Can you tell me if my dog will shed?

While human allergies to dogs can be caused by a number of factors (so we can't make a guarantee), dogs who shed less tend to be less likely to trigger peoples' allergies. We test for multiple genes that are known to impact how much a dog sheds. One of these is a gene called MC5R, which is known as the shedding gene. Dogs who have two "T" variants of this gene are likely to be light shedders, while dogs with one or more "C" variants may shed more. Some dogs also have silky or wiry coats that have continuously growing hair, like Yorkshire Terriers or Poodles -- this is referred to as "furnishings" and caused by a gene called RSPO2. Even dogs who may have those C variants at the shedding gene are likely to be very light shedders if they're furnished. Finally, dogs with curly coats tend to trap hairs better and shed less, too, and we test for the curly coat gene.

For more information, please see our blog: Dog Shedding Explained