9 Friendly Dogs That Don’t Shed Much

When it comes to desirable traits in a dog, friendliness is usually at the top of the list. In addition to a sweet, cheerful dog, perhaps you also want one that sheds minimally.

What kinds of canines fit the bill?

Here’s the list:

1. Boston Terrier
2. Soft-Coated Wheaten Terrier
3. Giant Schnauzer
4. Australian Terrier
5. Poodle
6. Havanese
7. Shih-Tzu
8. Vizsla
9. Staffordshire Bull Terrier

The above dog breeds are known for their exceptional friendliness. Of course, the personality traits ascribed to a breed don’t always fit every individual dog, but you can generally expect a good-natured pup if you adopt one of the low-shedding breeds I’ll talk about today!

1. Boston Terrier

• Shedding Level: 2/5 (low shedding)
• Grooming Effort: 1/5 (very low maintenance coat)

The United States-born Boston Terrier is a small, close-cropped dog that sheds minimally. I’d rate the dog’s shedding at about a 2/5.

That said, the Boston Terrier will shed seasonally as the autumn gives way to winter and then again as the spring transitions into summer.

Since the Boston Terrier is so short-coated, though, you won’t have to worry about tufts of hair floating about the house (and coating your clothes!).

Controlling the dog’s shedding during these seasonal spikes is easy with a good grooming routine. I’d suggest using a soft-bristle brush.

Do this daily when your Boston Terrier blows its coat and then several times per week any other time of the year.

You’re getting more than a friendly dog if you adopt a Boston Terrier. This breed is also beloved for its spirited personality and its intelligence. Try training your Boston Terrier to do new commands, and you’ll surely be impressed!

2. Soft-Coated Wheaten Terrier

• Shedding Level: 2/5 (low shedding)
• Grooming Effort: 4/5 (high maintenance coat)

At first glance, the Soft-Coated Wheaten Terrier might not seem low-shedding at all, but you’d be surprised!

The Soft-Coated Wheaten Terrier, despite being a much bigger dog, might shed even less than the Boston Terrier.

That’s because the Wheaten Terrier is only single-coated and does not blow its coat with the seasons.

The longer length of a Soft-Coated Wheaten Terrier’s coat also keeps this dog low-shedding.

How? Every dog grows its fur across four distinct stages that comprise the hair growth cycle. The stages are anagen, catagen, telogen, and then exogen.

The hair grows during anagen, stops growing at catagen, and then rests during telogen until it comes out during exogen.

A short-furred dog like the Boston Terrier doesn’t spend as much time in catagen, which means all the hair cycle stages are short, so they tend to shed more. The Soft-Coated Wheaten Terrier’s long fur takes longer to come out.

The Soft-Coated Wheaten Terrier has an exceptional personality, too. This large dog from Ireland is playful, affectionate, lively, faithful, energetic, and smart.

3. Giant Schnauzer

• Shedding Level: 2/5 (low shedding)
• Grooming Effort: 3/5 (average maintenance coat)

I recently talked about this on the blog, but I wanted to share this fun fact again. No matter the size of the Schnauzer, they’re all low-shedding.

That means that the Giant Schnauzer sheds minimally, although not as little as his tinier counterparts, the Standard Schnauzer or Miniature Schnauzer. That’s just because the Giant Schnauzer has more surface area.

Part of why the Giant Schnauzer sheds little is that it has a wiry outer coat. Wiry-coated breeds often shed less than dogs with other fur textures.

That said, the Giant Schnauzer is a double-coated breed with rather dense fur. Despite that, when the big dog blows its coat, the rate of fur shed is typically not horrible.

I would recommend daily brushing with a slicker brush during these weeks-long periods to combat all the loose fur.

The Giant Schnauzer has a powerful personality to match its imposing stature, as the dog is dominant but loyal, friendly yet strong-willed, and wholly intelligent.

4. Australian Terrier

• Shedding Level: 1/5 (very low shedding)
• Grooming Effort: 1/5 (very low maintenance coat)

The third Terrier on the list that’s both friendly and low-shedding is the Australian Terrier.

The even-tempered Australian Terrier is also known to be lively, brave, loyal, alert, and companionable. This breed is an ideal four-legged friend.

This scraggly-looking pooch from down under has a wiry coat. You’ll recall from the last section on the Giant Schnauzer that wiry fur usually results in less shedding, and that’s true of the Australian Terrier as well.

So, not only is the Aussie Terrier a low shedder, but the hair it does shed is often trapped within its wiry outer coat, which means regular brushing is one of the best ways to keep your home hair-free. And thankfully, this breed’s coat is low-maintenance. A regular going over with a pin brush (or pin/bristle brush combo) should do the trick.

5. Poodle

• Shedding Level: 1/5 (very low shedding)
• Grooming Effort: 5/5 (very high coat maintenance)

Next, we have a very beloved dog breed, the Poodle.

This dog is celebrated for a variety of reasons, and rightfully so!

First and foremost, let’s talk shedding. The Poodle is one of the lowest-shedding breeds around, period.

The reason for this is twofold. For starters, the Poodle only has a single coat, so you don’t have to worry about seasonal shedding twice per year.

As if that wasn’t nice enough, the Poodle’s trademark curls are wiry and tightly wound to trap loose fur and prevent it from making a mess of your house.

I must say that it’s not all a walk in the park, as grooming the Poodle can be a pain. This dog’s hair can get poofy unless you trim it.

With so many Poodle cuts on the table, you could spend hours alone debating which one is right for your dog. Some Poodle cuts are rather complex and might be better left to the hands of a groomer.

The other issue with the Poodle’s coat is that brushing through those curls is not easy. Once you have the right tools, such as a slicker brush, you should struggle less with grooming.

What about the Poodle’s personality?

This dog likes to keep things on the silly side despite its regal, posh air. Poodles love fun, and they have a bright, friendly personality and an active streak a mile wide!

6. Havanese Dog

• Shedding Level: 1/5 (very low shedding)
• Grooming Effort: 4/5 (high coat maintenance)

Another dog that’s just as low-shedding as the Poodle is the Havanese.

Growing attached to their favorite people, the Havanese are highly trainable, smart, friendly, loving, affectionate, and active dogs.

What about its shedding propensity?

As you would have guessed, since it’s on this list, the Havanese sheds minimally. How minimally, you ask? It’s considered one of the lowest-shedding dogs around.

That’s attributed to the Havanese’s long, appealing coat. To reiterate from the section on the Soft-Coated Wheaten Terrier, longer-furred dogs typically shed less than their shorter-furred counterparts.

Further, the Havanese has only one fur layer, not two.

And the dog is also very tiny.

As was the case with the Poodle, the time you gain skipping fur cleanup with the Havanese must then be used to keep this dog groomed. Its long coat is prone to mats, knots, debris, and tangles.

7. Shih-Tzu

• Shedding Level: 2/5 (low shedding)
• Grooming Effort: 5/5 (very high coat maintenance)

How about another small dog with a shining personality?

Well, that would be the Shih-Tzu from China.

This tiny, furry dog has a big, bold personality. Playful, friendly, smart, spunky, happy, gentle, affectionate, yet independent, you won’t get bored if you decide to adopt a Shih-Tzu.

Every day will feel like an adventure!

Shih-Tzus are double-coated, so while they shed more than the similarly-sized Havanese, it’s still not to excess.

Part of that has to do with the length of the Shih-Tzu’s coat, which will keep growing and growing without your manual intervention (or that of a groomer). The long fur takes more time to shed.

If you trim your Shih-Tzu and give the dog a cutesy, scruffy puppy cut, then your pup will shed more than usual, especially seasonally.

Make daily brushing with a slicker or pin brush a habit, and your Shih-Tzu won’t leave small mountains of white fluff in their wake!

8. Vizsla

• Shedding Level: 2/5 (low shedding)
• Grooming Effort: 1/5 (very low coat maintenance)

From small dogs to a larger canines, next on the list is the Vizsla.

This Hungarian dog breed has incredibly short fur that’s often appealingly coppery. The Vizsla is single-coated, but since it has shorter fur, you’re likely to see some shedding from this breed throughout the year.

However, if your Vizsla is healthy, with no fleas and no nutritional deficiencies or dry skin, then its shedding should never be excessive. I’d rate this breed’s rate of shedding as a 2/5.

The Vizsla is gentle and sweet with a quiet side. The pup is also plenty loyal and affectionate and appreciates frequent exercise to burn off its seemingly boundless energy!

And to top it off, the unique thing about the Vizsla is that they are very easy to groom. Not only does this breed have a short, low-maintenance coat, but they are known to groom themselves like a cat. So, keeping this dog’s short fur clean and well-brushed should be a breeze.

9. Staffordshire Bull Terrier

• Shedding Level: 3/5 (average shedding)
• Grooming Effort: 1/5 (very low maintenance coat)

The Staffordshire Bull Terrier may seem like a rather unconventional pick on a list of friendly dogs, but these are great dogs. So if you’re willing to give a Staffy a chance, you’ll discover that this dog is kind, affectionate, smart, reliable, loyal, and brave.

Also, who can resist the trademark Staffy smile?

The Staffordshire Bull Terrier is short-furred, which contributes to its somewhat moderate rate of shedding. Your Staffy dog may also molt once or twice per year with the changing seasons.

Keeping this dog groomed is the best way to combat the shedding, though, and that’s very easy to do, given its coat. You can use a rubber hand mitt or a bristle brush to comb your Staffy dog a couple of times per week.

Increase the brushing frequency to daily when the Staffordshire Bull Terrier blows its coat!

Conclusion

All dogs shed to some extent, but the breeds on this list are among some of the lowest shedders out there. And they’re also known for their friendly dispositions.

That said, I must stress that a dog’s personality varies from dog to dog. A happy dog will certainly be more friendly and outgoing, at least typically! But it can depend on the individual breed, the human parents, and the dog’s environment (among other factors).

Have you adopted one of these beautiful breeds? And if so, what has been your experience? Let us know in the comments section below!