Do Goldendoodles Shed? (Lowest Shedding Generations Explained)

A non-shedding coat is a highly desired trait for many owners considering getting a Poodle mix breed dog. The Golden Retriever X Poodle coat mixes perfectly to create a stunning and super soft hypoallergenic coat.

But not all Goldendoodles are non-shedding. In fact, some types of specific traits of a Goldendoodle puppy will let you know whether or not to expect shedding. We chat which Goldendoodles shed the most, how to limit shedding, and how to pick the best coat type of a Goldendoodle.

Do Goldendoodles Shed

Some Goldendoodles do shed. Certain coat types and generations of Goldendoodles are more or less likely to drop hair.

Which coat types of Goldendoodles shed

• Curly coat Goldendoodles typically do not shed
• Wavy coat Goldendoodles usually do not shed
• Straight coat Goldendoodles will likely shed

Concerning generation

• F1 Goldendoodles can shed, depending on coat type
• F1b Goldendoodles are less likely to shed due to the higher proportion of Poodle genetics
• F2 Goldendoodles are less likely to shed due to selective breeding

How much do Goldendoodles shed

The size and coat type of your Goldendoodle will determine how much your Goldendoodle sheds. A large or standard straight coat Goldendoodle will likely shed in enormous volumes, regardless of its generation. 

Such a Goldendoodle will shed year-round – it is not seasonal shedding. There may be an uptick after winter – but expect such a dog to shed 365 days of the year.

Larger dogs shed more volume. Even a small or Teacup Goldendoodle with a shedding straight coat (most common shedding coat) can drop a severe amount of hair.

Which Generations of Goldendoodle Shed?

People often wonder which generations of Goldendoodles will be the least likely to shed. The answer? Lies in genetics.

Shedding and dander production can actually be incredibly accurately predicted by genetic testing. This is why many high-tech breeders have a spot on accuracy when it comes to determining whether their litters will shed.

The genetic testing is an additional cost and does require a passing knowledge of which genes will be passed on (or not). This means many breeders do not genetically test. So we need to look at other factors to figure out whether a dog will shed.

(Of course also when you adopt or rehome a Goldendoodle there is even less opportunity to genetically test). If you know the Goldendoodles’ parentage, it can go a long way to figuring out whether your Goldendoodle will shed.

Do F1 Goldendoodles shed?

An F1 Goldendoodle is known as a first-generation Goldendoodle. The first generation means that one parent was a pure Golden Retriever, and one parent is a pure Poodle.

When one parent is each breed – you can expect the dog to be around 50% Poodle and 50% Golden Retriever. It gets a little tricker than that (because not all genes are passed down equally). 

Sometimes you will meet human kids who much resemble one parent, not the other. Sometimes you can even meet two siblings who look nothing alike. This is because different genes will express in different ways. Even with the same parents!

So you need to cautiously take generation shedding advice – as it is typically true – but there are no guarantees.

Do F1 Goldendoodles shed?

Yes – some Goldendoodles shed depending on their coat type. The closer the coat to a Poodle coat, the less likely they are to shed.

This is because a 50:50 F1 Goldendoodle has the makeup of each parent. Golden Retrievers shed while almost all Poodles do not. If you increased the amount of Poodle – you could expect your Goldendoodle puppy’s from that litter to shed much less.

This leads us to F1B Goldendoodles – the generation of Goldendoodles that shed the least.

An F1B Goldendoodle happens when you take an already existing Goldendoodle and then cross it with – another Poodle!

This results in a dog that is around 75% Poodle and 25% Golden Retriever (remembering that this is rough science at best).

For such a dog – you would expect Poodle genes to be more likely to be reflected. This is why F1B Goldendoodles typically shed very little.

WARNING: If you cross a shedding F1 Goldendoodle with a Poodle – you are taking a risk that the shedding genes are passed on again to the offspring. So Just because you back cross does not mean that the Poodle’s dominant non-shedding genes will present.

Which Goldendoodles shed the most?

The greatest shedding Goldendoodles will be a combination of generation and coat type. The four most likely to shed Goldendoodle types are

1. Unfurnished, straight coat, F1 Goldendoodle
2. Straight coat F1 Goldendoodle OR Straight coat Goldendoodle
3. Straight coat F1b Goldendoodle
4. Unfurnished wavy coat (rare) any generation Goldendoodle

The size of Goldendoodle is unlikely to affect the shedding amount much at all. So from Medium Goldendoodle right down to the Teacup Goldendoodle – the coat type, furnishings and generation are most important.

Which Goldendoodles shed the least?

If non-shedding is the most critical factor for you – consider these types of Goldendoodle first. Remember that non-shedding does not necessarily correlate directly to hypoallergenic. A non-shedding Goldendoodle will come close to being hypoallergenic, but no dog is entirely allergy-free.

The top 3 lowest shedding Goldendoodles 

1. Curly coat F1B Goldendoodle
2. Wavy coat F1B Goldendoodles
3. Curly or wavy coat F2 multigenerational Goldendoodle with genetic testing

 The colour of the coat does not impact how much a Goldendoodle will shed. Black Goldendoodles do not shed any extra compared with the more common color coats.

How can you tell what coat type a Goldendoodle will have?

There are a few ways that breeders and pet experts can try and predict what kind of coat your Goldendoodle has. It can be particularly tricky to predict coat types when the Goldendoodle is a puppy.

This is because Goldendoodles do actually have a puppy coat that they lose over time. Typically, the puppy coat will begin to change at around 5-8 months. The replacement coat is almost always of the same coat type.

There are three things to look for when trying to figure out what type of coat your Goldendoodle will have. We go into detailed coat prediction strategies in this article.

1. Look for furnishings (facial hair) especially the mustache region 
2. Comb and look at how kinky the puppy hair is
3. Compare to the parents and find a middle ground

Can brushing Goldendoodles stop shedding?

Regular DIY grooming of your Goldendoodle will not stop your Goldendoodle from shedding – but will significantly reduce the dropped hair you will need to deal with.  

There are relatively simple steps you can do at home to reduce the impact of a shedding Goldendoodle.

Grooming strategies to reduce the amount of shedding

• Routine shampooing ever 3-4 weeks with an appropriate Goldendoodle shampoo
  • Look for natural ingredients that won’t strip the healthy natural oils from your Goldendoodles beautiful coat
  • We review 6 of the best Goldendoodle shampoos here.
• Twice weekly brushing with a slicker brush (go for a quality one – but it once and it will last)
  • If you want to avoid shedding, a high-quality medium or large slicker brush will be the difference between containing your Goldendoodles’ hair and pulling your own hair in frustration
  • Quality slicker brushes are hyper durable and comfortable to use
  • Quality brushes will have pins that do not bend
• Consider using a de-shedding tool. Although designed to deshed through a top layer – many owners of a straight coat or shedding Goldendoodles find such a device very useful even for a longer haired dog
• Picking good pair of clippers and giving your Goldendoodle a summer cut can also help reduce shedding

Will my straight hair Goldendoodles stop shedding?

Almost all straight-haired Goldendoodles will shed. Sometimes people have a puppy with a straight coat and wish that the coat would change significantly. They know that Goldendoodles do have a puppy coat that is lost.

So will a straight-haired Goldendoodle puppy see a change to a non-shedding coat?

Unfortunately, no, a straight-haired Goldendoodle puppy will likely stay shedding. Even after the puppy coat is lost. Some owners report that the adult coat of their straight-haired Goldendoodle does actually shed less than the puppy coat!

This is about as hopeful as you can get, though – as the underlying coat type rarely changes for a truly straight coat Goldendoodle.

A Goldendoodle with an improper coat OR is unfurnished (no mustache) is even less likely to change to non-shedding in any meaningful way.

If you do have a shedding Goldendoodle straight coat puppy – do not despair! You can use a HEPA filter fan and high-quality pet vacuum to vastly reduce the amount of hair that is around the house.

Frequent brushing also helps reduce the total amount of lost hair. Use a steel comb for a quick brush – and a few minutes a day of a slicker brush designed for Poodle mix coats.

This is a surefire ONE-TWO combination to reduce the total volume of hair that can be lost.