# Shedding vs non-shedding



## cmarrie (Sep 17, 2014)

Short answer: NOPE!

I believe that everything has it's pros and cons. Pros of poodle hair is not having to vacuum anymore than I already do (which, to be honest, is pretty much never) and the con is that I have to provide him "haircuts" in some capacity. Either paying for it with my time (doing it myself) or with my money (taking him to the groomers). I chose a poodle in part for the non-shedding coat, accepting with that decision that I would have to budget for trips to the groomer. 

Of course, if I'd adopted the dog and THEN discovered he shed, I would deal with that. Part of the commitment and all. Fortunately, with pure bread poodles, that's not a risk.


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## fjm (Jun 4, 2010)

Well, I think that I would opt for a poodle in a retriever clip, and just get the clippers out every month...


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## Purpleflower (Dec 28, 2013)

What do you all think of poodles in very short (including the legs and head) clips? I know many think they look awful. I personally feel that it's more about what we're used to seeing. And I feel that a very well-bred and naturally gorgeous dog should be able to pull it off.


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## cmarrie (Sep 17, 2014)

Purpleflower said:


> What do you all think of poodles in very short (including the legs and head) clips?


I like a nice short sport clip. I'm low maintenance myself and prefer my pets to be as well. Easier to wash, faster to dry no combing needed between groomings. Also, Wrex tends to pee on his front legs, so I like to be able to take a baby wipe and spot-wash him. I have them leave the fluff on the tail, cause I like the way it swishes when he's happy. I never brush it out into the stereotypical "puff". Same with the top knot and ears. I don't have them clipped down, but short enough that I don't have to brush them out. Personally, I feel like his kinky floppy hair adds to his charm.


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## Poodlebeguiled (May 27, 2013)

I might. I've always had dogs that shed and while I prefer the non shedding, it's not a huge deal to me. I do like a clean house, but with the Poodles, it does stay nice longer and the furniture especially is better when you don't have to vacuum that. My little boy Chi does shed a little (his coat is pretty dense and thick) but not too badly. My little girl Chihuahua (rip) had a smooth coat and she shed, but very little, not only little in proportion to her size but since she was so small, there just wasn't that much hair. My Doberman shed a little bit also and like you say, those little eye-lash-like hairs stuck in things. But it was not much hair. My Lab and Shepherds were the worst shedders. That said, I hemmed and hawed about the grooming requirements for Poodles for a long time before I chose them. I have always had short haired dogs. But I finally decided the breed and it's attributes out weighed the grooming involvement as I have plenty of time for them.

And one big thing is that I came to make the _choice_ that this was going to become an enjoyable hobby type thing, NOT a drudgery...learning to clip and so forth. And it is. It's fun to experiment on Maurice and try out different things. It's a pleasurable, bonding time with my dogs. I clip Maurice all over with scissors and shave both of the dogs' faces, feet, sanis. Sometimes I even brave it and go over what the pro groomer has done on Matisse. He has a conti because he's a show dog and if there's enough time before the next show, I'll go all over him and just follow the cut. Then before a show he goes to see my master groomer.

So you just have to decide if you have the time and interest (if you're going to do it yourself) and money etc to keep a Poodle well groomed. If the coat is at all long, it needs very regular, daily brushing pretty much. So even if you use a pro groomer, you'll still need to brush and comb all the way to the skin to make sure no tangles are forming or they'll turn into nightmare mats. The shorter clip is definitely much easier than a show clip.

Good luck in whatever you decide.


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## Purpleflower (Dec 28, 2013)

Yes that's pretty much exactly what I'd want. I actually think that a nice, clean spoo head looks far more beautiful than any other retriever/gun dog head. They have incredible expression and I adore the dry mouths and elegant muzzles. 

I was thinking of a short all-over clip and a very clean face, very short poodle feet, and a tail that has been left with some furnishings - not fluffy but a bit ragamuffin-ish (however in a very controlled and strategic way because overall I like very neat and clean dogs).

I feel like performing a clip like this once a month would be maybe a 90 minute process and maybe I could do a professional clip every now and then if I was getting fed up. Plus in between groomings the pooch would need nearly no attention other than the odd bath or wipe-down. And I think on a nicely built, petite bitch (which is what I want) this clip would look very fetching.

And of course, no shedding would be a lovely thing lol.


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## Purpleflower (Dec 28, 2013)

Thanks Poodlebeguiled for the honest reply!

I've had spoos and done the grooming and clipping. I think I'd prefer a very utilitarian clip. I know I'm probably materialistic, but if I KNEW my spoo would look horrible in a very short clip, I'd probably be more focused on another breed - maybe a vizsla or a whippet. 

But as you've pointed out, grooming isn't so awful! I do enjoy spending some time grooming my current pooch. However my girl doesn't actually need a tonne of grooming - she doesn't mat up easily and looks pretty fantastic as long as she's not dirty. Bathing takes some time because she has a double-coat that I need to work through. 

Grooming is bonding and fussing and I like that, to an extent. But I must admit, I don't know that I'd MISS it. 

If I did have a short coated dog, I'd want to bathe weekly and used a flexible curry glove to get the coat out as much as possible.


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## Purpleflower (Dec 28, 2013)

I will say that I will never have a golden retriever, lab, shepherd, malinois, etc. for a number of reasons but one very important reason is the shedding!!

Other non-spoo, shedding breeds that I'm considering are German pinschers, vizslas and whippets. 

I had a brief flirtation with wheatens too but I'm over it.


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## Countryboy (May 16, 2011)

If you're going to do anything at home, FFT is the easiest part... and can be done with a small pair of inexpensive clippers. 

The rest? I take Tonka in on a every-six-week basis. It's pretty easy for my groomer to do him then. She's got the right equipment... never more than a quick top-and-sides... so less expensive that way.


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## Purpleflower (Dec 28, 2013)

I like that suggestion - an all-over clip ever 4-6 weeks and then I could do a mid-groom touch up of FFT....


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## poodlecrazy#1 (Jul 2, 2013)

Well one of the reasons I fell in love with poodles is because of the way you can clip them. There are endless possibilities. Want a terrier for a few weeks instead of a poodle, trim them in a terrier look, want a cat instead of a poodle make em a lion by giving em a mane! ? 

Personally I would never want another breed of dog other than a poodle. But the fact that poodles don't shed is not true at all in my house hold! I find little black hairs everywhere! Sometimes even balls of black hair! Branna sheds something horrible, all poodles do. What makes them different from other dogs is that they usually don't drop the hairs. Instead they get tangled up in the coat and have to be brushed out. Now with Branna I think her coat is so soft and straight (like a puppy coat) that her hairs get the opportunity to drop instead if getting tangled up in a tight corse coat. I vacuum my bed in a regular basis because that little stinker's shedding coat. "Poodles don't shed" I think not! Lol ?. 

Now I have shaved her down completely before. I hated it when I did it but I did learn to love it. I don't think I would ever do it again though. Here are some pictures for you. 

Right after. She was shaved with a reverse #10 which is a lot shorter than you are probably wanting to go but it gives you an idea 







After she grew out a bit maybe a #8 or 7 length 







Nice thing about short hair is her beautiful collar was more visible







Grown out even more. I would say about a #5 length. More of a length you might want to go for.


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## Purpleflower (Dec 28, 2013)

I love her #8(ish) length!

But wow, shedding AND clipping? For real? Is this common?? What it because her coat was changing?


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## Purpleflower (Dec 28, 2013)

I know that all dogs shed SOME but I would have thought that keeping the dog clipped really short would pretty much eliminate even that....


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## Rusty (Jun 13, 2012)

I would also not trade my poodle for a shedding version! I clip my standard myself, and am far from an expert groomer. I've never taken a class, never groomed professionally, and still do it myself (even face, feet, and tail). It's more time consuming for me than for someone who does it professionally, and, honestly, it doesn't look quite as good as the professional grooms (although I think I get a little better every time). After all that, I sweep up the clilpped hair, and my non-shedding dog goes upstairs without leaving any of him on my furniture or clothing. The trade-off of clipping for the benefits of non-shedding is totally worth it to me.

If I felt very frustrated and/or uninterested in doing the grooming by myself, I'd still happily pay a pro to do the clipping for me. Frankly, after grooming my dog myself, the prices charged by professional groomers seem extremely reasonable.


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## poodlecrazy#1 (Jul 2, 2013)

Yes I liked that one the most too. 

In Tpoos I think it is more common. I think it's mostly due to an improper coat. Many Tpoos have issues with improper coats due to breeding I guess. I'm not sure, but I have also seen spoos with improper coats as well. I guess when you are searching for a breeder keep coat quality in mind as well as all the other things. 

Also with any dog keeping a coat trimmed short will not keep them from shedding, they will continue to shed it's just smaller hairs. Depending on the breed that can be even more irritating because the hairs get pokey like little needles. Many groomers will tell people this that insist on having their double coated breed shaved like GSD. When I was a groomer I never pushed my clients to not shave their double coated breed dog like other groomers did. I had one so I understood the desperation to rid all that hair! Hence the reason I went to poodles only after she passed. I did educate them first though on what could happen to a double coated breed after shaving. Such as the pokey hairs and groomers alopecia.


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## nataly (Jul 31, 2014)

I might consider a shedding breed in future, but never again would I go for "some shed more, some shed less" breed. I went for that twice (Italian Spinone) and ended up with 2 100 lbs dogs that shedded enormous amount of hair on a daily basis. Getting a relatively neat house with them required vacuuming at least twice a day. They also were the "some are slobbery" type. Guess what? Both of mine were super duper slobbery and messy drinkers and eaters. So, not just vacuuming, mopping and cleaning walls and furniture as well. 
On the other side of the scale, I used to have a Great Dane and while he did leave short soft hairs around the house it was not excessive. I could leave with once a week vacuuming, since I am not a clean freak by any means. Also no drool unless super excited. But... as always there are pros and cons beyond grooming. My spinoni had temperaments to die for, they were super easy as puppies and adults. Now that I have a spoo puppy I feel as if my spinoni came to me already full grown. My Great Dane had both health issues and temperament issue, so this time around I thought a spoo would be a good match. I don't groom myself, so I just decided to bite the bullet of once every 6 weeks pet cut. Chaplin is going in for his 2nd clip tomorrow and so far we could managed him for 6 week without too much time spent in brushing. His 1st clip was 1/2" on the body, so had I went 1/4", which I will probably do in the summer, he could have gone 8 weeks between the groomings. We went away for a trip last week and I was a bit worried, but my daughter kept up with brushing enough for him to not get matted. I do like legs longer than the body, personally I don't like how thin their legs look when cut short. We also do clean face/feet/sani. This week I am noticing some drip after his takes a drink and I had two sticky messy butt cleaning episodes, so he is definitely due for the sani. I can see a possibility for full groom every 8 weeks with a sani in between for us...


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## Poodlebeguiled (May 27, 2013)

I thought their hair was_ hair _and not fur and therefore it grew longer and then some of the hairs would eventually fall out of the follicle. Where as fur has a shorter life span in the follicle and comes out more quickly and more often. I mean...we shed too, but just not like a dog with fur where it's more copious. I wind up ripping hair out of my Poodles when I comb them, especially if a tangle is started. Then the clipping too makes a small handful of hair. So it's not like there's no mess. But I never see any on the couch or floor from the Poodles, just from Jose` a little bit.


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## Carley's Mom (Oct 30, 2011)

I groom mine myself and I don't do anything fancy, I prefer them short and easy. I think they look great all the time... I really do. I don't like all that fluff, I think it makes them look fat .


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## MollyMuiMa (Oct 13, 2012)

I would never opt to own a shedding breed ever again! Molly is a mpoox, with poodle being the strongest trait in her. Although she has a 'soft' coat, it is dense and she doesn't shed . Of course she is brushed and combed daily, I am retired so I have the time and enjoy doing her grooming! I keep her in a modified Conti so her jacket and legs are quite fluffy but since she goes to the groomer every 6-8 weeks I just do her face feet and hindquarters between grooms. I would say I spend about 3 hours to bathe, force dry, clip her feet, face, neck, and body ( she also gets her toenails painted!)about every 10 days and not everything is done in the same day if I don't feel like doing it! I'd much rather do this than have to vacuum, as vacuuming is work and I consider grooming my girl as fun!!!
I like some short clips...........just not on my Molly LOL! Molly isn't Molly without her signature haircut according to my family!


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## JudyD (Feb 3, 2013)

We've had a Cardigan Welsh Corgi and a Lab in the past. Both of them were double-coated, horrible shedders, left wads of hair everywhere. The Lab blew his coat twice a year and needed to be combed every day for a couple of weeks. We'd get double handfuls every time we combed him. I couldn't understand how he had any hair left. No way would I trade my poodles for another shedding dog. I don't groom them myself. I'm happy to pay a pro to alternate FFT one month and a complete groom the next month.


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## Purpleflower (Dec 28, 2013)

I recognize Molly from the dogforum! I'm LaylaBird there. I've always loved her floof and her nails, and I never realized she wasn't pure tpoo! It's funny because seeing her pics gave me a new appreciation for the pure prettiness of a groom like hers. I couldn't do it myself with my current lifestyle but I totally appreciate her gorgeousness. 

In fact I adore my own girl's fluffy pants, mane and ear floofs. One of the reasons I want a different type of dog in the future is because I want something equally as gorgeous as Layla, and I can't imagine how I could replicate her with another rescue mix.


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## Purpleflower (Dec 28, 2013)

JudyD said:


> We've had a Cardigan Welsh Corgi and a Lab in the past. Both of them were double-coated, horrible shedders, left wads of hair everywhere. The Lab blew his coat twice a year and needed to be combed every day for a couple of weeks. We'd get double handfuls every time we combed him. I couldn't understand how he had any hair left. No way would I trade my poodles for another shedding dog. I don't groom them myself. I'm happy to pay a pro to alternate FFT one month and a complete groom the next month.


I totally get what you're saying. 

If the only options were lab or poodle, there would simply be no contest. 

But labs are the worst for shedding!!

I have a friend with a cute little poodle mix and she said after her GSD she would NEVER own a shedding dog again. I suspect if she'd had a dog like mine, she might not have felt so strongly. 

But with that said, you can easily get burned, even a "moderate" shedding breed like say a whippet or vizsla. Some people say their dogs hardly shed and others say they shed a tonne. It really does seem to vary from dog to dog quite a lot. Somehow I lucked out with a GSD/sheltie mix whose shedding is very manageable but it could have gone very differently!


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## Charmed (Aug 4, 2014)

I've had a GSD, Boxer, Kuvasz, Beagles, and a Rottweiler. I would never go back to all that hair. The Boxer wasn't too bad. The beagles, I swear were twenty-five pound dogs that could shed fifty pounds of hair. The Kuvasz polished off several vacuum cleaners with her rolls of shedding coat. The Rottweiler had the kind of hair that hurt when it stuck in your skin... that said I miss him, late at night when I have to run into town to pick up something...alone. Still, no I would not want to deal with shedding. It is so nice to be able to take the poodles for a long ride in the car, and the car is just as clean when you return home as it was when you started your journey. I will say that our Airedale could run through mud and you could let her dry and then brush her off and she was good to go, as opposed to the white poodles that once muddy, needed baths. Our Airedale did not shed either, but some of the fluffier coated ones are prone to shedding. Love my non-shedders!


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## fjm (Jun 4, 2010)

Poodles don't care how they look, as long as they are comfortable. They all prance with joy once off the grooming table, and respond to cries of how pretty they look (or get embarrassed at being laughed at if it has gone wrong!), regardless of how perfectly you set a line or how imperfect your scissoring technique. Choose a style - long, short, classic, contemporary, totally made up - that works for you and your dog, and then just concentrate on all the joy that having a poodle in the house can bring, regardless of how the fluff on top is styled!


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## loves (Jul 2, 2013)

Dogs have dog hair, all of them, no matter the length. Some have a longer growing cycle than others, hence the length and shedding. Naturally short haired breeds have a shorter growing cycle, resting cycle and then they shed. Breeds with long hair obviously have much longer growing cycles. Poodles shed, I brush it out all the time, but growing cycle is longer and the curly hair traps the hair so it doesn't slide out onto the floor, same thing with people with curly hair. 

A nice 4F reverse, with clean face and feet, hair on tail and neat topknot is easy maintenance. Some people like ears shaved, especially on the boys, but I do prefer full ears. You would just have to brush/comb topknot and ears in between grooms. 90 minutes to do an adult in that type of groom? if you had an awesome dryer, the right products, yea. I can get Sully washed, dried and face, feet, tail done in about 2 hours. Then an hour or so of scissoring.


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## Indiana (Sep 11, 2011)

In my opinion, you should go for the type of dog you want and don't worry about shedding. There's nothing like a herding type for really awesome, reliable obedience. I have a Boston Terrier (and am getting another! so excited), and she sheds but who cares. Vacuuming takes 10 minutes, it's not a big deal. I have all wood or tile floors so I just Swiffer or damp mop every day. Having said that, I have two standard poodles and part of the fun is trying out different clips! They are so elegant and smell wonderful after grooming.


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## JudyD (Feb 3, 2013)

Indiana said:


> I have a Boston Terrier (and am getting another! so excited),


When our parents married, my stepsister had a little Boston terrier, who was a real sweetheart. I almost (but not quite--three dogs would be one too many) envy you!


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## Harmony (Dec 18, 2009)

I love the Poodle because of the non-shedding and will never go back to a double coated dog. Grew up with Samoyed and as much as l love them - I'll never live with another one. Worse for me are the short coated dogs. They shed constantly and they hair is short prickly hair. I'd rather have the soft hair of a Samoyed massively twice a year, but even better a poodle in a nice and easy short cut!!


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