16 Hunting Dog Breeds That Don’t Shed (With Info & Pictures)
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Several amazing hunting dogs are available, but if you’re looking for a breed that doesn’t shed, the list gets dramatically smaller! Many hunting and retrieving breeds have dense double coats that shed profusely. If you have allergies or don’t want to spend hours stripping out your dog’s coat every week, a hypoallergenic hunting breed that doesn’t shed is ideal.
It’s important to note that there are very few non-shedding breeds. Most dogs shed a little, even the Poodle, so a more accurate term is “low-shedding.” If you’ve been dreaming of a sighthound to take lure coursing or a retriever for gundog trials, we’ve rounded up 16 of the best hunting dog breeds with low-maintenance coats. We’ve even included a dog to help you find the elusive and valuable truffle!
The 16 Hypoallergenic Hunting Dog Breeds That Don’t Shed:
1. Wirehaired Pointing Griffon
The Wirehaired Pointing Griffon is often called the “supreme gundog,” and it accurately summarizes their incredible hunting abilities. Their tough and wiry coats shed very little but can benefit from stripping.
Griffons are motivated dogs with a strong prey drive. Whether you want to hunt small mammals, waterfowl, or upland birds, the Wirehaired Pointing Griffon will help you succeed!
- Related Read: How Much Does a Wirehaired Pointing Griffon Cost?
2. Standard Poodle
The Standard Poodle is an ever-popular breed famed for their hypoallergenic coat. They shed very little, and the loose hairs stay in their coat and don’t fall out. The Poodle is a fantastic choice as a retrieving dog because they were bred to retrieve waterfowl. Their intelligence, exceptional swimming ability, and independence make them great hunting companions.
3. Rhodesian Ridgeback
Rhodesian Ridgebacks started life as lion hunters. They have a strong prey drive and independent spirit that owners must be sure they can handle.
They are more suitable for an experienced owner who knows how to work effectively with large breeds. The short coat of the Ridgeback sheds a little but doesn’t require much grooming other than a weekly brush down.
4. Visla Dog
Next on our list of hunting dogs that don’t shed is the Visla. The Visla is a Hungarian gun dog with exceptional endurance and loyalty. Their short coats shed a little with the changing seasons but are generally low-maintenance.
The Visla shares similarities with Retrievers and Pointers and excels at hunting. They excel at retrieving waterfowl, lure coursing, barn hunts, and tracking.
5. Pudelpointer Dog
The Pudelpointer is a German breed created by crossing the Pointer and Poodle. They can have smooth, wire, or rough coats that shed only a little seasonally.
Pudelpointers love hunting and retrieval work that involves water. They are self-motivated and enjoy the challenge of working in the field. They are easy-going and willing to please their owners.
6. American Water Spaniel
The medium-sized American Water Spaniel combines the best of the Retriever and Spaniel into a water dog designed to work in the cold waters of the Great Lakes. The waterproof coat of the American Water Spaniel only sheds a little and can be maintained with a weekly brushing. American Water Spaniels enjoy field trials, dock diving, and more.
7. Irish Water Spaniel
The Irish Water Spaniel is the largest Spaniel with a hypoallergenic curly coat. They shed a little bit, but it stays in their coat like most curly-coated breeds.
These hardworking dogs love to please their owners and enjoy sporting activities like doc diving, retrieval work, and any other activity involving mental and physical challenges.
8. Border Terrier
The Border Terrier has a double coat that doesn’t shed much most of the year, but you must be prepared for loose hairs during shedding season!
The Border Terriers’ original purpose was to chase foxes and flush them into the open. Their spirited nature makes them a wonderfully brave yet small hunting companion.
9. Curly Coated Retriever
As one of the oldest gundog breeds, the Curly Coated Retriever is an energetic and intelligent breed who loves to work. Positive reinforcement training methods work best, and they need an experienced owner. Their tightly curled coats shed seasonally but are easy to maintain.
10. Lagotto Romagnolo
If you’re more interested in hunting truffles than animals, you might need the help of Italy’s “truffle dog.” The curly coat of the Lagotto Romagnolo sheds very little, but they do brushing to prevent mats from forming. They excel at search-and-rescue and scent work and, of course, truffle hunting!
11. Afghan Hound
The Afghan Hound is built for endurance. Although their long, silky coat requires a great deal of maintenance, it does not shed much. These sighthounds are an ancient breed designed to chase after their prey for many miles. Their prey drive is incredibly high, so off-leash walking is not advised when you’re not actively training or hunting. If the Afghan Hound sees something, they’ll go after it!
12. Portuguese Water Dog
The Portuguese Water Dog was initially bred to help fishermen by swimming out to direct fish into waiting nets, retrieve lost tackle, and carry messages from ship to shore. Their hypoallergenic and non-shedding coats can be clipped into a low-maintenance retriever clip. These enthusiastic and large dogs need plenty of exercise and love working in the water!
13. Cirneco dell’ Etna
The sleek and speedy Cirneco dell-Etna is a coursing breed from Sicily. They are small, exceptionally fast, and independent. As a sighthound, they need plenty of training and excel at lure coursing, tracking, and hunting. Their short coats shed minimally and only need a grooming session once a week to stay in good condition.
14. German Wirehaired Pointer
The German Wirehaired Pointer has a rough coat that only sheds minimally with the changing of the seasons. This clever breed loves plenty of training, exercise, and time with their family. Their weather-resistant coats are well suited to hunting in all conditions, and they excel at hunting on land and in water.
15. Black Russian Terrier
The large and courageous Black Russian Terrier makes an exceptional hunting dog when paired with an experienced handler. They shed a little, but most of the hairs are caught in their coats.
Black Russian Terriers are powerful dogs that are excellent at canine sports.
16. Dogo Argentino
The strong and muscular Dogo Argentino was bred to hunt in a pack and chase down prey, including puma and wild boar. Their short coats don’t shed much, so you won’t need to spend time grooming or cleaning up stray hairs. The Dogo Argentino was developed in the 1920s but was only accepted into the American Kennel Club in 2020 as their 195th breed.
We hope you enjoyed our roundup of 16 of the best hunting dog breeds that don’t shed at all or shed very little. Who knows, perhaps your dream dog is featured on our list!
See also:
- 9 Dog Breeds That Look Like Pomeranians (With Pictures)
- 13 Types of Pitbull Dog Breeds & Their Differences (With Pictures)
- 12 Best Hunting Dog Breeds (With Pictures)
Featured Image Credit: Pixabay
