How to select non-shedding dog breeds; a beginner's hub for dog lovers prone to allergies

Our elder poodle died of kidney failure on Election Day, leaving Finnegan, an Irish soft-coated wheaten terrier, without a fuzzy companion to annoy. I was in mourning and uncertain whether to add another household pet until Finn fell into a bit of a depression; wheatens are very social dogs and though we walk our two year old twice daily, he needs more action than my husband and I are able to provide.

The immediate question became, what type of dog will provide Finnegan with needed play, while suiting the needs of those who frequent our home, i.e., our son has allergies; some day we hope to have grandchildren; we have one barking dog, do we need another, etc.

I found several sites offering pet quizes, and took them all. I was uncertain regarding my doggie priorities until I examined the dogs recommended on these sites. Most sites did not have a category for hypoallergenic, as it is considered highly unpredictable to claim a dog does not produce dander and therefore will not cause an allergic person to sneeze. However, one did ask whether or not we wanted a dog to shed and the second I listed below actually separated dogs immediately into purebred or hybrid categories, which was most valuable.

Hybrid dogs are sometimes called Designer Dogs and can be very expensive. If money is an object, there are always Rescue Dogs and Adopt a Dog groups to research. I found myself leaning towards labradoodles and visited a local litter raised by a sweet elderly gentleman. His puppies did not have wavy hair, generally indicative of a non-shedder, but they were adorable and so very loved. I found myself wanting to carry every one of his three puppies home to Finnegan!

I resisted.  Do you know how difficult it is to resist a puppy face?  I returned home to research the shedding possibilities of this combination dog. I discovered a hybrid dog like a labradoodle- born of a Labrador Retriever and a Poodle- might shed depending on the purebred or hybrid status of its parents. There are evidently four categories of labradoodles that define such a status.

If one parent is pure lab and the other pure poodle, this is considered a first generation hybrid. But if one of the parents is already a Labradoodle and has been bred with a purebred poodle, this becomes what is called an F1B hybrid. This is the type least likely to shed.

To understand hybrids and categories of hybrids, please click on the links below.

I discovered, through research, that the litter of labradoodles I fell in love with does not fit the categories described in the link above. The mother of this litter is First Generation, with a poodle mom and a lab retriever dad.

BUT the sweet elderly gentleman bred her with a lab and not a poodle! This means they are not F1B hybrids, but some sort of lab leaning hybrid, which means they will be more likely to shed. Oh woe! I cannot have a shedding dog in this household or my son will never come visit.

Now I must call and tell this breeder that I cannot purchase his puppy after all. Sad.  I must believe there is a proper home out for his three adorable pups; a home where there are hunters who want the poodle brain and the lab brain- both these breeds are high on the list of intelligent dogs.  I am not of that ilk.

I went to the link below and applied, instead, to adopt a Doodle. In the process, I discovered that there are mini- labradoodles!  Breeders have bred miniature poodles to Labrador retrievers and even bred labs to toy poodles! My curiosity has been tweaked.

I am astonished when further research reveals a Labradoodle Ranch only miles from my house. I have written for an invitation to visit and plan to check it all out when frigid outside temperatures ease.

Drat, I must make that dreadful telephone call...  Truth be told, it is best to be honest with myself and to find the dog suiting my household needs.  Rescue dogs are numerous.  I do not wish to be one of those sad owners who must give up a pet due to allergies, or suffer the runny nose consequences.  I hope my adventure has helped narrow your search for the dog best suited to your lifestyle.

Good luck!

I wound up with a goldendoodle, on my way to purchasing a labradoodle. I could have gone either way- the breeder was conducting a fire sale of sorts and both were suddenly in my price range.

My daughter and I preferred the curly coat on the goldendoodle and he seemed to be possessive of us, as all the puppies bounced over our laps and around their cozy barn. We could have been satisfied with either, I'm sure, but I have grown more and more fond of the gentle yet determined personality of our Baxter Thor (a combination of my daughter's name choice and mine). Yes, perhaps it is pretentious to have a dog with two names, but its descriptive; at 9 months, BT has the sweet puppy nature of a Baxter, but the 80 pound bulk of a Thor!

I need to warn readers regarding wheatens, however.

Finnegan has had severe issues with skin itching and requires a raw meat diet, which is expensive. Turns out Irish Soft-coated Wheaten Terriers were overbred in the United States and the locally born litters are all too often a mess.

If you are interested in this wonderful breed- their intense eyes and focused intelligence- please check out the breeder and make certain you are not getting a dog from a puppy mill or an uninformed basement breeder. The best wheatens are those that come from Ireland, where the breed has been carefully tracked- or from established breeders in the US who are not afraid to discuss this issue with you and to point out the facts.