Do Labradoodles Shed? Busting the Myth That They Never Do

If you’re thinking about bringing home a Labradoodle puppy, you’ve probably wondered “do Labradoodles shed?” You’ve also probably heard the following promise from every Labradoodle breeder out there:

“Non-shedding AND hypoallergenic!” 

But maybe you’re still skeptical and still find yourself asking…

Seriously, Though: Do Labradoodles Shed?

Unfortunately, a 100% non-shedding dog doesn’t exist on this planet, and yes – that includes Labradoodles. (Anyone who says otherwise is just trying to sell you something 😉)

The GOOD NEWS is that there’s typically a good chance that Labradoodles will shed way less than the average dog. So to answer the question, “Do Labradoodles shed?” Well, that will depend highly on the generation of the Labradoodle (F1, F1B, F2, etc.).

What Are The Chances Of A Labradoodle Shedding A LOT?

To understand the how much any given Labradoodle will shed, you have to know a little bit about genetics. If you don’t, no worries. We’ll walk you through it and it’s really not rocket science.

F1 Labradoodles

Let’s say you have a first generation (F1) Labradoodle, whose parents are a purebred Labrador Retriever and a purebred standard Poodle. Since Labrador Retrievers are typically heavy shedders and Poodles are typically really light shedders, their offspring pups genetically/statistically will be “medium” shedders – i.e. they will shed less than a Labrador Retriever but more than a Poodle.

What are the chances?

Take a look at the table below.

F1 Labradoodle	Parent: Poodle – light shedding (pp)
Parent: Labrador Retriever – heavy shedding (LL)	ppLL

What “ppLL” basically means is that the Labradoodle will have a 50% chance of heavy shedding and a 50% chance of light shedding. But since because genetics are never black and white, most likely the Labradoodle’s shedding levels will fall somewhere in-between.

It really just depends on how its genes are expressed.

Genetics are never black and white.

F1B Labradoodles

Now, if you have a first generation backcross (F1B) Labradoodle, whose parents are an F1 Labradoodle and a Poodle (making the F1B pup 25% Labrador Retriever and 75% Poodle), there’s a much higher chance that the F1B pup will be a light shedder. This is because he has more genes from the Poodle side.

Unlike the table for F1 Labradoodles, this one for F1B Labradoodles has three variables from the “parent: F1 Labradoodle” side: one for heavy shedding, one for light shedding, and one for medium shedding.

F1B Labradoodle	Parent: Poodle – light shedding (pp)
Parent: F1 Labradoodle – heavy shedding (LL)	ppLL
Parent: F1 Labradoodle – medium shedding (Ll) (most likely)	ppLl
Parent: F1 Labradoodle – light shedding (ll)	ppll

What are the chances?

If a heavy shedding F1 Labradoodle is bred with a light shedding Poodle, in theory, the offspring (F1B Labradoodle) will have a 50% chance of heavy shedding and a 50% chance of light shedding (ppLL).

If a light shedding F1 Labradoodle is bred with a light shedding Poodle, in theory, the offspring (F1B Labradoodle) will have a 100% chance of light shedding (ppll).

If a medium shedding F1 Labradoodle is bred with a light shedding Poodle, in theory, the offspring (F1B Labradoodle) will have a 75% chance of light shedding (ppLl). This is the most likely scenario.

See How a Ton of Labradoodle Parents Answered the Question of “Do Labradoodles Shed?”

As part of our ongoing Doodle Characteristics Survey, a ton of Labradoodle parents rated their pup’s amount of shedding. Survey participants evaluated their Labradoodle’s Amount of Shedding from Poor (a lot of shedding) to Excellent (no shedding).

Most people reported Excellent.

---

Not knowing whether an individual Labradoodle puppy will shed a little or lot is simply a fact about mixed-breed dogs – they can take on the characteristics of either parent to any degree, and there’s no real way to control how they physically turn out.

So if you’re here because you want to bring a Labradoodle into the family but don’t want to risk it shedding a ton, we suggest looking for an F1B Labradoodle whose parents are an F1 Labradoodle and a Poodle. Keep in mind, though, that an F1B Labradoodle will look more like a Poodle and less like a Lab.

How To Manage Labradoodle Shedding

In any case, Labradoodle shedding is definitely manageable. If you find your nose a little too runny or clothes a little too hairy, it’s a great idea to start practicing good grooming on your Labradoodle. You should settle for nothing less than daily brushing.

Some quick Labradoodle shedding prevention grooming tips include:

• Use a slicker brush frequently to eliminate loose hairs, dirt, and dander, as well as to prevent matting.
• Use a shed control shampoo when you bathe him. We recommend these ones for Labradoodles.
• Make sure your Labradoodle gets haircuts often.

Are Labradoodles Hypoallergenic, Then?

Typically, people associate the shedding of the fur with triggering allergies. In actuality, animal allergies are triggered by dander, which is just a fancy term for dead skin particles.

For anything to be considered hypoallergenic, it must be relatively unlikely to trigger an allergic reaction. BUT, since Labradoodles don’t shed that much, in theory this means that their dander isn’t released into the air as easily.

As such, the Labradoodle is almost totally hypoallergenic, making them a great choice for people with allergies, but again – it depends on the generation of the dog.

How Labradoodle Parents Rated Their Pups’ Hypoallergenic Levels

As part of our ongoing Doodle Characteristics Survey, a ton of Labradoodle parents rated their pup’s hypoallergenic levels. Survey participants evaluated their Labradoodle’s Hypoallergenic Level from Poor (triggers allergies) to Excellent (doesn’t trigger allergies).

Most people reported Excellent.

---

Shedding or not, there’s no substitute for the cuteness that Labradoodles bring to the world!