If you are looking for large breed dogs that don't shed, or only shed a little, you might be a little surprised to learn that all dogs shed, just some dogs shed a lot more than others. I will explain that a little more about that in a moment, but first let me tell you how to find those big dogs that only shed a little.

The first thing you need to do is erase everything you have heard, and most of what you have read if you want to find a large breed dog that does not shed. For instance, while it is true that most of the dogs that are known as "non shedding" dogs are short haired, some of the worst offenders in the shedding department are short haired dogs!

The second thing you need to do is understand that ALL dogs shed, but some dogs shed inward instead of outward. What this means is that a dog that doesn't shed all over your house will have an "undercoat" and that is where all the hair is going to go. Instead of having to clean up hair all over the house. you are going to have to brush your dog, probably on a daily or every other day basis. If you don't, your dog's hair will become matted and you are going to have a huge mess on your hands. In addition to the huge mess, matted hair can become painful for your dog as it pulls on the skin. Unfortunately, if you allow your dog's hair to become matted, you or your groomer will probably not be able to get it out and the dog will have to be shaved down.

Fortunately, the "undercoat" problem is more common with smaller dogs.

Here is a short list of large dog breeds that do not shed...the cream of the crop of non shedding dogs:

Greyhound

Irish Water Spaniel

Standard Poodle

There are more, and there are also dogs that shed a little more, but don't cover your house in dog hair.

The one thing you need to remember is a saying we tell all our grooming clients who ask us about shedding dogs: "When you get a new dog, you are either going to need a vacuum or a brush."