A Guide to Long-Haired Shedding Breeds

Their coats aren’t as intimidating once you learn how to manage them.

When it comes to grooming, there are all kinds of tips and tricks for different breeds. If you’re dealing with medium to long-haired dogs, you might not love the idea of dog hair covering all kinds of surfaces in your home. But you shouldn’t let this dictate which breed you get. At the end of the day, all dogs shed a little bit—even hypoallergenic breeds. However, if you’re going to go with a long-haired dog, it helps to understand the specific needs of different breeds.

Types of Dog Coats

It helps to understand each type of coat you might encounter with a long-haired dog. Grooming is so important, and even if you plan to go to a professional, it’s great to have tools at home to use when you need them. After all, you never know what a day out with your furry friend might lead to. So make sure you have everything you need at home to use whenever the moment calls for it!

Here are several coat types you can expect from different dog breeds:

Double coat: as the name suggests, a double coat has two layers of fur. Underneath is short and soft, with a long and coarse coat on top.

Single coat: one single layer of fur, any length or texture.

Long coat: anything longer than two inches is considered a long coat.

Wire coat: consists of brittle, coarse hair that typically feels rough.

Smooth and silky coat: much like you’d expect, these coats are straight and shiny.

Now let’s get down to some of the most popular long-haired breeds.

Bernese Mountain Dog

Born to survive the harshest winters in the Alps of Switzerland, The Bernese Mountain Dog has a very thick double coat. You’ll recognize this breed for it’s gorgeous combination of black, white, and tan markings. You’ll definitely experience some shedding, but regular brushing should help mitigate any excess.

German Shepherd

Many people don’t know that German Shepherds are a double-coated breed. With a tougher exterior and a softer undercoat, these hard-working pups are also tough on the outside with a cuddly interior. They even exist in a variety of colors, including black, tan, gray cream, red, and white.

Golden Retriever

Many people go with Golden Retrievers because of their stellar reputation for being friendly and amazing with people. Their double coats are even water repellant! If you want a breed that is known for bringing joy and connection to a household, this is the long-haired breed for you. They might shed quite a bit, but you should be fine if you make sure to brush them consistently.

Siberian Husky

Siberian Huskies are known for being quite a clean breed. They don’t need to be bathed too often, but of course, their thick coats benefit from regular brushing. This breed sheds throughout the year, but more when the seasons change.

Akita

Akita’s come in a range of colors, like red, white, black, and brown. What’s interesting about this is that you can even get a combination of the two—one in the undercoat and one in the outercoat. Their thick double coats require weekly brushing to maintain good condition. Be prepared for some seasonal shedding as well.

Chow Chow

Many people compare the Chow Chow to little fuzzy lions with voluptuous manes. They have smooth undercoats with slightly rough overcoats. These double-coated beauties need to be brushed regularly. Chow Chow’s are notorious for developing knots, so prevention is key here.

Saint Bernard

You can expect a Saint Bernard’s coat to fluctuate depending on the season, although they remain pretty thick year-round. With fur intended to handle the frigid conditions of the Swiss Alps, these loveable creatures benefit greatly from weekly brushing.

American Eskimo Dog

The American Eskimo Dog boasts a pure white double coat that is growing in popularity. Keep in mind that this breed has more sensitive skin, so you won’t want to bathe them too often. You might even want to check with your vet so they can evaluate your specific pup. Their hair sheds quite easily, but you can mitigate this by brushing them a few times a week.

Old English Sheepdog

These dogs are famous for shedding, but people get them anyway because they’re just so darn loveable! Their shaggy double coat can bounce around and get tangled more easily than that of other long-haired breeds. You can easily manage this with the right routine though! Dedicate time each week to groom your Old English Sheepdog and consider trimming its fur if you aren’t preparing for any shows.

Great Pyrenees

Many dog lovers would describe the Great Pyrenees as a bigger Golden Retriever, just with brighter hair—and more of it. Something notable about this breed is that their coats are knot resistant. So grooming is a piece of cake.

Samoyed

This breed has a bright snow-white double coat just like the American Eskimo Dog mentioned above. The Samoyed will definitely leave a shedding trail, but this will fluctuate with the seasons. Like many other double coat breeds, the Samoyed was born to tolerate harsh conditions and colder weather.

The Bottom Line

At the end of the day, maintaining your dog’s coat is an essential part of its well-being. Not only that, but it benefits you as well. When you follow the right grooming practices, you’ll be able to mitigate excess shedding and make regular upkeep so much easier. Your car will be cleaner, your furniture will stay in better shape, and you’ll just feel better knowing that you’ve done something positive to save yourself some extra time in the future.

If you want to stay up to date with the most innovative grooming tools preparing to hit the market make sure to get on the list for Epic Dagget’s latest release. You can rest assured your dog will always be looking and feeling its best, with a tool that captures pet hair at the source.

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