ALD puppy shedding?

[Carey T]

We got our ALD a little over a week ago (he's 9 weeks).  I have noticed that when I hold him, I will end up with some fur on me.  We bought a multigen, Australian labradoodle in hopes of him being non-shedding.  Has anybody else dealt with this?  Any chance it will get better? Here is a picture of Dunkin's fur....

[Ricki and Tara (doodle)]

 What a cutie! How much fur are you finding?  Are you covered or just finding a few strands?  A couple things come to mind. Some dogs shed when they are stressed so it could be all the changes happening right now. Non-shedding does not usually mean they lose no hair at all. It just doesn't shed out until it is pulled out with a brush or comb and the volume is far less then shedding dogs. Tara is non-shedding but when I brush her I get a tiny wad of hair in the comb. Some areas like her ears shed much more than other parts of her...weird. I know ALD's are more standardized then other doodles but they are still technically a mixed breed and subject to genetic variation even among puppies of the same litter.  Anyhow, your puppy will have a complete coat change at around a year old so whatever is going on with his puppy coat may not happen with his adult coat. I suggest you post your question in the Main Forum and/or the Grooming Group where more people will see it too. 

 BTW, now is also a good time to start acclimating your puppy to being brushed and combed as this will be a regular part of his routine for the rest of his life. The doodles that don't" shed", mat like crazy and require regular brushing. You can get great info about tools, etc to use on your baby in the Grooming Group too.

[Barb @ Gemstone Labradoodles]

He doesn't have the appearance of a shedding puppy. I haven't had a mild shedder for a few years now, but I used to take ahold of a small clump of coat just above the tail and give a firm tug, but not hard enough to hurt. If the puppy was a non shedder, then I would get 2 or 3 hairs and if it was a mild shedder, I would get too many to count easily. As mentioned, things like the stress of moving can cause some mild hair loss. Also diet plays a huge role. One of my girls that has a fab coat had an iffy coat that blew out at 4 months. I changed her diet and her coat completely changed. That's her on the left playing with her date.

[Lynda Kamrath]

Oh, he is absolutely darling.  Love that curly coat.  I have had several types of doodles and prefer the goldendoodle for the coat.  My labradoodle shed a little, and my ALD sheds a little, but mats a lot.  I agree with Ricki - get him used to being brushed and groomed on a regular basis. He doesn't look like a shedder to me.

[Joan Bollaert]

ALD's shouldn't shed.  As a matter of fact if they aren't combed out/brushed almost daily between 8 mos old and one year they will matt terribly because they DON'T shed.  When you comb through them you'll get fur but just sitting on you shouldn't leave fur all over.

I'd ask your breeder.   Not all ALD breeders or American doodle breeders have the best stock of dogs to breed which sometimes results in a different look and different coat.

My first ALD I got before I investigated more and knew more about the breed and my Cooper is more poodle like in looks and coat. When I look now at the breeding dogs at this particular breeder, they're all not very up to par as to what an ALD should be. 

My second ALD, Millie, is perfect....  from a better breeder with all gorgeous breeding stock of dogs who have the look and coat of what an ALD should have.

Your little Dunkin is adorable and looks to have a wooly coat .  The breeder of my Cooper had all different coats on their puppies , fleecy, curly, wooly.  Cooper has parts of him that are wooly, and most of him is more curly.  He does not shed though.

My Millie has a fleecy, wavy coat with loopy curls.  Gorgeous.  Her breeder has no breeding dogs with wooly coats and I haven't seen any with curly coats.  All her's are fleece which is ideal.  None of them shed.

[Carey T]

Thank you for all your replies.  I am not covered in fur when I hold him, just find a few strands.  I tried the pull test a few times and have never had any hairs come out.  I usually research things for months before executing on any new plans.  I'm feeling like I did not research this breeder and understand ALD enough before our purchase.  But my daughters (ages 8 & 10) are in love with the puppy so there isn't much I can do except accept that he isn't perfect :)

Thank you for the suggestions on getting him used to being brushed.  Right now he hates it!

[Joan Bollaert]

If you only get hair when you pull and a few strands come out.....that is not shedding.  That will happen with any dog.   Shedding is when a dog walks by you or gets off the couch or your lap and you have fur on you....  and on anything he/she touches.

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

Shedding is when you look at your RV after 2 days of camping and see hairs on EVERYTHING!  :-}

[Carolyn Shusterman]

Hershey (hair is wavy fleece) is 3.5 yrs old and the only hair that comes out is in her slicker brush.  She did go through matting when she was around 7 months to 1 years old and we would find some 'dust bunnies' of her hair in the house and on the floor that she would scratch out.  

Sydney (Hershey's son) has a looser wavy fleece coat then his Mom.  Sydney is 14 months old now, he started matting about 6 months ago and is still matting, we don't see any of his hair on our clothes or floors.  We had to give him a short 1 inch cut on his back to stay ahead of his matts until he gets his adult coat. Sydney is a 4th  generation ALD.

Dunkin is sure cute!  Love the name too.