Do Goldendoodles and Bernedoodles Shed?

Just as some breeders guarantee that their goldendoodle and bernedoodle puppies are hypoallergenic, breeders will also guarantee that their bernedoodles and goldendoodles are non-shedding. Some people claim that all doodles don’t shed. Some people claim that every doodle does shed, and others feel that some doodle generations shed more than others. So with all of these different answers, where is the truth?

We’ve found that there is one significant factor that contributes to whether a Goldendoodle or Bernedoodle sheds. The first thing is whether the doodle is “furnished”. “Furnished” or “furnishings” refers to the hair around the dogs snout and muzzle, and whether it grows long or stays short. With Goldendoodle and Bernedoodle hybrids, the poodle is furnished, while the Golden Retriever or Bernese Mountain Dog is unfurnished. A “furnished” Goldendoodle - or dog for that matter - is a doodle that has the longer muzzle hair, while an “unfurnished” Bernedoodle has the short muzzle hair, like a Bernese Mountain dog. Sometimes this coat is referred to as a "flat coat” or an “improper coat (IC)”.

Since each Goldendoodle and Bernedoodle inherits on gene (or allele) from both mom and dad, a first generation cross (F1) Goldendoodle has a furnishing gene allele from the poodle and an unfurnished/improper coat gene allele from the Golden Retriever, so an F1 would genetically be F/IC. Furnishings are a dominant gene, so this F1 would be furnished. An F1b Goldendoodle litter would also be furnished, because every puppy would inherit one F gene, if not two.

In our experience - and other breeders we’ve worked with - the largest variable in a Goldendoodle and Bernedoodle’s shedding is whether it’s furnished or not. One way a doodle could be unfurnished is an F2 generation, when a puppy inherits an IC gene from both mom and dad. These flat-coated puppies tend to shed as much as a Golden Retriever or Bernese Mountain Dog, even though they are a hybrid Goldendoodle or Bernedoodle.

Whether a doodle is furnished or not is the single-most impactful factor in whether a doodle sheds. In addition, many genetic testing companies offer a shedding test to predict how much a doodle will shed. While these could be helpful for people who are extremely sensitive to dog dander, we believe these shedding tests are too helpful. We’ve had some of our doodles test all over the shedding spectrum, and yet there is still the dog fur around our house is essentially non-existent. It’s light-years away from our house when we had a lab and a mastiff running around.

Here’s the thing; I’m not claiming that furnished Goldendoodles or Bernedoodles don’t shed; I find extreme claims like that to almost always be overstating something. What I am saying is that I can’t tell the difference between a “low-shedding fully furnished” Goldendoodle and a “moderate-shedding F/IC” Goldendoodle (according to genetic testing), especially if you’re concerned with having dog hair significantly around the house.

On the other hand, if you have significant canine allergies, I’d recommend not relying on genetic testing to give you the “all-clear” with a particular puppy, because Goldendoodles and Bernedoodles aren’t hypoallergenic. Dog dander is present in more than just the almost unnoticeable amount of fur a furnished Bernedoodle leaves around the house. Instead, you could work with your breeder to explore ways to see if you react to a particular Goldendoodle or Bernedoodle puppy.

To wrap this up, we’ve found that the most significant factor to whether a doodle sheds is whether it’s furnished or not. While genetic testing can get awfully specific, we’ve found it doesn’t tend to reveal a lot that’s noticeable with shedding.

Hopefully this is a helpful and practical explanation of something that can get unnecessarily complex.

If you’re interested, check out our Goldendoodle and Bernedoodle puppies!

However, we’d love if you followed our journey with Goldendoodles and Bernedoodles at High Desert Family Doodles.

Warmly,

Erin and Jay