little dogs that don't shed

Yes, to some degree all dogs shed. (And we shed too!)

The allergen - or what bothers people with allergies -- is usually the dander or tiny flakes of dried, sloughed-off skin (GROSS!!) And in some cases, people are also allergic to pet saliva. Scientists say this is where the allergies really start.

So what does that have to do with shedding hair?

All dogs shed at least a little, and all dogs produce dander and saliva in some degree.The dander and saliva tend to stick to hair or fur, so if the hair doesn't fall out as much then ... not as much dander and other allergens in the air.

So although non-shedding or hypoallergenic dogs don't technically exist, some breeds shed a whole lot less. And that means less allergy problems.

Naturally, the smaller the dog, the less allergy-producing stuff flying off it!

You can read more about hypoallergenic dog breeds at Wikipedia.

From Wikipedia.

"Meet the Xoloizcuintli (pronounced show-low-eats-kweent-lee) -- which experts say is one of the world's oldest and rarest breeds. This dog is black or brown to beige, and comes in three sizes, Toy, Miniature and Standard. "

Don't expect these non-shedding dogs to come cheap though! If you can find one, these seem to sell from $1,500 up, up, up!

Another slightly-less-rare non-shedding dog is the Chinese Crested Dog. At about 12 pounds, they're small dogs. Bizarrely they are allergic to wool!! Read more about the Chinese Hairless here.

Although many these breeds have high-maintenance grooming needs, they do shed a significant amount less than others. The less a dog sheds, the less hair and most important- dander - in the air. That's good news for people allergic to dogs. But ALL dogs shed to some degree, so if you or someone in your family, is highly allergic, then you are best without a dog (sob!)

As dog experts say (like Bruce Bochner, M.D., director of the Johns Hopkins Asthma & Allergy Center and professor of medicine at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine),

"no dog is non-allergenic. Period"

Quote from The Dog Channel.

Complete List of Low-Shedding Dogs

Affenpinscher

Basenji

Bedlington Terrier

Bichon Frise

Bolognese

Border Terrier

Brussels Griffon (rough coated only)

Cairn Terrier

Chinese Crested

Coton de Tulear

Havanese

Italian Greyhound

Lhasa Apso

Maltese

Miniature Poodle

Miniature Schnauzer

Shih Tzu

Silky Terrier

Toy Poodle

West Highland White Terrier

Xoloitzcuintli

Yorkshire Terrier

The Short List of Low-Shedding Dogs

Shih Tzu

Yorkshire Terrier

Maltese

West Highland White Terrier

Dachshund (moderate shedders)

Bichon Frise

Miniature Poodle

Italian Greyhound

Border Terrier

Cairn Terrier

Havanese

Miniature Schnauzer

Norfolk Terrier

Silky Terrier

Welsh Terrier

Boston Terrier

Scottish Terrier

Chinese Crested

Australian Terrier

 

Most designer dogs are the first generation mix of two purebreeds - so you can't count on the best characteristics of each breed being passed on to the pup.

However, if both parents are low-shedding breeds, the offspring is guaranteed to be a low-shedding dog. The Morkie - a blend of Yorkshire Terrier and Maltese dog -- is an example.

Poodles are ideal as the base for a wide variety of designer dogs, as you can see from this list, but most are not "low-sheds" --

• Aussiedoodle - Australian Shepherd and Poodle
• Aussie-Poo - Australian Shepherd and Poodle Bernedoodle - Bernese Mountain Dog and Poodle
• Bedoodle - Bedlington Terrier and PoodleCavadoodle - King Charles Cavalier and Poodle
• Doxiepoo - Dachshund and Poodle
• Pookimo - American Eskimo and Poodle
• Maltipoo - Maltese dog and Poodle
• Shiboodle - Shiba Inu and Poodle
• Schnoodle - Schnauzer and Poodle
• Shepadoodle - German Shepherd and Poodle
• Westoodle - West Highland White Terrier and Poodle
• Whoodle - Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier and Poodle
• Yorkiepoo - Yorkshire Terrier and Poodle

And of course, the Labradoodle - the Labrador retriever and poodle mix.

THIS IS HOW POPULAR THE LABRADOODLE HAS BECOME...
One of the newest Monopoly Games (called Monopoly: Here & Now) features a Labradoodle, which replaces the original Scottie token, the dog that was part of the original game, launched in 1934!

Read more about Hybrid Dogs That Don't Shed at eHow.com

They can be brown, black, beige, brown and white, black and white, black, brown and white..... well, you get the idea - there are lots of possibilities!

The Morkie is half Maltese, half Yorkshire Terrier and 100% adorable! They're typically anywhere between 4 and 8 or 10 lbs.

You can read more about them at these sites:

• Just Morkies


• Morkie Nation


• Maltese Yorkie Mix


• Morkie Info