Non shed family dog

Guerngirl

Can anyone suggest a small non shed dog that would be a good family pet? The dog would need to be ok on their own for up to four hours a day some days due to work commitments and ok with kids (8 years plus).

CrowdedHouse

Lhasa Apso

VonVix

Reasons for choosing a non-shed breed? The reason why I ask, is that non-shed breeds require regular trips to the groomer, which is a 50 euro (give or take, depending on condition of the dog's coat) cost every 2-3 months, is this a cost you have considered? If this isn't done, they can become matted and in turn become cranky because of discomfort, which is not ideal if you have kids.

MissShihTzu

A Shih Tzu of course!

AlBren

What about a bichon frise?
Our dog is a 6 year old bichon frise, she's a lovely sweet little thing.

MissShihTzu

Shih Tzu and Lhasa are great with kids, but not so great at being left alone. They are essentially companion dogs. And yes, they do require daily brushing and a trip to the groomer's every six weeks. I groom and clip my Shih Tzu myself which saves on the groomer's bills.

A decent clip will be about E50. Plus you will need brushes, combs and knot breakers for the coat.

Have you considered getting a dog walker or doggy day care for when the dog will be alone? Even a neighbour popping by for a few minutes to let the dog out for potty time and a bit of company would be good.

CrowdedHouse

MissShihTzu wrote: »

Shih Tzu and Lhasa are great with kids, but not so great at being left alone.

Yea, never thought of that because I usually have at least 2

MissShihTzu

I have just the one Shih Tzu. But would consider getting two pups when the time comes as they would be great company for each other. My neighbour lost her Bichon last year and now has two puppies. She says they make all the difference as she doesn't worry about leaving them alone.

Mine has lots of doggy company and he goes to a day care since I went back to work. He absolutely adores it and meets his dog friends there. Win, win as we can work and not worry about the dog, and he gets company, hugs and playmates on demand.

Tilikum17

Would you get a medium sized dog?

We have a Yorkie & a staffy. Although I love both dogs the Staffordshire bull terrier breed is the best dog I’ve ever come into contact with. He’s incredible with children & other dogs when we’re out on walks. The yorkie is the total opposite.

What ever dog you opt for make sure you socialise it from a young age. Doggy day care is brilliant.

Research the breed.

dave699

AlBren wrote: »

What about a bichon frise?
Our dog is a 6 year old bichon frise, she's a lovely sweet little thing.

Second the bichon. Very happy dog. Ok when left on its own for a few hours aswell. 10 yrs old and never an issue.

dhaughton99

AlBren wrote: »

What about a bichon frise?
Our dog is a 6 year old bichon frise, she's a lovely sweet little thing.

Same here. Tiny little 6 year old. Fantastic dog. Good guard dog. Can bring him anywhere. Cute as a button. Hates magpies.

Neames

I'll also recommend the bichon frise. We have one for the last 3 years.

Good with kids, very friendly. A couple of short walks a day and he's happy. My wife and I work different different hours, but he's no problem being left alone.

dave699

Yes the gaurd dog side of them is unreal

Guerngirl

Neames wrote: »

I'll also recommend the bichon frise. We have one for the last 3 years.

Good with kids, very friendly. A couple of short walks a day and he's happy. My wife and I work different different hours, but he's no problem being left alone.

Thanks to everyone who posted, this is very helpful to a complete novice when it comes to dogs! I’ll do some more research, much appreciated.

em_cat

TBH any and all dog breeds have the potential to be great with children. It all depends on a lot of things.

Our lad loves children and isn’t crazy about other dogs, but is great with them if certain conditions are met.

I grew up with Rough Collies and Shelties, have had a Retriever, 2 Staffies, a Shih tzu, Havanease, Bichon and now a Yorkie x.

Puppies take a lot of work, non shed take a lot of grooming, tend to suffer from allergies that can be difficult & expensive to diagnose.

Also, Lhasa Apso is a relative rare breed in ROI and the only ones I know that are bred reputable go for €1200+ a pup with a long waiting list.

Low sheds are some of the most over bred and puppy farmed breeds in ROI and that no breed is guaranteed to be hypoallergenic.

I would say rock up to one of the bigger rescues in a month & see what they have and let the dog choose you & your family. You could be surprised.

Graces7

dhaughton99 wrote: »

Same here. Tiny little 6 year old. Fantastic dog. Good guard dog. Can bring him anywhere. Cute as a button. Hates magpies.

Made me chuckle. I hate magpies and taught my dog to " see 'em off!" at the first sound ..

Guerngirl

Guerngirl wrote: »

Thanks to everyone who posted, this is very helpful to a complete novice when it comes to dogs! I’ll do some more research, much appreciated.

What about yorkie Bichon mix dogs? Do they generally shed or not? Hard to tell from googling as sites seem to contradict each other.

em_cat

Guerngirl wrote: »

What about yorkie Bichon mix dogs? Do they generally shed or not? Hard to tell from googling as sites seem to contradict each other.

You can never be guaranteed of the shedding, especially with crosses as it is entirely dependant on parentage genetics.

A good resource for finding out if a breed is considered to be high shedding or not is to look at the IKC breed section, it gives a fairly good breakdown of stats per breed.

From memory Bichon Frise, Poodle, Maltese, Shih Tzu, Havanease, Lhasa’s are all very low shed, but not 100%. It will depend on the lineage.

Bunnyslippers

I’d rescue one!
But if you want to buy then do a lot of research when looking for breeders and breeds. Some of these small squash faced dogs have a lot of issues due to their deformities like eye and breathing issues as well as luxating patellas.
Bichons are great but can be very yappy, I’d reccomend a jack russel for a great dog for older kids as they have endless energy and love people, just make sure whatever dog you get is well socialised, well trained and well walked to avoid behavioural issues, short haired dogs don’t need much coat maintenance so are great, they do shed but no more than any other dog, also most people seem to be allergic to the dead skin rather than the fur.

granturismo

How about a whippet or small lurcher?

Choc Chip

Are you looking for non/low shed to reduce hair in the house, on your clothes, or for allergy reasons?

I have a purportedly non-shed breed of terrier. I hand-strip him and brish out his undercoat - there's definitely far less hair on my hard wood floors from him than my GSDx or even lurchers, but if you give him a cuddle while wearing a fleecy top (or my husband's wool coat), you'll have hair on you. And my parents have a dark-coloured rug that he likes to roll around on and ends up COVERED in little light-coloured hairs. He's also the dog that brings me out in an allergic reaction if my immune system's a bit low (no idea why).

Conversely, my GSDx seems to leave half her bodyweight in hair on our floors, but I can get down on the floor for a good rub and a hug and her hair doesn't really stick to me... it ends up everywhere, including a hair in 2 cups of coffee yesterday, but doesn't stick to clothes. I also have absolutely no allergy problems with her.

I'd meet the breed of dog (or the actual dog if you're considering rescue) and speak to people who own that breed.

Bigdig69

I'd vote bichon too.

Ours is 8. Ok left on his own, but two dogs often works well. But do keep in mind cost of dog ownership. Food, vet etc can mount up.

Choc Chip

I forgot to say - what do you want to do with your dog?

Are you interested in training, do you want to go on long walks/ runs/ cycles, or are you looking for mainly a companion with a couple of short walks every day? Are you looking for a dog that listens well and is trainable, does neediness bother you, do you want your dog to be more independent? How about busyiness vs lazing around on the couch? Would a lot of barking be an issue or do you live rurally and would prefer a dog that alerted you when someone arrived?

I'm guessing that shedding and kid-friendliness are the 2 most important things to you since they're the items you mentioned first, but I'd be considering all of the above before making a final decision. I don't know much about toy breeds, but if you flesh out what you're looking for I'm sure people will be able to recommend a dog that ticks all those boxes.

Latatian

Shedding can vary a lot even within breed- if shedding and being good with kids are necessary then a pup is a bad idea. Too much of a crapshoot genetics-wise, too much change of something going wrong if yiu're a novice. An adult would be better.

honeybear

I have a beautiful Maltese and she never sheds. She is as cute as a button but I ruined her as she was reared. She loves kids but can be over protective of them (& me) sometimes. I totally blame myself.

John_Mc

We got a Shih Tzu 2 months ago and we're besotted with her. So friendly and adorable - would highly recommend the breed!

RubyK

We have 2 cockapoos who are fabulous happy dogs, who do not shed, but that's just a bonus, not a requirement for us :-)

We also had a Kerry Blue, who also didn't shed. She was very loving but very protective of us and our home (super guard dog).

B0jangles

I'd recommend a shih tzu or a bichon and not a lhasa. I've had two shih tzus and in my experience, they are friendly, easy-going (to a point - no annoying little kids! ) and don't need a huge amount of exercise. Never had a bichon but I've interacted with loads and they seem to be friendly, outgoing, very solid little dogs.

I've only had one lhasa, and he's a rescue so that might affect how he is but he's... different. I love him dearly, he's a very loving, sweet, funny dog but he's also very anxiety-prone, unhappy about changes to routine or new things. Strangers in the house worry him, and he holds on to grudges like you wouldn't believe. I got talking to another lhasa owner once and she literally asked me 'is your dog weird?' - when she described ways her own dog was peculiar, she could have talking about my own pup

Both shih tzus and bichons need to be groomed regularly - either bring them to the groomers or commit to brushing pretty much every day, starting from puppyhood to get them used to it. Matts develop really easily and are a nightmare to get out if they get any way developed.

mvl

We got a maltese - shih tzu for our daughter, our first dog.
Afriend in work recommended this type as no-shed = good for allergy sufferers. Agree, this comes with other "grooming" obligations.
- usually someone is at home, but she handles well being left alone half days.
I think getting her was the best thing we did for our family last year.

crustybread

mvl wrote: »

We got a maltese - shih tzu for our daughter, our first dog.
Afriend in work recommended this type as no-shed = good for allergy sufferers. Agree, this comes with other "grooming" obligations.
- usually someone is at home, but she handles well being left alone half days.
I think getting her was the best thing we did for our family last year.

Could you pm me details of where you got the dog? I am interested in similar breed but am so confused about where to get one. you hear so many horror stories of puppy farms and problems its nearly putting me off. We have been to several pounds but as we are novice owners they did not recommend taking an older dog.

em_cat

crustybread wrote: »

Could you pm me details of where you got the dog? I am interested in similar breed but am so confused about where to get one. you hear so many horror stories of puppy farms and problems its nearly putting me off. We have been to several pounds but as we are novice owners they did not recommend taking an older dog.

Please do not look for Maltese/ Shih Tzu cross, Bichon/ Maltese cross, Maltese Poodle cross as these are designer breed dogs all of which are bred for greed, often at the expense of the dogs, especially the dams.

All toy group breeds, KC recognised, not greeder FB DD internet made up breeds, the potential to be wonderful family pets, provided they receive adequate training, your children are taught how to respect the puppy, ie no teasing, chasing, tail, ear pulling etc.

This is not a pop at you, it’s pretty common that a lot of people don’t train the pup or the kids & then they get rid or have the pup euthanised.

crustybread

em_cat wrote: »

Please do not look for Maltese/ Shih Tzu cross, Bichon/ Maltese cross, Maltese Poodle cross as these are designer breed dogs all of which are bred for greed, often at the expense of the dogs, especially the dams.

All toy group breeds, KC recognised, not greeder FB DD internet made up breeds, the potential to be wonderful family pets, provided they receive adequate training, your children are taught how to respect the puppy, ie no teasing, chasing, tail, ear pulling etc.

This is not a pop at you, it’s pretty common that a lot of people don’t train the pup or the kids & then they get rid or have the pup euthanised.

Thanks for your input. I agree with you wholeheartedly on the training of kids and pups. We do need a non-shed dog due to allergies etc. I will look into the Toy breeds. I have looked at the Kennel club but although they do have some information there is not a lot to assist on where people should go to source a dog. We have tried Pounds but these non-shed dogs are generally not abandoned due to cost so I think we will have to source one ourselves. I was really looking for recommendations from people of potential breeders.

Choc Chip

crustybread wrote: »

We do need a non-shed dog due to allergies etc.

Please make sure you meet the dogs first and that the person with allergies gets right down with the dog - pick them up and cuddle them if the dog doesn't mind. Have bare arms if possible - my dog makes my skin flare up on my inner elbows. Puppies sometimes have different coats so make sure to meet the adults too and do the same.

Honestly, it's my "non-shed" breed that brings my allergies out. My heavy-shedding dog doesn't bother me at all. I've no idea why, but don't assume that a breed marketed as "hypoallergenic" or "non-shed" will be ok for allergies (or even an improvement).

crustybread

Choc Chip wrote: »

Please make sure you meet the dogs first and that the person with allergies gets right down with the dog - pick them up and cuddle them if the dog doesn't mind. Have bare arms if possible - my dog makes my skin flare up on my inner elbows. Puppies sometimes have different coats so make sure to meet the adults too and do the same.

Honestly, it's my "non-shed" breed that brings my allergies out. My heavy-shedding dog doesn't bother me at all. I've no idea why, but don't assume that a breed marketed as "hypoallergenic" or "non-shed" will be ok for allergies (or even an improvement).

Thanks for all the good advice. Plenty to bear in mind.

em_cat

crustybread wrote: »

Thanks for your input. I agree with you wholeheartedly on the training of kids and pups. We do need a non-shed dog due to allergies etc. I will look into the Toy breeds. I have looked at the Kennel club but although they do have some information there is not a lot to assist on where people should go to source a dog. We have tried Pounds but these non-shed dogs are generally not abandoned due to cost so I think we will have to source one ourselves. I was really looking for recommendations from people of potential breeders.

That’s fair enough. Choc Chips advice is really good as allergies range from mild to severe. Remember if there are pollen or dust allergies you’ll also need to wipe the pup/ dog down as this is about the only way to keep them at bay and is better for the dog. I’ve seen a heap of internet advice saying to bath the dog weekly to help human allergies, this is a big no no as it is very bad for double coats to be bathed that often, same as Poodle as often they end up with yeast or fungal issues.

JustAThought

VonVix wrote: »

Reasons for choosing a non-shed breed? The reason why I ask, is that non-shed breeds require regular trips to the groomer, which is a 50 euro (give or take, depending on condition of the dog's coat) cost every 2-3 months, is this a cost you have considered? If this isn't done, they can become matted and in turn become cranky because of discomfort, which is not ideal if you have kids.

This is absolute hogwash. Smooth coat dogs such as dalmations do not need grooming and do not turn nasty if they are not brought to a dpggroomers? This whole cottage industry of charging e50-e70 to wash and groom a dog is shocking. Fine if you never brush your dog but frankly why bother havi g one if you ate never going to bother? And although they shed dreadfully terriers also dont need to go to a groomers -albeit they are usially cranks enough by themselves! Stop putting the OP off and frightening her/him into behaviours and costs they should not need if they take basic everyday care of their dog.

OP most dogs shed -some a lot, some less - they key thing is that you get one withtemperment snd encourahe the personality and behaviours that you want in your family pet. Labs shed less than retrievers, and are a universally adored short haired family pet typically great with kids, trainable and kindnatured. How about one of them? Easy solution.

VonVix

JustAThought wrote: »

This is absolute hogwash. Smooth coat dogs such as dalmations do not need grooming and do not turn nasty if they are not brought to a dpggroomers? This whole cottage industry of charging e50-e70 to wash and groom a dog is shocking. Fine if you never brush your dog but frankly why bother havi g one if you ate never going to bother? And although they shed dreadfully terriers also dont need to go to a groomers -albeit they are usially cranks enough by themselves! Stop putting the OP off and frightening her/him into behaviours and costs they should not need if they take basic everyday care of their dog.

Wait, what? I was referring to most nonshed breeds, which are usually long coated. Nothing to do with dogs with naturally short hair. That's completely different. A lot of people thing that nonshed = less maintenance.

I'm being real here. I'm not going to sugar coat a long coated dogs grooming needs as something to be taken lightly.

Cherry Blossom

JustAThought, maybe slow down and take some time to actually read posts you are replying to instead of hammering away on a keyboard so fast that your not even doing a basic check as you go that your not typing gobbledegook instead of words. Calm down there a bit on the old outrage.

alroley

JustAThought wrote: »

This is absolute hogwash. Smooth coat dogs such as dalmations do not need grooming and do not turn nasty if they are not brought to a dpggroomers? This whole cottage industry of charging e50-e70 to wash and groom a dog is shocking. Fine if you never brush your dog but frankly why bother havi g one if you ate never going to bother? And although they shed dreadfully terriers also dont need to go to a groomers -albeit they are usially cranks enough by themselves! Stop putting the OP off and frightening her/him into behaviours and costs they should not need if they take basic everyday care of their dog.

OP most dogs shed -some a lot, some less - they key thing is that you get one withtemperment snd encourahe the personality and behaviours that you want in your family pet. Labs shed less than retrievers, and are a universally adored short haired family pet typically great with kids, trainable and kindnatured. How about one of them? Easy solution.

What are you on about?

Dogs that don't shed have hair rather than fur. It never stops growing and does require very regular trips to the groomer.

JustAThought

Cherry Blossom wrote: »

JustAThought, maybe slow down and take some time to actually read posts you are replying to instead of hammering away on a keyboard so fast that your not even doing a basic check as you go that your not typing gobbledegook instead of words. Calm down there a bit on the old outrage.

As i am typing with a broken hand errors happen. But I guess its more important for.you to push in and be cruel than to stop and look at the majority of the spelling that is complte accurate. Just as well Im not dyslexic or disabled -God knows how cruel that would have been. As it is, suggesting a labrador and stating that non shed dogs do.not need to go to the expense of a groomer is imo entirely correct for their coats. You.mighy call ot gobbeldygook but in the normal world it os far from that.

No mention of the terrible tear duct and staining bichons have from anyone - a great reason to stayy clear esp for a new dog owner who may not want to be going to treat a dogs eyes or clean their face and eyes routinely.

Choc Chip

JustAThought wrote: »

As i am typing with a broken hand errors happen. But I guess its more important for.you to push in and be cruel than to stop and look at the majority of the spelling that is complte accurate. Just as well Im not dyslexic or disabled -God knows how cruel that would have been. As it is, suggesting a labrador and stating that non shed dogs do.not need to go to the expense of a groomer is imo entirely correct for their coats. You.mighy call ot gobbeldygook but in the normal world it os far from that.

No mention of the terrible tear duct and staining bichons have from anyone - a great reason to stayy clear esp for a new dog owner who may not want to be going to treat a dogs eyes or clean their face and eyes routinely.

You used the example of a dalmation as a non-shed breed - they shed heavily.

Labs also shed like mad and the OP said they want a low-shedding breed.

The flip side to low shedding is generally higher grooming requirements. It's doable to learn how to groom your own dog yourself but (a) the end result generally looks poorer because you have less practice and probably poorer equipment than a groomer; (b) it's time-consuming; and (c) lots of people don't have the confidence to do it themselves - I've seen people taking their dog to the vets to get their nails clipped!

I'm not a groomer but I'm sure they have other downsides.

em_cat

I was a wee bit confused about the Dalmatian being a low shed dog too.

MissShihTzu

Choc Chip wrote: »

You used the example of a dalmation as a non-shed breed - they shed heavily.

Labs also shed like mad and the OP said they want a low-shedding breed.

The flip side to low shedding is generally higher grooming requirements. It's doable to learn how to groom your own dog yourself but (a) the end result generally looks poorer because you have less practice and probably poorer equipment than a groomer; (b) it's time-consuming; and (c) lots of people don't have the confidence to do it themselves - I've seen people taking their dog to the vets to get their nails clipped!

I'm not a groomer but I'm sure they have other downsides.

Sorry - I have to chip in here. I groom and clip my Shih Tzu myself. I have professional standard clippers, blades, tools and scissors. I also have a table and proper shampoos, conditioners, blade washes and powders which I buy in bulk from Christies. The blades are sent to CCP in Bandon for sharpening as and when. He's well groomed and I've had a lot of compliments from professionals when they see him which makes him happy as well as his proud Mum!

You're right to say it's time-consuming. It can take 2 hours to groom, wash, dry and clip my boy as he's such a drama king who hates water.

Clipping nails? If you don't know what you're doing, then clipping nails can be a nightmare and most dogs (including mine) don't like clipping as it's rarely done properly and fuss-free even if it's done by a professional. If you clip too low, then the claw can bleed - A LOT!! If you don't have the clotting powder to hand it can be hard to stop. Personally, I prefer to use a nail grinder as it's far less stressful to the dog.

Anyway - If home grooming is something people want to consider, then lots of books and YouTube videos to give you pointers. You can also do as I did and take a course. Expensive to start up, if you want to make a decent job of it but works out far cheaper in the long run.

Choc Chip

MissShihTzu wrote: »

Anyway - If home grooming is something people want to consider, then lots of books and YouTube videos to give you pointers. You can also do as I did and take a course. Expensive to start up, if you want to make a decent job of it but works out far cheaper in the long run.

I did say that people CAN learn, I do my own dogs (though the gsdx doesn't really count cos I'm just throwing a brush over). I still stand by my points - most people don't have the experience or professional equipment, fair play if you do.

Nails can bleed if you hit the quick but styptic powder is cheap compared to all the grooming kit you mentioned. And clippers can be just as stress free as a grinder if you're confident, quick and treat lots. If you're willing to learn to fully groom a dog, nails are simple.

ILoveYourVibes

Greyhounds. Also many people with allergies can tolerate them with no issues. Also they are low dander. Many breeds that don't shed are high dander. (skin shedding)

Also their skin produces less oils. You don't get that 'dog' smell from greyhounds as much.

Greyhounds are low allergenic. Italian greyhounds are classed actually as hypoallergenic.

All greyhound types are gentle and docile. They generally get on with children, cats and dogs.

They don't really bark much.

They are indoor dogs though. (All dogs are really). They might a little jumper during the winter. And soft bedding.

Leaving any dog in the yard for 8 hrs isn't really advisable. Please don't do it.

In the house with someone to let them out to the loo for 20 mins and then back in etc maybe.

In fact I would ask if you are working so much is there someone at home to be with the dog?

I think expecting any breed to be alone 8 hrs is a bit much.

If there are kids there or a minder etc. That is fine.