With the Goldendoodle dog breed seeing exponential rise in popularity, it is not unexpected that we are witnessing an increase in the number of individuals contacting us and asking different questions about the breed and how to best care for Goldendoodle.
One of the more commonly asked questions we’ve seen in recent months, and one that is actually increasing in frequency, is “Do Goldendoodles shed?”
We decided to make today’s post regarding Goldendoodle shedding because we are always trying to help as many of our readers as possible and since we have had so many people reach out and inquire about it.
Before we go any further, the quick answer is yes, your Goldendoodle will shed, regardless of the variety of the breed you obtain; all dogs shed at least portion of their coat.
Because many individuals are allergic to dogs, the Goldendoodle breed is frequently suggested as a hypoallergenic dog breed, however this is only partially accurate.
No dog breed is completely hypoallergenic, but the Goldendoodle is one of the closest available right now, by a long margin.
This is due to the breed’s natural coat doing an excellent job of containing shedding rather than allowing it to fall to the ground all over your home and perhaps causing you problems with any allergies you may have.
Furthermore, while this is not technically true for all Goldendoodle variations, the majority of them do not shed year-round, with some only shedding for around three months of the year.
These two qualities combine to make the Goldendoodle one of the most allergy-friendly breeds, with many Goldendoodle owners claiming that they can have their Goldendoodle in their house without using antihistamines or exhibiting any of the usual signs of a dog allergy.
As a result, while your Goldendoodle will shed, this may be a wonderful incentive for you to study the breed more with the eventual objective of acquiring your own Goldendoodle.
Some care of your Goldendoodle’s coat is necessary due to their coat naturally collecting their shedding, but the methods below may easily keep you safe from having an allergic response to your Goldendoodle’s shedding.
Dealing With Goldendoodles Shedding
Fortunately, there are a few things you can do to assist deal with your Goldendoodle’s shedding and keep it under control. Brushing your dog’s coat regularly while it is shedding may make a startling impact in the quantity of hair that you may find about your home as well as assist to reduce any potential allergy flare-ups.
One of the most common problems we encounter with Goldendoodle owners while brushing their dog is that they use a normal brush, which is just not suited for a Goldendoodle’s hair, especially if it is shedding and full of loose shed stuck in your dog’s coat.
A good slicker brush may make all the difference when grooming your dog and can significantly reduce the time it takes to really brush your dog’s coat.
Furthermore, a slicker brush has been particularly created for the coat type of a Goldendoodle and should result in a pain-free brushing experience, whereas other brush types may give your Goldendoodle some little discomfort during the brushing process.
When we observe Goldendoodle owners cleaning their dogs, one of the most common comments we hear is that they are astonished by the sheer volume of fur that comes up on their brush.
This is completely normal and to be anticipated, and there is nothing to be concerned about.
As mentioned previously in the essay, the Goldendoodle sheds are frequently trapped in their coat rather than dropping to the ground, resulting in a rapid build up that is removed all at once while brushing.
Getting Your Goldendoodle A Hair Cut
More and more Goldendoodle owners are taking their dog to a professional dog grooming facility to get their dog professionally groomed.
Although this may seem like a smart idea, especially if you live in a warm climate, it will not assist to lessen the quantity of shedding your Goldendoodle experiences.
Shedding is typically triggered by a hormone produced when your doodle’s body determines it’s time to shed and is not caused by your dog being overheated on a regular basis.
Although getting your doodle’s hair trimmed might help them stay cool in the summer, the hormone will still cause your doodle to lose its coat at the same pace.
Furthermore, because your doodle’s coat has been properly styled, the coat that would normally collect and contain the shed will be shorter.
This frequently results in the shed being deposited around your home, which can potentially create allergy flare-ups and a surprising amount of cleaning labor.
Our main advice is to purchase a good slicker brush and just brush your dog’s coat through once a week to remove the shed and keep it under control during the shedding season.
However, we understand that some of our readers live in warmer regions, where not having your dog’s coat trimmed on a regular basis may cause difficulties with your dog’s internal temperature.
If you fall into this group, we strongly advise you to get a good set of dog clippers and cut your dog’s coat at home.
It is not as tough as most people believe.
Furthermore, many professional dog groomers charge upwards of $80 each trim, but our recommended dog clippers are less expensive while also being a one-time buy.
Try Restricting The Time Your Dog Is Outdoors
Although this final one seldom works, the American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) has published data indicating that certain dog breeds may shed more often if they spend more time outside than indoors. To be clear, we are not advocating that you keep your Goldendoodle indoors at all times, and there is just circumstantial evidence that this helps, but it is something to consider depending on your circumstances.
The main idea is that you may continue to take your Goldendoodle on its usual daily walks without difficulty, but if your dog is used to sleeping outside, consider bringing it inside and putting it in an appropriate cage or crate depending on the scenario.
We’ve had a number of people report that this has helped their dog’s shedding situation, but on the other hand, they almost always start doing the weekly grooming with a slicker brush at the same time that they limit their dog’s outdoor time, making it difficult to determine what is actually causing the change.
Why Do Goldendoodles Shed?
As we mentioned previously in the post, your Goldendoodle will begin to shed when its hormones signal that it is time, and there is nothing you can do about it.
All dogs go through this process, with some breeds shedding all year and others shedding periodically, depending on the breed. The difficulty with the Goldendoodle breed in particular is due to its liniage, which is based on a Golden Retriever and a Poodle mix with unique blood lines and characteristics that have not yet established owing to the breed being so new.
Because the Golden Retriever breed sheds year-round, with shedding rising in the spring and fall, and the Poodle breed seldom sheds much but typically year-round, the shedding disposition of your Goldendoodle will be determined by the line that has more traits.
This is generally why there are so many Goldendoodle owners online who say that they have several Goldendoodles, one of which sheds frequently and regularly while the other seldom sheds at all.
Goldendoodles – The Owners Guide from Puppy to Old Age!
If you are involved in any of the online Goldendoodle owner communities on social media or online forums then you may have already heard of the Goldendoodles – The Owners Guide from Puppy to Old Age book that has essentially become a bible for Goldendoodle owners around the world. Not only is the book very detailed and covers everything that you may ever need to know about your Goldendoodle but it is very cheap while also having managed to build up a ton of positive independent reviews from other Goldendoodle owners over the years that you can check out before even purchasing it. We would highly recommend that our readers new to the breed consider checking it our or at least read some of the reviews linked above as we consider it essential reading for any Goldendoodle owner.
How Much Do Goldendoodles Shed
As we touched on above, this will definitely vary from Goldendoodle to Goldendoodle and has a massive range of shedding potential depending on the lineage your dog takes after. On top of this, your Goldendoodles actual coat type will also come into effect and can potentially play a large role in the amount of shedding that your Goldendoodle will do. As you probably know, the coats can vary in length, the shape of the hair and a few other things but in our experience, Goldendoodle with longer coats that are curly or wavy tend to catch their shed in their coat much better than those with a shorter coat based around straight hair.
Unfortunately, this is about as far as you can go on a visual inspection due to the actual genetics of the dog being the main decider on the amount of shedding that it is going to do. If you do have allergies to dogs then trying to purchase a Goldendoodle puppy or rescue dog that has a long and wavy coat will likely be your best option as it will result in less shed being deposited around your home each day. The issue is if you are purchasing your Goldendoodle as a puppy, depending on the age of purchase it can be difficult to see the coat type the puppy has. Asking for a viewing of the parents is often not helpful either due to there still being so much genetic variation in the breed where two short, straight-haired Goldendoodles can often produce a full litter of long, wavy-haired pups.
Will My Goldendoodle Stop Shedding?
This is another one that is not as easy to answer but that we see asked on a regular basis, unfortunately. The vast majority of Goldendoodles will shed year-round with many having a spike in their shedding in the Spring and Fall. This is often why you see many Goldendoodle owners saying that their dog stops shedding for most of the year due to the sudden increase and decrease due to seasonal shedding. That said though, even if you do have a Goldendoodle that is a seasonal shedder then it is still highly likley that it will still shed year-round, just in smaller amounts.
As we mentioned throughout the article, the coat of a Goldendoodle is usually ideal for catching and holding its shed so, during the Winter and Summer months, owners of a Goldendoodle that has an increase in shedding during the Spring and Fall months may think that their dog has stopped shedding completely but this is not the case. If you do have a Goldendoodle that is a seasonal shedder then it may be a good idea to groom your dog with a slicker brush once a week during its shedding months and then reduce this to once a month in its offseason.