic, and most importantly a hypoallergenic dog.
8. The Goldendoodle
Technically, the Goldendoodle, also known as the Groodle is not strictly a hypoallergenic dog.
This is because, it`s a designer dog, a hybrid of the Poodle and the Golden Retriever.
With the Groodle, it all depends on the dominant genes.
If the puppy follows the Poodle route, then you will have a hypoallergenic dog, but if the Retriever gene is dominant, you`ll have more shedding.
A good rule to follow when selecting this dog is to always look for the one with a classic poodle curly coat.
But just you know, sometimes general rules fail. That is to say, you should not use this method as a silver bullet, always make a point to discuss the matter with your breeder.
Nonetheless, this crossbreed is enjoying rapid popularity among families.
Alongside its low-shedding nature, the Groodle is equally an all-around dog, and can perform various tasks including guiding, and as a service dog.
Finally, besides the strong personality curated from both the Poodle and the Retriever, the Groodle also perform exceedingly well when it comes to showing gentleness, affection, and forming close friendships with its human family.
9. The Coton De Tulear
When you mention the dog by the name Coton De Tulear, what’s springs to mind?
Well, if you’ve ever heard about heroic tales of a hardworking devoted dog that survived a shipwreck by swimming to the islands of Madagascar – despite its pint-sized body, then this is your hero.
Besides its heroic success stories, its name is from the magnificent island, the port city of Tulear, and it`s alluring cotton-like hair.
The Coton De Tulear is not your usual breed, this is because unlike most breeds which were bred for particular tasks, it was purely bred for royalty.
Thus, in those early days it was owned by the royal families attracting the name “Royal Dog of Madagascar” and only lived amongst the elite community. Today, it’s reserved as the country`s national dog.
To gain such royalty treatment and admiration, the Tulear has consistently shown a great deal of loyalty, love, and affection to its masters over and over again.
Some of the pastime favorites of this medium-low shedding dog include sleeping, spending time with family, and playing.
As a result, it takes its companionship job seriously!
Final Thought
In this article, we have attempted to segment dog ownership to family type, and also breeds that are non-shedding.
Just owning a dog might not be the final argument, there are many other parameters in the equation of dog parenting.
These responsibilities may include finding the best nutrition based on given criteria (health, aging, nutritional needs, and more), dealing with a given ailment, toys, treats, leashes, among other items to make your dog’s life fun.
Nonetheless, whether you are in search for a dog to keep you company, a play or a hunting mate, or a guard, there are endless opportunities with the hypoallergenic dogs.
