Shedding and Allergies Explained:
Hypoallergenic means relatively unlikely to trigger allergies or cause an allergic reaction. With the advancement of the genetic testing, we are able produce puppies that are minimal to non-shedding (if they shed at all), hypoallergenic, and the most allergy friendly puppies possible. If you are looking for a minimal to non-shedding puppy, be sure that you choose a breeder (like us) that does the proper DNA coat testing. No breeder could ever guarantee that your dog will be 100% non-shedding (even humans shed a few hairs daily) or that you will have no allergy response (some folks are allergic to the proteins in their saliva). We recommend anyone with moderate to severe allergies who is considering a puppy consult with your allergist first to be sure that a goldendoodle will be a good fit for your family.
In the past it was believed that you had to get a curly coated puppy in order for a dog to be hypoallergenic or non-shedding. This is no longer the case. We now know that curl has nothing to do with shedding. Think about other straight-haired breeds, like the Shih Tzus, Lhasa Apso, Bichon etc. They are non-shedding but they have NO curl to their coats. Breeders needs to genetically test their parent dogs for the furnishings, improper coat IC genes as well as the shed gene. This is especially important in hybrids, like Goldendoodles. With the advancement of available genetic testing, we can know if the parents carry for IC improper coat furnishings as well as their shed score, both of which influence shedding. There are two unrelated genes involved that play an important role as well. However, the overall degree of shedding is dependent on the combination of the dog’s genotypes at the SD and IC loci as well as the actual coat traits of the parents. By carefully chosen breeding pairs, it allows us to produce wavy or curlier puppies with minimal to non-shedding, hypoallergenic teddy bear coats. They are relatively unlikely to trigger allergies or cause an allergic reaction.
**Please note that even if a dog is non-shedding, some folks are allergic to the protein in their saliva or dander. So, if in doubt, always check with your allergist first before purchasing a puppy for you and your family.
Chart courtesy of Paw Print Genetics
Return to FAQs page.