The MAGIC of Doodle Hair!
...or NOT???
Low Shedding and Hypoallergenic!
These are two of the most sought-after qualities of the Doodle. We’ve spoken with many families who were in search of a dog that’s low shedding and hypollergenic. Most of these families have previously owned other terrific dogs such as Golden Retrievers or Border Collies, and while they loved those dogs, they had grown tired of all the sneezing, sweeping and vacuuming.
So is it true?
Are Doodles really low shedding & hypoallergenic? Can they really help people who suffer from allergies caused by the dander in the dog’s hair? THE ANSWER IS YES! Sometimes.
First, a little science.
Do dogs have fur or hair?
There’s a little bit of debate about whether dogs have hair or fur…or both or either. Some say it’s one or the other based on the number of coats. Or length of the coat. Or growth rate. But what do the experts say?
“People will use the term ‘hair’ for animals that have ‘simple’ hair follicles, which means only one hair exists per hair follicle opening. This includes humans, horses, and many cattle...In contrast, the term ‘fur’ is often used in animals that have ‘compound’ hair follicles, in which multiple hairs emerge from the same hair follicle opening. This includes dogs and cats.”
While it’s essentially the same “stuff”, horses and humans have hair but dogs have fur because dogs just grow it differently.
So to answer the question, technically speaking all dogs have “fur”.
But is it the fur that's causing the problems?
NO! Well, not directly.
Remember, it’s not the animal’s fur that causes problems. Rather, people tend to have allergies to the dog’s dander (tiny skin particles that comes off the dog’s body) that’s in the fur, or the dog’s saliva that’s on the fur.
Why are some dogs better for allergies than others?
There are a couple explanations for the low shedding and hypoallergenic qualities in some dog breeds. First, it’s believed that curlier fur helps to “trap” allergens in the coat. So while a Poodle may still produce plenty of dander, the coat keeps it from escaping into your living areas. Then when an owner bathes, brushes or grooms the Poodle, the dander is flushed away.
The second thing that causes a dog to be low shedding and hypoallergenic has to do with its fur’s “growth stages”. Every dog’s fur growth cycle has 4 stages. Significantly more shedding occurs in one part of the cycle versus the others, so the more quickly a dog’s fur completes the cycle, the more it’s going to shed…hence releasing more of the allergens into the environment. The low shedding and hypoallergenic breeds have significantly slower growth cycles. Poodles are one such example. We’ll talk more about this in a future post.
Back to Doodles. What makes them so great?
Doodles tend to release less allergens into the environment than other dogs because they’re a cross with the Poodle.
One of the traits that many Doodles tend to inherit from their Poodle dads is their fur qualities. Especially with curlier F1 and F1b Doodles, the likelihood of the dog having this low shedding and hypoallergenic trait is good. And while it may not be perfect; while the dog may still shed a little or cause minor allergy problems, it’s almost certainly going to be better than with other more traditional breeds.
Then what's the catch??
What many breeders won’t tell you is that there is a downside to the Doodle’s fur. As with all dogs that tend to “shed less”, there’s the requirement that you groom them regularly!
Whether you have a Poodle or a Doodle, regular bathing, brushing and grooming is a must. If you neglect your Doodle’s fur, you’ll find yourself with a dirty, matted mess that is distracting and often extremely unhealthy and even dangerous for the dog.
Baldie, with his winter coat!
We…and many other Doodles families, usually choose to shave our Doodles for the Summer. We give them the “Summer Cut”. It helps top keep them cool; it helps to keep summer weeds, stickers and grassburs (if you’re not from Texas, these are the WORST) from invading their fur; and it just helps keep them happy. We give our dogs a shave in early summer, and this usually last for a few months. Once fall get here, we’ll give them a quick grooming and they’re ready to head into the cooler months.
In the end, the choice is yours! It is possible to get the “almost perfect pet”! Doodles will certainly shed less, in most cases, than many other more traditional family pets. You can get the terrific temperament of some of the most common family pets, along with the low shedding and hypoallergenic qualities of the Poodle. But you WILL have to take care of their coat! It’s easy, if you stay on top of it. Take care of their coat and they’ll love you for it! We promise!
