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Poodle
The benchmark for an allergy-conscious household, and the only breed here in three sizes: Toy, Miniature and Standard share one tightly curled single coat that sheds very little and holds loose hair until it is brushed out.
That coat never stops growing, so budget for a professional clip every four to six weeks and brushing several times a week to stop curls matting at the skin. Standards suit active homes with room to run; Toys suit flats but are fragile around small children.
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Bichon Frisé
A cheerful, sturdy little companion whose dense curly coat, over a soft undercoat, traps shed hair rather than dropping it on the carpet. The catch is that trapped hair mats quickly, especially behind the ears and under the legs, so expect thorough brushing most days and a professional groom about once a month.
Bichons are usually friendly with visitors and other dogs, which helps when the allergic person is a partner who will end up sharing the sofa.
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Maltese dog
A toy breed of around 3 kg with a single coat of long, silky white hair and no undercoat, so there is none of the seasonal moult that fills the brush with most small dogs.
Many owners keep a Maltese in a short puppy cut, which brings daily brushing down to a few minutes but still means a trim every six to eight weeks. White coats show tear staining, and the breed is delicate, so it suits calm adult homes better than boisterous ones.
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Havanese dog
Cuba's national dog has a long, soft, wavy coat that is light and silky rather than woolly, and it sheds little. There is a lot of it, though: kept long, it needs brushing right down to the skin several times a week, which is why many pet owners choose a shorter clip.
Sociable and adaptable, Havanese manage well in apartments, but they dislike being left alone for long working days.
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Coton de Tulear
Named for its cotton-textured coat, this Madagascan breed carries soft, fluffy white hair that sheds little but tangles readily, never more so than when the puppy coat gives way to the adult one. Plan on brushing every few days, and daily during that change.
Cotons are gentle, people-focused dogs, usually under 6 kg, a sensible size for city living and a calmer alternative to the more terrier-like toy breeds.
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Shih Tzu
Its long, flowing coat sheds lightly, and the hair it does lose tends to stay caught in the coat rather than drifting round the house. Few pet owners keep the full-length look; a short teddy-bear trim every six to eight weeks is far more practical.
Weigh the face as well as the coat. The Shih Tzu is a flat-faced breed prone to breathing and eye problems, especially in warm weather, so choose a breeder who selects for open nostrils.
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Yorkshire Terrier
One of the smallest dogs here, with a fine, glossy single coat that is closer in texture to human hair than to fur, so it sheds little. Show Yorkies grow floor-length coats, but a pet trim keeps upkeep to regular brushing and a groom every six weeks or so.
There is plenty of terrier in that tiny body: alert, bold and quick to bark at the door, which matters more in a shared building than the coat does.
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Miniature Schnauzer
A wiry double coat that sheds very little gives this sturdy, moustached dog its tidy-house reputation. Hand-stripping removes dead hair at the root and keeps the harsh texture; clipping is quicker and cheaper but softens the coat. Either way, a groom every five to eight weeks is part of the deal, and the beard needs a wipe after meals.
Minis are hardy, alert and keen watchdogs, a good fit for anyone who wants a small dog that is not delicate.
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Standard Schnauzer
The original schnauzer, from which the Miniature and Giant were developed, and the middle path between them: a medium-sized dog of roughly 14 to 23 kg with the same harsh, wiry coat that sheds little.
It suits owners who find a Miniature too small and a Giant too much, but the grooming does not shrink to match. Expect hand-stripping or clipping every couple of months and a beard that needs washing. Standards are clever and spirited, and they reward an owner who enjoys training.
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Giant Schnauzer
The schnauzer coat scaled up to a powerful working dog of roughly 25 to 45 kg. The harsh, wiry double coat sheds little, but there is a great deal of it, and grooming a dog this size costs far more in time or salon fees than grooming a Miniature.
A Giant needs serious daily exercise, firm, consistent training and a job to do, so it is a sensible choice only for experienced, active owners who want a big dog without the hair of a shepherd.
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Portuguese Water Dog
The breed became widely known as an allergy-friendly choice when the Obama family brought one to the White House. Bred to herd fish into nets and carry messages between boats, the Portie has a single curly or wavy coat with no undercoat, and it sheds little.
It wears either an even all-over retriever clip or the traditional lion clip with shaved hindquarters, and both need a professional groom every one to two months. This is an energetic, water-loving dog that needs plenty of exercise and something to do.
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Spanish Water Dog
The low-fuss outlier among the curly breeds. Its woolly coat sheds little and is not meant to be brushed, because brushing breaks up the curls it forms naturally; instead it is clipped down to an even length a few times a year and left to grow, and left long it forms cords.
A tireless herding and water dog of medium size, it bonds closely with its own people and can be reserved with strangers, so it needs early, patient socialisation.
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Irish Water Spaniel
The tallest of the spaniels wears a coat of tight, crisp liver-coloured ringlets that sheds little, set off by a smooth face and the bare "rat tail" that identifies the breed at a glance. The curls need combing through about once a week and a trim every couple of months to stay neat.
It is a clownish, energetic gundog that loves water and needs a lot of exercise. Numbers are small even in Ireland, so expect to join a waiting list for a puppy.
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Lagotto Romagnolo
Italy's truffle-hunting dog has a thick, woolly coat of tight ringlets that sheds very little. It has to be clipped regularly, because the breed's coat is meant to be kept short and, left to grow, it felts into dense mats close to the skin.
Lagotti are medium-sized, affectionate and eager to work with their noses, which also makes them enthusiastic diggers. Owners with a prized garden should factor that in alongside the grooming.
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Barbet (dog breed)
A French water dog often named as an ancestor of the poodle, with a woolly, curly coat that grows continuously and sheds little. That growth is the commitment: without regular brushing and trimming the coat mats, and it gathers mud and leaves on every country walk.
The Barbet is a medium-sized, sociable retriever that suits outdoorsy owners. It remains rare, with only a handful of litters a year in some countries, so finding a puppy can take patience.
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Kerry Blue Terrier
County Kerry's terrier is born black and clears to its slate-blue colour during its first two years, inside a soft, wavy single coat that sheds little. It needs combing through regularly and trimming every six weeks or so, and the classic sculpted outline takes a skilled groomer.
Spirited, clever and protective of its household, the Kerry Blue can be scrappy with other dogs, so early socialisation matters as much as the grooming budget.
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Soft-coated Wheaten Terrier
An Irish farm terrier with a single coat of silky, gently waving hair the colour of ripening wheat, and no undercoat to moult. It sheds little but tangles easily, so brushing to the skin several times a week and a trim every six to eight weeks are essential rather than optional.
Wheatens greet everyone with exuberant bounces, known to fans as the "Wheaten greetin'", which is endearing until it lands on a guest with allergies. Training a calmer hello is worth the effort.
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Bedlington Terrier
With its arched back and lamb-like topknot, the Bedlington looks gentle, and its crisp mix of soft and harder hair sheds very little. That trademark shape is created with scissors and clippers about every six weeks, so grooming is a fixed, recurring cost.
Ask any breeder about copper toxicosis, an inherited liver condition in the breed that a DNA test now screens for. Under the woolly look is a quick, game terrier that will chase anything small.
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Puli dog
The Hungarian herding dog whose woolly undercoat and outer coat twist together into long natural cords that shed very little. Cords are not brushed: they are separated by hand as they form, and a full coat can take a day or more to dry after a bath.
Choose a Puli for its bright, bouncy, watchful character, and only if that unusual care routine appeals. Some owners sidestep it by keeping the coat clipped short.
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Afghan Hound
Its long, silky coat sheds little, which surprises people who assume a dog with that much hair must leave it everywhere. The trade-off is time: a full coat needs hours of brushing and bathing each week to stay free of mats, or a regular salon booking.
Afghans are dignified, independent sighthounds with a strong urge to chase, better suited to patient owners with secure outdoor space than to anyone hoping for an eager-to-please companion.
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Chinese Crested Dog
Comes in two varieties that can appear in the same litter: the Hairless, with silky hair only on the head, tail and feet, and the fully coated Powderpuff. Both shed very little. A hairless dog still has skin and saliva, though, and those carry most dog allergen, so bare does not mean allergen-free.
The exposed skin needs sunscreen in summer, moisturiser and regular washing to prevent blackheads: grooming of a different kind rather than none at all.
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Xoloitzcuintle
Mexico's ancient hairless breed comes in toy, miniature and standard sizes, so there is a Xolo for a flat as well as a house with a garden. The hairless dog has no coat to shed, but its skin and saliva still carry allergen, and that skin needs sun protection and occasional bathing.
Coated Xolos turn up in many litters and have a short coat that does shed, so an allergic owner should specifically choose a hairless puppy.
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American Hairless Terrier
An American breed developed from the Rat Terrier, and the hairless option for people who want a busy, playful terrier rather than a delicate toy. With no coat there is no hair to shed, though skin and saliva still carry allergen.
Its bare skin burns in strong sun and feels the cold, so sunscreen and a dog coat become part of the routine. As with the Xolo, coated dogs exist in the breed, so an allergic owner should confirm a puppy is hairless before committing.
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