Are Labradoodles REALLY nonshedding?

No1PilotsWife · 01-17-2010, 02:47 PM

I'm strongly considering a doodle for our family. We recently had a Dobie depart from our life and would like to share our home again with another 4 legged friend. Our dobie didn't shed a lot but the thought of a nonshedding dog is GREAT and hard to imagine! I have two small children 1 and 4 and would love a family friendly dog.

TIA!

Lucky Me · 01-17-2010, 03:23 PM

Welcome Tia!
Sorry on the loss of your Dobie..... your consideration of a Labradoodle is wise as these dogs are excellent family pets, especially with children!
Yes, there are no guarantee's on the shedding part in the first generation, but further on in the generations it can be a bit more predictable.
The ones with the more poodly coats seem to be a safer bet when considering F1b's. And with non-shed, there is going to be brushwork and grooming involved.
Up side is, when they get wet, they don't tend to smell "doggy" like say a Lab or Dobie.
Find a good breeder you can work with & tell them your family situation....they should be able to watch the puppies as they grow & be able to pick out a pup that will be a good fit for your family.
Also, if they know their dogs, be able to pick out a puppy that is less likely to shed at about 6-7 weeks old.
Best of luck in your decision of your next family member!

Jac · 01-17-2010, 09:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by No1PilotsWife

I'm strongly considering a doodle for our family. We recently had a Dobie depart from our life and would like to share our home again with another 4 legged friend. Our dobie didn't shed a lot but the thought of a nonshedding dog is GREAT and hard to imagine! I have two small children 1 and 4 and would love a family friendly dog.

TIA!

Welcome to our forum!

I am so sorry for the loss of your Dobie...it is very difficult to lose a beloved pet.

No, it is not entirely true...some Doodles do not shed (well, ALL animals do shed to some extent, even humans) but some shed quite a lot. As Judi says, the breeder can give you a good idea of what to expect once a puppy is about 7 weeks old, but it is still a "best guess" ... Australian Multigen breeders claim to have a higher rate of non-shedding, but I have also known of these dogs shedding...so, dealing with nature, it is difficult to say with certainty.

My F1 girls (first generation) did shed quite a bit when they were young, but don't shed much at all as adults. I have F1B puppies that do not shed and they have gorgeous, fleece coats.

Judi mentioned that the more curl in the coat the less chance of shedding...but I don't really agree with that (it has not been my experience.) In fact, my curly coated pups do shed and my wavy fleece pups don't. So, what this boils down to is to select a Doodle for the wonderful temperament and intelligence, choose a good breeder who will be honest with you and explain what you can expect and then make a decision based on the dog, rather than the shedding.

If you want a totally non-shedding dog, I would suggest looking at Poodles. They are really lovely dogs...especially the standards. Mine have been mellow, intelligent and very graceful...and we don't give them the weird hair cut that poodles get so they look just like my Doodles!

SamsonsMom · 01-18-2010, 12:07 PM

WELCOME!!

I'm also sorry for your lose. Losing a family member is so hard.

You've gotten some great advice above. Personally, I have Samson (a black F1) and Henry (a white F1B). Samson's coat is wavy and kind-of shaggy and does shed. But not as much as my Grandmama's lab. His coat requires a brushing daily, I use a slicker brush, and that really seems to help with the hair actually shedding off him around the house. Strangely though, his hair doesn't seem to shed on the furniture, but ends up on the floor. Henry does not shed. Since I got him, I've had MAYBE 5 white hairs around the house. His coat requires more maintenance though. He easily matts. His previous owner would have him shaved regularly because she didn't want to deal with the coat maintenance. I also use a slicker brush on Henry daily, and I haven't had any issues with matting or shedding.

As far as the breed themselves, what a terrific family dog! I have a 6 year old son and they are the most gentle, loving dog with my son. As far as my two guys, they are both so aware of themselves, and their size and how they should interact with my kiddo. Samson is a bit more on the mellow side, while Henry is a bit more active. Making Henry, my son's "favorite" and Samson mine since he's a little cuddle bug.

Mucky1217 · 01-23-2010, 09:57 AM

I own a first generation labradoodle. He has a coat similar to a lab coat, but a tad longer, and he does shed quite a bit. We still love him though! Even though he sheds a lot, he doesn't both my husbands allergies nearly as much as other labrador mixes he has been around.

**lindamarie** · 01-23-2010, 10:34 AM

TIA! WELCOME TO OUR LABRADOODLE FORUM!!!

My Bogart was 2 in September. During his first year or so he was blowing his puppy coat, but things have settled down a bit.
What I find are "tumbleweeds" in the corners of of hardword floors and along the base boards......easily vacuumed.
It's interesting though, because we don't seem to have dog hair on clothes etc! Every other dog I had, we had hairy clothes....hair in the fridge......car etc. But, with Bogart, an F1.....it gathers on the floor and not other things.
Depending on the time of year, there might be more and I may notice some on a white or light colored T-shirt. But, for us it's sort of minimal.

**MaxandMe** · 01-24-2010, 12:27 AM

HI nice to meet you and soooooo sorry to hear of your recent loss.

I have a f1 black labradoodle that the 1st year shed blew puppy coat
then the 2nd year didn't shed for a year
and this year he sheds minimally........like linda stated, we don't get it on our clothes or anywhere but onthe floors by baseboard corners.

my f1 goldendoodle the cream one she doesn't shed at all except in spring when she loses her undercoat and a quick trip to the groomer
cures that one!

we have severe allergies in my house and one son with asthma, here we are over 3 years later with 2 doodles and our allergies are fine.
the dust bunnies max leaves takes a quick 10 min vacuum once a week or twice depending on the time of year.

M&Tdoodles · 01-27-2010, 09:47 PM

Hi no1pilotswirfe,
I can only give you advice from our experience...Our first Labradoodle is Kelsey..super family dog but she is an f1 half poodle half lab..unfortunatley she sheds..more so in summer than winter...when we bred her back to a poodle , their offspring were f1B Labradoodles....non of them shed..and to see for ourselves we thought we would have a doodle romp with 20 or so of them returning to us to play and have a barbecue in our back yard...we did not find one shedder in the bunch...so I hope this will encourage you a bit...talk to your breeder and see if they have had feedback from all of their customers...ask for many references from the breeder and go and email all of their previous customers...Good luck with your search for The perfect Family Friendly Labradoodle...

Martha

deepnite10 · 02-01-2010, 06:51 PM

Just some..But, not a whole lot..Having had a couple german shepherds in the past I really
appreciate Toby s coat..

I don t use a brush..just a course combing followed by a medium comb..Every other month I ll
go over him with a Coat King..It really keep s his undercoat from matting and keep s him
cool during the summers..

01-17-2010, 02:47 PM	#1 (permalink)
No1PilotsWife Junior Member Join Date: Jan 2010 Posts: 1	Are Labradoodles REALLY nonshedding? I'm strongly considering a doodle for our family. We recently had a Dobie depart from our life and would like to share our home again with another 4 legged friend. Our dobie didn't shed a lot but the thought of a nonshedding dog is GREAT and hard to imagine! I have two small children 1 and 4 and would love a family friendly dog. TIA!

01-17-2010, 03:23 PM	#2 (permalink)
Lucky Me Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Northern California Posts: 1,647	Re: Are Labradoodles REALLY nonshedding? Welcome Tia! Sorry on the loss of your Dobie..... your consideration of a Labradoodle is wise as these dogs are excellent family pets, especially with children! Yes, there are no guarantee's on the shedding part in the first generation, but further on in the generations it can be a bit more predictable. The ones with the more poodly coats seem to be a safer bet when considering F1b's. And with non-shed, there is going to be brushwork and grooming involved. Up side is, when they get wet, they don't tend to smell "doggy" like say a Lab or Dobie. Find a good breeder you can work with & tell them your family situation....they should be able to watch the puppies as they grow & be able to pick out a pup that will be a good fit for your family. Also, if they know their dogs, be able to pick out a puppy that is less likely to shed at about 6-7 weeks old. Best of luck in your decision of your next family member! __________________ Judi,Tuesday& Marley(and little Reba too!)

01-18-2010, 12:07 PM	#4 (permalink)
SamsonsMom Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2009 Posts: 590	Re: Are Labradoodles REALLY nonshedding? WELCOME!! I'm also sorry for your lose. Losing a family member is so hard. You've gotten some great advice above. Personally, I have Samson (a black F1) and Henry (a white F1B). Samson's coat is wavy and kind-of shaggy and does shed. But not as much as my Grandmama's lab. His coat requires a brushing daily, I use a slicker brush, and that really seems to help with the hair actually shedding off him around the house. Strangely though, his hair doesn't seem to shed on the furniture, but ends up on the floor. Henry does not shed. Since I got him, I've had MAYBE 5 white hairs around the house. His coat requires more maintenance though. He easily matts. His previous owner would have him shaved regularly because she didn't want to deal with the coat maintenance. I also use a slicker brush on Henry daily, and I haven't had any issues with matting or shedding. As far as the breed themselves, what a terrific family dog! I have a 6 year old son and they are the most gentle, loving dog with my son. As far as my two guys, they are both so aware of themselves, and their size and how they should interact with my kiddo. Samson is a bit more on the mellow side, while Henry is a bit more active. Making Henry, my son's "favorite" and Samson mine since he's a little cuddle bug. __________________

01-23-2010, 09:57 AM	#5 (permalink)
Mucky1217 Member Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Westminster, Massachusetts, US Posts: 11	Re: Are Labradoodles REALLY nonshedding? I own a first generation labradoodle. He has a coat similar to a lab coat, but a tad longer, and he does shed quite a bit. We still love him though! Even though he sheds a lot, he doesn't both my husbands allergies nearly as much as other labrador mixes he has been around. __________________ Alicia Proud owner of Jones (yellow labradoole) and Indy (SATO rescue)

01-23-2010, 10:34 AM	#6 (permalink)
lindamarie Super Moderator Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Birmingham, Michigan Posts: 5,231	Re: Are Labradoodles REALLY nonshedding? TIA! WELCOME TO OUR LABRADOODLE FORUM!!! My Bogart was 2 in September. During his first year or so he was blowing his puppy coat, but things have settled down a bit. What I find are "tumbleweeds" in the corners of of hardword floors and along the base boards......easily vacuumed. It's interesting though, because we don't seem to have dog hair on clothes etc! Every other dog I had, we had hairy clothes....hair in the fridge......car etc. But, with Bogart, an F1.....it gathers on the floor and not other things. Depending on the time of year, there might be more and I may notice some on a white or light colored T-shirt. But, for us it's sort of minimal. __________________ Linda & Bogart Dogs=Unconditional love "We have it all! Just like Bogie & Bacall!"

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01-24-2010, 12:27 AM	#7 (permalink)
MaxandMe Super Moderator Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Upstate, NY Posts: 15,032	Re: Are Labradoodles REALLY nonshedding? HI nice to meet you and soooooo sorry to hear of your recent loss. I have a f1 black labradoodle that the 1st year shed blew puppy coat then the 2nd year didn't shed for a year and this year he sheds minimally........like linda stated, we don't get it on our clothes or anywhere but onthe floors by baseboard corners. my f1 goldendoodle the cream one she doesn't shed at all except in spring when she loses her undercoat and a quick trip to the groomer cures that one! we have severe allergies in my house and one son with asthma, here we are over 3 years later with 2 doodles and our allergies are fine. the dust bunnies max leaves takes a quick 10 min vacuum once a week or twice depending on the time of year. __________________ *Annmarie, Max,& Peanut* "Until one has loved an animal, a part of one's soul remains unawakened." Anatole France uncondtional love: what a dog always does for us and humans strive to do but can we?

01-27-2010, 09:47 PM	#8 (permalink)
M&Tdoodles Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Rhode Island Posts: 477	Re: Are Labradoodles REALLY nonshedding? Hi no1pilotswirfe, I can only give you advice from our experience...Our first Labradoodle is Kelsey..super family dog but she is an f1 half poodle half lab..unfortunatley she sheds..more so in summer than winter...when we bred her back to a poodle , their offspring were f1B Labradoodles....non of them shed..and to see for ourselves we thought we would have a doodle romp with 20 or so of them returning to us to play and have a barbecue in our back yard...we did not find one shedder in the bunch...so I hope this will encourage you a bit...talk to your breeder and see if they have had feedback from all of their customers...ask for many references from the breeder and go and email all of their previous customers...Good luck with your search for The perfect Family Friendly Labradoodle... Martha __________________ Martha and Tom Lighthouse Labradoodles Warwick, RI http://WWW.RILABRADOODLES.COM http://s102.photobucket.com/albums/m91/ridoodles/

02-01-2010, 06:51 PM	#9 (permalink)
deepnite10 Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Norcal Posts: 852	Re: Are Labradoodles REALLY nonshedding? Just some..But, not a whole lot..Having had a couple german shepherds in the past I really appreciate Toby s coat.. I don t use a brush..just a course combing followed by a medium comb..Every other month I ll go over him with a Coat King..It really keep s his undercoat from matting and keep s him cool during the summers..