Low-shedding dogs: fewer fur tumbleweeds
142 breeds that keep most of their coat where it belongs — on the dog. Some are also hypoallergenic; others still need regular grooming despite low shedding.
Low shedding doesn't mean low maintenance
Low-shedding dogs are appealing for an obvious reason: less hair on the sofa, the carpet, your dark clothes, and your food. But there's a trade-off that often gets glossed over in the search for a "neat" breed. Dogs that don't shed still grow hair. And hair that doesn't fall out on its own has to be removed by someone. Usually a professional groomer.
Most of the breeds on this list. Poodles, Schnauzers, Bichon Frisés, Maltese, Portuguese Water Dogs. Have continuously growing coats that need cutting every 6–8 weeks. In the UK, that's typically £45–£80 per session for a small dog, more for a Standard Poodle or a larger Schnauzer. Over a year you're looking at £350–£600 in grooming costs alone, before you've bought a single bag of food.
Wire-coated breeds are slightly different. Breeds like the Wirehaired Fox Terrier, Border Terrier, or Airedale Terrier have a naturally harsh, dense outer coat that doesn't shed heavily but needs hand-stripping rather than clipping. Many groomers don't offer stripping, or charge a premium for it. It's worth finding a specialist before you commit to one of these breeds.
It's also worth being clear about the distinction between low-shedding and hypoallergenic. They overlap, but they're not the same thing. Low-shedding means less hair distributed around your home. Hypoallergenic refers to lower levels of the dander protein (Can f 1) that actually triggers allergies. A Basenji sheds very little but is not considered hypoallergenic. Conversely, the Samoyed is occasionally described as hypoallergenic despite being a significant shedder. If allergies are your primary concern, check the hypoallergenic filter rather than shedding level alone.
Single-coated breeds. Those without a dense undercoat. Tend to shed least overall. Double-coated breeds (most retrievers, huskies, shepherds) shed their undercoat seasonally in large quantities. If you want to minimise hoovering year-round, single-coated or continuously-growing-coated breeds are your best bet.
Which dog breeds shed the least?
142 low-shedding breeds
5–11kg · 13–16yr
7–14kg · 12–16yr
11–17kg · 12–14yr
20–32kg · 12–15yr
23–30kg · 12–14yr
5–10kg · 13–15yr
2–3kg · 13–16yr
25–32kg · 9–12yr
4–8kg · 13–16yr
1–3kg · 14–17yr
12–18kg · 12–15yr
7–10kg · 13–15yr
27–40kg · 10–14yr
5–9kg · 12–15yr
13–30kg · 10–15yr
2–6kg · 12–15yr
5–7kg · 12–15yr
18–29kg · 10–13yr
8–10kg · 11–13yr
6–8kg · 12–15yr
5–7kg · 12–15yr
14–20kg · 12–15yr
20–30kg · 12–15yr
25–40kg · 10–13yr
20–30kg · 10–12yr
30–45kg · 10–13yr
27–40kg · 10–12yr
3–5kg · 14–17yr
2–4kg · 13–16yr
3–6kg · 14–16yr
2–5kg · 13–16yr
2–4kg · 12–15yr
4–7kg · 13–15yr
3–5kg · 13–15yr
5–11kg · 11–14yr
5–8kg · 12–15yr
18–29kg · 8–12yr
23–27kg · 12–14yr
16–29kg · 12–14yr
29–41kg · 10–12yr
9–11kg · 13–14yr
16–25kg · 11–13yr
10–20kg · 12–15yr
3–9kg · 12–16yr
6–10kg · 12–16yr
3–6kg · 12–16yr
4–5kg · 12–16yr
25–48kg · 10–12yr
20–34kg · 12–14yr
18–32kg · 12–15yr
9–16kg · 11–14yr
6–9kg · 12–15yr
8–10kg · 12–14yr
11–13kg · 13–15yr
14–20kg · 13–16yr
13–16kg · 15–17yr
23–36kg · 10–12yr
4–9kg · 12–15yr
14–22kg · 12–15yr
5–9kg · 12–15yr
18–30kg · 12–15yr
22–36kg · 12–15yr
18–30kg · 12–15yr
2–6kg · 10–15yr
9–20kg · 12–15yr
2–5kg · 12–16yr
14–25kg · 10–13yr
18–30kg · 10–14yr
7–11kg · 12–15yr
5–9kg · 12–15yr
5–10kg · 12–15yr
5–6kg · 11–14yr
4–6kg · 12–15yr
7–8kg · 12–16yr
5–10kg · 14–16yr
8–14kg · 12–15yr
36–50kg · 8–11yr
15–18kg · 13–15yr
10–15kg · 12–16yr
40–60kg · 10–12yr
3–6kg · 13–15yr
2–4kg · 12–14yr
8–11kg · 12–15yr
19–29kg · 11–14yr
18–27kg · 12–14yr
8–9kg · 12–14yr
4–6kg · 12–15yr
14–16kg · 12–15yr
6–10kg · 12–15yr
14–22kg · 12–14yr
17–28kg · 13–15yr
23–32kg · 12–14yr
36–65kg · 10–11yr
3–6kg · 15–19yr
2–3kg · 12–15yr
25–32kg · 12–16yr
5–7kg · 11–15yr
3–6kg · 12–15yr
14–20kg · 12–14yr
3–5kg · 12–16yr
9–10kg · 12–15yr
29–34kg · 10–13yr
8–12kg · 12–14yr
20–27kg · 12–16yr
23–34kg · 12–13yr
4–14kg · 13–18yr
20–35kg · 10–12yr
20–27kg · 12–14yr
5–10kg · 15–18yr
1–3kg · 13–14yr
4–6kg · 13–15yr
18–34kg · 12–15yr
22–40kg · 12–14yr
14–25kg · 10–15yr
2–5kg · 12–15yr
27–40kg · 9–13yr
18–30kg · 10–14yr
3–6kg · 13–16yr
22–45kg · 10–14yr
7–14kg · 12–15yr
6–9kg · 12–15yr
3–9kg · 12–15yr
10–18kg · 12–17yr
40–80kg · 10–12yr
36–65kg · 8–12yr
40–80kg · 8–12yr
45–90kg · 8–12yr
27–52kg · 10–12yr
5–9kg · 13–15yr
7–14kg · 12–15yr
2–6kg · 12–15yr
3–7kg · 13–15yr
2–5kg · 12–15yr
12–18kg · 12–15yr
5–9kg · 12–15yr
3–6kg · 15–18yr
2–5kg · 12–15yr
3–7kg · 10–15yr
2–4kg · 12–18yr
16–18kg · 12–14yr
18–23kg · 10–12yr
3–5kg · 14–18yr