18 Big Dogs That Don’t Shed Much and Keep Your Home Hair-Free

The joy of owning a large dog is unparalleled—their big hearts, playful personalities, and protective instincts fill a home with love. The downside? The tumbleweeds of dog hair that seem to multiply overnight. If you’re a clean freak, a frequent vacuum user, or someone in your family suffers from pet allergies, the thought of a large, high-shedding dog like a Golden Retriever or German Shepherd can be daunting.

The good news is that you don’t have to choose between a majestic companion and a hair-free home. While it’s true that no dog is 100% non-shedding (all living things lose hair and dander), several large breeds have coats that naturally trap shed hair rather than releasing it into your environment. These big dogs that shed less are the perfect solution for keeping your furniture cleaner and reducing airborne dander.

It’s important to clarify the common confusion between “low-shedding” and “hypoallergenic.” Hypoallergenic large dogs are simply those that produce less dander, the microscopic flakes of skin that carry the proteins most people are actually allergic to. Low-shedding dogs often fit into this category because they release less hair—and thus less dander—into the air. For the roughly 10% of people who are allergic to dogs, according to the American College of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology (ACAAI), choosing a low-shedding breed is a smart first step toward coexisting happily.

Quick Navigation: Our 18 Low-Shedding Large Dog Breeds

Here are 18 low-shedding dog breeds that offer a big-dog experience without the big-shedding mess. Click to jump to your favorite!

• Airedale Terrier
• Standard Poodle
• Giant Schnauzer
• Irish Water Spaniel
• Portuguese Water Dog
• Afghan Hound
• Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier
• Black Russian Terrier
• Bichon Frise (While smaller, often included in this category due to its coat)
• Lagotto Romagnolo
• Bouvier des Flandres
• Komondor
• Bergamasco Sheepdog
• Spanish Water Dog
• Wirehaired Pointing Griffon
• Saluki
• Peruvian Inca Orchid (Hairless)
• Xoloitzcuintli (Mexican Hairless Dog)

The Breeds That Keep Your Home Hair-Free

1. Airedale Terrier

The “King of Terriers,” the Airedale is a versatile, intelligent, and confident working dog that originated in the Aire Valley of Yorkshire, England.

Why It’s Low-Shedding: Airedales have a dense, wiry double coat that requires hand-stripping or clipping a few times a year. Their coat is designed to trap loose hair, making them excellent low-shedding companions. Regular brushing is needed to prevent matting.

2. Standard Poodle

Intelligent, elegant, and athletic, the Standard Poodle is one of the world’s most recognizable breeds, originally bred in Germany as a water retriever.

Why It’s Low-Shedding: The Poodle’s signature dense, curly coat is single-layered and doesn’t “blow out” like double-coated breeds. Shed hair is caught within the curls, which requires professional grooming every 4–6 weeks to trim and prevent matting. This makes them a top choice among hypoallergenic large dogs.

3. Giant Schnauzer

The largest of the three Schnauzer breeds, the Giant Schnauzer is a powerful, protective, and imposing working dog known for its keen intelligence and impressive bearded face.

Why It’s Low-Shedding: Like its smaller cousins, the Giant Schnauzer has a dense, wiry outer coat and a soft undercoat. Regular brushing and professional clipping or hand-stripping a few times a year keep shedding to a minimum.

4. Irish Water Spaniel

Instantly recognizable by its tight, crisply curled coat and smooth “rat” tail, the Irish Water Spaniel is a rugged and playful sporting dog.

Why It’s Low-Shedding: This breed’s coat is water-repellent and consists of tight curls that trap shed hair. It needs brushing 2–3 times a week to prevent mats and occasional trimming, but its low-shedding nature makes it one of the best big dogs that shed less for active families.

5. Portuguese Water Dog

Made famous by former First Dog Bo Obama, the PWD is a robust, loyal, and enthusiastic worker originally bred to herd fish into nets, retrieve broken nets, and act as couriers between ships and shore.

Why It’s Low-Shedding: The PWD has a dense, non-shedding, waterproof coat that is either curly or wavy. Like the Poodle, it requires frequent brushing and clipping (often into a “retriever clip” or “lion clip”) to manage growth and prevent mats.

6. Afghan Hound

An ancient breed, the Afghan Hound is famed for its striking aristocratic appearance, high-held head, and long, silky coat, making it a glamorous sight in any setting.

Why It’s Low-Shedding: While the coat is massive, Afghan Hounds are considered low-shedders. The single, fine, silky hair is more like human hair than typical dog fur. However, this coat demands daily brushing and bathing to prevent mats, which can be a significant time commitment.

7. Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier

A medium to large-sized Irish farm dog, the Wheaten is known for its joyful, bouncy demeanor and characteristic silky, wheat-colored coat.

Why It’s Low-Shedding: The coat is single-layered, silky, and sheds minimally, earning them a place among the best low-shedding dog breeds. Its texture requires daily brushing to the skin and frequent professional grooming to maintain its soft, plush look.

8. Black Russian Terrier

A powerful and robust dog developed in the Soviet Union for military and police work, the Black Russian Terrier is a protective, serious, and highly intelligent companion.

Why It’s Low-Shedding: The coat is dense, harsh, and coarse, with a beard and eyebrows. This texture helps trap shed hairs, making them low-shedding. They require consistent brushing and professional grooming every six to eight weeks.

9. Bichon Frise (Small to Medium, but Low-Shedding)

The Bichon is a cheerful, small dog known for its white powder-puff coat and merry personality. While technically smaller, its iconic coat is a benchmark for low-shedding breeds.

Why It’s Low-Shedding: The coat is a double-coat with a soft, dense undercoat and a coarse outer coat, but it is famous for its non-shedding nature, where shed hairs are completely caught in the curls. Regular brushing and professional grooming are essential.

10. Lagotto Romagnolo

An ancient breed from Italy’s Romagna region, the Lagotto is the world’s only breed specifically recognized as a truffle hunter, showcasing great scenting abilities and boundless energy.

Why It’s Low-Shedding: The coat is thick, waterproof, and woolly, forming tight curls that cover the entire body. Shed hair is trapped in the curls and must be removed through brushing or professional grooming, making them excellent low-shedding dogs.

11. Bouvier des Flandres

A rugged and powerful former cattle herder and drover from the Flanders region of Belgium, the Bouvier is a loyal, calm, and protective family dog.

Why It’s Low-Shedding: The double-coat is rough, shaggy, and tends to trap shed hair. While low-shedding, the coat is prone to matting and requires weekly brushing, particularly around the beard and legs, plus professional grooming every two months.

12. Komondor

Perhaps the most unique-looking dog on this list, the Komondor is a powerful, courageous Hungarian livestock guardian famous for its naturally corded, mop-like coat.

Why It’s Low-Shedding: Once the cords fully develop (around two years of age), the coat does not shed hair into the home. However, the grooming is specific: the cords must be meticulously separated by hand to prevent matting and keep the coat clean.

13. Bergamasco Sheepdog

Another large, ancient Italian herding breed, the Bergamasco is known for its unique ‘flock’ coat, which consists of three types of hair woven into flat layers of felted hair.

Why It’s Low-Shedding: Like the Komondor, the coat cords or ‘flocks’ once the dog reaches about a year old. The shed hair is held entirely within the cords. Grooming is labor-intensive initially but low-maintenance once fully flocked, as the coat is never brushed.

14. Spanish Water Dog

A rustic, multi-purpose dog that was used for herding, assisting fishermen, and retrieving waterfowl along the Iberian Peninsula.

Why It’s Low-Shedding: The coat is curly and woolly and forms tight cords when long. As with other corded breeds, the shed hair is trapped in the coat, requiring occasional shearing to the skin rather than brushing to maintain a low-shed profile.

15. Wirehaired Pointing Griffon

A keen-nosed and eager-to-please sporting dog, the Griffon is known for its harsh, protective coat and friendly, scruffy appearance.

Why It’s Low-Shedding: The coat is dense, harsh, and wiry, designed to be protective. This texture means they shed very little. A professional hand-stripping a few times a year is usually all that’s needed to manage the coat.

16. Saluki

One of the oldest known dog breeds, the Saluki is a graceful sighthound known for its incredible speed, quiet dignity, and beautiful flowing feathering.

Why It’s Low-Shedding: While they do shed a little, Salukis have a very short, smooth, single coat with only light “feathering” on the ears, tail, and legs (there is also a smooth-coated variety). Their minimal undercoat and light hair density mean they are one of the big dogs that shed less and are very easy to clean up after.

17. Peruvian Inca Orchid (Hairless)

An elegant sighthound, the Peruvian Inca Orchid comes in two varieties: coated and hairless. The hairless variety is a true non-shedding option.

Why It’s Low-Shedding: The hairless variety has little to no body hair, making shedding impossible. Skincare is the main priority (sunscreen and moisturizers). The coated variety also has a short, single coat that is a low-shedder.

18. Xoloitzcuintli (Mexican Hairless Dog)

Mexico’s national dog, the Xolo (pronounced sho-lo-eets-kweent-lee), is an ancient, loyal, and tranquil companion that is either hairless or short-coated.

Why It’s Low-Shedding: Like the Peruvian, the hairless variety sheds zero hair. Its grooming needs focus on bathing and skin care. Even the coated variety has a very short, flat coat that is minimal-shedding. This makes them a great option for those seeking hypoallergenic large dogs.

Conclusion

Finding a large dog that minimizes shedding is entirely possible, and the 18 breeds listed above offer a wide range of temperaments, coat types, and energy levels. The key takeaway is that dogs like the Standard Poodle, Giant Schnauzer, and Portuguese Water Dog are fantastic choices for people seeking a cleaner home environment and relief from dog dander.

Remember, the term “low-shedding” doesn’t mean “no maintenance.” Many of these breeds require consistent brushing, clipping, or professional grooming to prevent the shed hair—which their coat traps—from matting. Choosing one of these big dogs that shed less is a trade-off: you swap vacuuming floors for time spent with a brush and clippers.

Before committing to adoption or purchase, look past the shedding level. Consider the breed’s energy needs, training requirements, and temperament to ensure a perfect match for your family’s lifestyle. A happy, well-matched dog is far more important than a slightly cleaner sofa!