[jiminton40]

Hey All,
I’m new to the forum and to labradoodle ownership. My guy (Mac) in the pic is a flat coat and he is 14 weeks today. It’s February and from day 1 he has been a shedder and we understood that this may be the case. We wanted a dog with more of a lab look but low shedding qualities. His undercoat and longer hairs are all over our house and we’re not sure what a “low shedder” should produce. This is our first indoor dog and we are running a robot vacuum everyday and cleaning underneath, behind, and the tops of furniture almost daily. We may have to find him another home because we cannot keep up the pace. I’m wondering if anyone had a similar situation with a flat coat pup and it improved with time? We have changed his food in hopes that it may minimize as well. Any help or advice appreciated!

 

[RonE]

Despite the short coat, labs are some of the most aggressive shedders of any dog. Mixing a lab with a poodle MIGHT result in a low-shedding dog or might result in a dog that sheds like it's his life's mission. It's a total crap-shoot.

Frequent (i.e. daily) brushing will help. A change of diet likely won't.

This is going to sound harsh, but I don't have a great deal of empathy for someone who wanted "a lab look" but can't deal with the shedding. If you're seriously considering rehoming him because of the shedding, please do it sooner than later and get yourself a standard poodle (which, BTW, is great dog and doesn't require the ridiculous show coat you see at Westminster.)

If I were looking for another dog, I would take yours in a heartbeat and consider the shedding a small price to pay. I fully understand that not everyone is tolerant of dog fur everywhere but that possibility should have been part of your pre-purchase research. For that matter, a responsible breeder should have warned you and placed the dog with someone who has less issue with shedding.

 

[LeoRose]

Fact of life #1: Labs shed like fiends.
Fact of life #2: Genetics can be a crap shoot. Which leads us to....
Fact of life #3: Crossing a shedding breed like a Lab with a lower shedding breed like a Poodle doesn't automatically give you a lower shedding dog.

As Ron said, daily grooming (brushing and using a forced air dryer) can help keep the shed hair off your floors and furniture, but you are still going to have hair. If you can't deal with it, then returning him to his breeder is the best option. If you decide to rehome him privately, then you should have him neutered before you do.

I've got a longer coated German Shepherd... When I pull her crate out to clean behind it every couple of months, I can fill a five gallon Shop Vac. It's just the price I pay for having her.

 

[Shell]

You wanted a Lab look, you understood that might involve shedding.

Your dog has a Lab look for a mixed breed (btw, super cute dog). Your dog sheds.

What part of this confuses you?

Unlike RonE, I do not suggest you consider a poodle if you return this dog. Instead, I suggest a long period of contemplation where you research genetics on dogs and also the concept of accepting that caring for a living, breathing and unpredictable being is a commitment beyond some superficial cleaning issues.

 

[Lillith]

Short haired dogs shed more than one may believe....and labs are probably the worst offenders. Labs are not for neat freaks. I am a neat freak and will not have have a lab because I don't like how much they shed! I know this because I have met many labs and been covered with hair just from petting them and having them lean against my legs. Wonderful dogs, no doubt, just not for those who can't stand vacuuming every single day.

Really, any short haired dog is going to be a major shedder. If you want a "lab look", you're going to have to get used to the hair or change what kind of dog you want.