The no shed dog. Is it true?
I have a good friend who we call "Tiny". He's 6'9 and weighs 400 pounds. The crazy thing is that his parents aren't large people. Genetics are funny.
There is no such thing as a no shed dog. All dogs shed. (Even Poodles shed a little. They just do it in smaller amounts.) So is it a waste of time trying to “find the perfect pet”, one with less shedding? Is it possible to have a pet with the personality of the Golden Retriever, or whatever dog, but with the benefits of the Poodle’s fur?
The honest answer is “maybe”.
For allergies, it's dander that's the real problem.
Some families aren’t necessarily looking for a no shed dog, but rather are more concerned with allergies. When pets shed, it’s not really the hair that causes allergy problems. The problem is dander. Dander is a combination of dead skin cells and hair and it’s this dander that can cause your allergies to act up. The trick is eliminating, or limiting dander. (And even Poodles have dander. Just in smaller amounts!)
And it’s also important to mention here that if you have extreme allergies, you might also have reactions to proteins in a dog’s saliva, urine or feces.
And remember, genetics are fairly unpredictable.
So back to the quote at the top. Genetics are indeed funny. Look at your children, if you have any. Yes, they’re technically “half you and half their father”. But some traits are more you, and some are more their father. Maybe one child is tall, like dad’s side, but hair and eye color match yours. Or, maybe your daughter acts just like dad but looks just like you. Sometimes, a child has similar traits of an aunt, uncle or grandparent even!
With genetics, you're playing the odds.
With genetics you’re playing the odds. F1 Doodles are 50% Poodle and 50% Retriever (or Great Pyrenees, Border Collie, Bernese Mountain Dog, etc), therefore there is a *likelihood* that their offspring will exhibit characteristics similar to the Poodle parent. Odds are these offspring will have coats that are somewhere in between the coats of their parents. (Same goes for temperament, intelligence, etc.)
F1 Doodles therefore tend to have coats that are wavy and that shed much less than pure bred Retrievers.
F1B Doodles offer a potential greater chance at having curlier coats that shed less. Because F1Bs are 75% Poodle, chances go up even more that the dog will have “Poodle traits” – shed less and therefore release less dander.
*Note: Again, these are not certainties! We have seen many F1s that don’t shed at all, and have seen a few F1bs that do!
The Bottom Line:
While there is no guarantee of the no shed dog, Doodles are providing pet owners the best opportunity for a perfect pet. Their popularity has skyrocketed over the past 20 years for a reason! Do your research and know the facts and we’re certain you can find a terrific new family member!
