Low-Shedding Dog Breeds (Ranked by Data)
Shedding is the first thing many people ask about when they are choosing a dog for a small home, a tidy sofa or a family member with allergies. This list is the encyclopedia's answer, built from ratings rather than reputation.
Every breed here scores 1 or 2 on Shedding in our editorial ratings; the list is ranked by the Shedding score, then popularity. A 1 means a coat that drops very little hair, usually a curly, wiry or hairless coat that holds dead hair until it is brushed or clipped. A 2 means light seasonal shedding you will notice but rarely need to vacuum for.
The rating describes the breed's usual coat, not any particular dog. Coats vary within a breed and especially within crosses: a Goldendoodle or Labradoodle can lean toward either parent, which is why both sit at the 2 end of the list rather than beside the Poodle. No dog is allergen-free; dander and saliva trigger reactions as much as hair does, so anyone with allergies should spend time with the actual dog before committing.
Low shedding also means more grooming, not less. The Miniature Schnauzer, Bichon Frise and Portuguese Water Dog all need clipping every six to eight weeks and brushing between appointments, or the coat mats close to the skin. If that schedule is the part you dread, a local dog groomer can take it on, and a sitter caring for one of these dogs for more than a few days should know which brush to reach for.
Poodle
Sharp-witted, athletic water retriever in three sizes, wearing a curly low-shed coat that needs regular clipping.
Toy–Large · 10–18 years
Yorkshire Terrier
Tiny, glossy-coated terrier with a feisty, self-important spirit that fits in a purse but acts like it owns the block.
Toy · 11–15 years
Miniature Schnauzer
Bearded, bushy-browed little ratter with a lively, outspoken character, low-shedding coat and a knack for announcing visitors.
Small · 12–15 years
Shih Tzu
Palace-bred lap dog with a sweeping coat and a trusting, outgoing nature, built for companionship rather than any kind of work.
Toy · 10–18 years
Havanese
Cuba's silky-coated national dog, a sociable, springy little entertainer that bonds hard and dislikes being left alone.
Toy · 14–16 years
Maltese
Ancient Mediterranean lap dog draped in straight white silk, playful and fearless for its size and devoted to whoever holds it.
Toy · 12–15 years
Portuguese Water Dog
Curly or wavy-coated fisherman's helper from the Algarve coast, a clever, water-mad athlete that sheds little and thinks a lot.
Medium · 11–13 years
Bichon Frise
Powder-puff white companion with a merry, people-loving disposition and a curly low-shed coat that calls for frequent grooming.
Small · 14–15 years
Scottish Terrier
Compact, bearded Highland terrier with a dignified, independent streak and a surprisingly bold attitude toward anything that moves.
Small · 12–14 years
Giant Schnauzer
Big, bearded Bavarian drover turned police dog; intensely loyal, highly trainable and far too much dog for a casual or inactive household.
Large · 12–15 years
Airedale Terrier
Largest of the terriers, a wiry Yorkshire all-rounder that hunted otters, carried wartime messages and still relishes any job it is given.
Medium · 11–14 years
Chinese Crested
Exotic toy that comes either nearly hairless with a flowing crest or fully coated as a Powderpuff; warm, clingy and happiest in a lap.
Toy · 13–18 years
Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier
Irish farm terrier wrapped in a silky, wheat-colored coat; greets everyone with a bouncing leap and keeps a puppyish outlook well into adulthood.
Medium · 12–14 years
Brussels Griffon
Pint-sized Belgian stable ratter with an almost human, bearded face; sensitive, self-important and glued to its favorite person.
Toy · 12–15 years
Standard Schnauzer
The original mid-sized schnauzer, a bearded German farm dog that guarded carts and killed rats; alert, clever and fond of a good argument.
Medium · 13–16 years
Coton de Tulear
Cotton-coated companion from Madagascar's port city of Tulear; a cheerful, chatty clown that bonds hard and dislikes being left behind.
Small · 15–19 years
Maltipoo
Designer cross
Maltese and Toy or Miniature Poodle cross, a tiny fluffy companion sold under many spellings; a designer mix rather than a breed.
Toy · 12–15 years
Morkie
Designer cross
Maltese and Yorkshire Terrier cross, a toy-sized mix with a long silky coat and a big-dog attitude; not a recognized breed.
Toy · 12–15 years
Schnoodle
Designer cross
Miniature Schnauzer and Poodle cross with a wiry-to-curly coat and a watchful streak; a hybrid without a breed standard.
Toy–Large · 12–15 years
Shih-Poo
Designer cross
Shih Tzu and Toy Poodle cross bred as a small, easygoing lap dog with a fluffy coat; a designer mix, not a registered breed.
Toy · 13–17 years
Yorkipoo
Designer cross
Yorkshire Terrier and Toy Poodle cross: a tiny, lively, low-shedding companion that exists as a mix, not a recognized breed.
Toy · 12–15 years
Cane Corso
Imposing Italian mastiff with a thinking guardian's temperament; devoted and trainable but far too much dog for a casual owner.
Large · 9–12 years
Boston Terrier
Dapper, tuxedo-marked American original with round eyes, a cheerful disposition and manners that suit small homes and city life.
Small · 11–13 years
Vizsla
Rust-gold Hungarian pointer with a lean build and a clingy, affectionate heart, often found draped across its owner after a long run.
Medium · 12–14 years
Rhodesian Ridgeback
Wheaten southern African hound marked by a ridge of reversed hair along the spine; athletic, independent and quietly protective.
Large · 10–13 years
West Highland White Terrier
Plucky, all-white Scottish earthdog with a harsh weatherproof coat, a cheerful self-assurance and a lingering instinct to dig.
Small · 13–15 years
Wirehaired Pointing Griffon
Bearded, shaggy gundog engineered by a Dutch breeder to point and retrieve in any terrain; affectionate at home, methodical in the field.
Medium · 12–15 years
Whippet
Sleek medium sighthound that sprints in short bursts outdoors and then melts into a quiet, cuddly couch companion at home.
Medium · 12–15 years
Italian Greyhound
Miniature sighthound of Renaissance courts, all slender legs and velvet skin; adores warm laps and sunbeams and sprints like a toy rocket.
Toy · 14–15 years
Staffordshire Bull Terrier
Muscular, short-coupled English bull-and-terrier with a famously soft spot for people; affectionate with kids, less tolerant of strange dogs.
Medium · 12–14 years
Cairn Terrier
Scruffy little Highland terrier once used to flush vermin from rock piles; cheerful, plucky and more biddable than most of its terrier cousins.
Small · 13–15 years
Bull Terrier
Egg-headed, barrel-bodied clown of the terrier world; mischievous, stubborn and endlessly entertaining for owners with patience and a sense of humor.
Medium · 12–13 years
Miniature Pinscher
Fearless, high-stepping German ratter in a toy package; curious and quick, with an escape-artist streak that keeps owners on their toes.
Toy · 12–16 years
American Staffordshire Terrier
Stocky, confident American bull-and-terrier that thrives on human attention and structure; a devoted family dog that needs early socializing.
Medium · 12–16 years
Basenji
Central African hunting hound that yodels instead of barking and grooms itself like a cat; clever, independent and endlessly curious.
Small · 13–14 years
Chinese Shar-Pei
Wrinkled, hippo-faced guardian from southern China with a sandpaper coat; loyal and quiet with its people, aloof and watchful with everyone else.
Medium · 8–12 years
Lhasa Apso
Long-coated sentinel of Tibetan monasteries with a regal, self-assured manner; devoted to its family and quietly suspicious of newcomers.
Small · 12–15 years
Border Terrier
Otter-headed working terrier from the Anglo-Scottish borderlands; tough enough to run with hounds, yet unusually mellow and affectionate indoors.
Small · 12–15 years
Bouvier des Flandres
Burly, tousled cattle dog of the Flemish lowlands that once pulled carts and drove herds; steady, protective and quietly devoted to its family.
Large · 10–12 years
Toy Fox Terrier
Big-eared American toy with a true terrier engine; clever enough to learn tricks in minutes and bold enough to challenge dogs ten times its size.
Toy · 13–15 years
Tibetan Terrier
Not a terrier at all but a shaggy, snow-footed companion of Tibetan monks; sweet, sensitive and watchful, with a moderate need for exercise.
Medium · 12–15 years
Greyhound
Fastest dog on earth and one of the laziest indoors; a gentle, sensitive sighthound that asks for a soft bed and a few sprints a week.
Large · 10–13 years
Aussiedoodle
Designer cross
Australian Shepherd and Poodle cross that combines herding drive with a curly, often merle coat; a cross with no breed status.
Toy–Large · 10–14 years
Bernedoodle
Designer cross
Bernese Mountain Dog and Poodle cross that keeps the tricolor look with a curlier, lighter-shedding coat; a cross, not a breed.
Small–Large · 12–15 years
Cavapoo
Designer cross
Cavalier King Charles Spaniel and Poodle cross bred for a gentle, lap-sized temperament; a hybrid with no breed standard.
Small · 12–15 years
Chiweenie
Designer cross
Chihuahua and Dachshund cross: a long-bodied, big-voiced little dog devoted to one person; a mix with no registry standard.
Toy · 12–16 years
Cockapoo
Designer cross
One of the oldest designer crosses, pairing Cocker Spaniel with Poodle for a small, cheerful, curly companion; not a recognized breed.
Toy–Medium · 13–16 years
Goldendoodle
Designer cross
Golden Retriever and Poodle cross, not a recognized breed: a sociable, wavy-coated family dog that varies by generation and size.
Small–Large · 10–15 years
Labradoodle
Designer cross
Labrador Retriever and Poodle cross first bred as a guide-dog prospect; a friendly, busy hybrid rather than a registered breed.
Small–Large · 12–15 years
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