Papillons are a breed of dog known for their long, silky, flowing fur. They really are such a beautiful breed! I recently wrote about papillons’ coats. Notably, I wrote about the fact that, per the breed standard, papillons should have single coats. However, one of the questions I get asked most often about papillons is whether or not they shed. And if they do shed, exactly how bad is it? With how long their fur can grow, asking about how much these amazing dogs shed makes sense!
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So, do papillons shed?
Yes, papillons shed. How much an individual papillon will shed can vary quite a bit. Papillons who conform with the breed standard single coat will shed much less than a double coated dog. Although papillons are supposed to have single coats, double coated individuals do sometimes appear in the breed. How much an individual dog sheds can also depend on other factors, such as their health and your grooming regime.
My shedding experience, with my single coated papillon!
My 13 year old papillon, Kitsune, has a single coat. I’ve never considered him to be a heavy shedder. In fact, I rarely notice his hair around my home. I do brush him frequently. Usually a bit of fur will come off on his comb every time I groom him. The brush picture to the left is from when I brushed him this morning. To be fair, I’ve been slacking on brushing him this week, so that amount of fur was after a few days of not combing Kitsune. Usually less fur than that comes off when I brush him.
I also have another dog, an Alaskan klee kai named Fenrir. Fenrir has a thick double coat. Kitsune’s shedding is nothing compared to Fenrir’s. Kit and Fen are similar sizes. Fen is 18 lbs and Kit is a bit bigger at 20 lbs. I think it would take around 100 Kits to equal 1 Fen when it comes to how much they shed on a regular basis! Maybe even more during the two times per year when Fen blows his coat.
Papillons DO shed, but not nearly as much as a double coated dog!
Unless, that is, you end up with a double coated papillon and then all bets are off! I do occasionally talk to papillon owners who tell me their papillons shed a lot. I suspect that these owners actually have double, and not single, coated papillons.
Is there a way to ensure your papillon will have a single coat?
Papillon mixes and dogs from backyard breeders are a toss up. If, for any reason, you really prefer a single coated papillon, your best bet is to go to a reputable breeder who breeds to the breed standard and has health tested dogs. Papillon puppy coats are not always telling, because their coats change a lot from puppy to adulthood.
Of course, you can also adopt an adult dog! Once a papillon has their adult coat, you should be able to tell whether they have a single or a double coat, and to get a good idea of how much that individual dog sheds before you bring him/her home.
Well worth the fur!
Remember that how much each individual dog will shed can vary, based on many factors such as their coat type, health, what they are fed, and your grooming regime. Your papillon may shed more or less than my Kitsune does.
Because even a single coated papillon will shed some, this is not the breed for anyone looking for a dog that doesn’t shed at all. However, my experience has been that single coated papillons do not shed very much. The little amount they do shed can be easily managed by brushing them often, which you really should be doing anyways. Papillons are amazing little dogs. Their fun-loving, sweet personalities more than make up for any amount of time you’ll spend dealing with their fur!
6 Comments
I have never thought about it so thanks for teaching me something, Layla sheds a bit but I groom her every evening so I have very little fur around the house
I had forgotten how you said that Papilllions can have a single or double coat. I imagine that would have a big impact on the amount of shedding. Kit is so adorable with such a cute personality, it wouldn’t matter how much he shed. He’s definitely worth it! Besides with a bit of brushing, like you said you can control the constant shedding to a point. I’ve been really spoiled with Henry. I shed more than he does. I’ve never had a critter of any kind that sheds so little. Great article about Papillion shedding. I’m sharing it with all my dog parents.
I did not think about little dogs shedding or that there are single and double coats! I always learn something helpful when I visit so thank you. I think I would love having your two pups even if I had to brush them every day!
I’ve seen a couple papillons that had a double coat and didn’t realize the breed standard was a single coat! I currently have a double coated and single coated dog – and oh my gosh – the shed is real!
Having had Rottweilers the whole time, I know they shed their undercoat twice a year. I never realized how much undercoat they actually have until Jasmine got shaved for surgery–that stuff is thick. I also noticed that the amount of undercoat increases with age.
Having Siberian Huskies, I really learned what shedding was! LOL I never thought much about other breeds…I had Shepherd mixes previously and they never really shed (not like a Husky!) I love what you said about it’s “well worth the fur.” It really is! And now that all my furbabies have passed on, I miss all that fur and get a little teary when I come across clothes or things that still have some on them. Embrace the fur! Pinning this to share with others!