These Long-Haired Dogs Make For the Best Super Shaggy Friend
These Long-Haired Dogs Make For the Best Super Shaggy Friend
When choosing what breed of dog you want, it's important to consider things like coat type. Do you want a dog with low maintenance short hair? Do you want a dog that doesn't shed? Or… do you want one of the long-haired dog breeds that are adorably shaggy?
Long-haired dogs can require a little more maintenance, especially because some breeds have thick undercoats that can get matted without proper care. Those are referred to as double coats, according to Petguide.com. The top coat is made up of regular fur called "guard hairs" which keep moisture and dirt away from the dog's skin. The undercoat is often fluffy and wooly, and helps the dog from getting too hot or too cold depending on the climate for which they're built.
According to that same Petguide article, dog breeds with double coats include Old English Sheepdogs, Huskies, Shetland Sheepdogs, and more. This two-layered coat gives these dogs their shaggy appearance because they have twice the amount of hair that other dogs have.
The Merryfield School of Pet Grooming cautions that double coat breeds do require special grooming habits like washing and brushing regularly to help with shedding and de-tangling. But even if your long-haired dog breed doesn't have an undercoat, you will still have to keep up with a regular brushing and bathing schedule to keep their hair free from knots.
Even with the little extra effort required, shaggy dogs are so beautiful that, for many, they may still be worth the work. Here are 18 long-haired dog breeds who wear their hair with pride and will make all your selfies a little more sweetly shaggy.
Afghan Hound
These pups are known for their silky floor-length locks. According to Dogtime.com, these dogs originally hunted in the Afghanistan mountains (hence the breed's name) and their long coats were essential to keeping them warm. To keep their fur silky smooth, the Afghan Hound Club of America cautions owners against dry brushing, which can damage fur. To prevent this, you should spray water on the coat before brushing.
Komondor
The Komondor's signature corded coat comes from only bathing but never brushing this breed, according to the American Kennel Club (AKC). When the dog is nearly a year old, the hair will be clumpy enough to separate into its signature cords which grow out from there.
Old English Sheepdog
This dog is the OG shaggy dog, and the breed even starred in the 1959 Disney film Shaggy Dog, according to the AKC. Old English Sheepdogs were apparently a Disney staple, as the AKC reports that this breed can also be spotted in The Little Mermaid and 101 Dalmations. Old English Sheepdogs have that double coat which makes their shaggy fur all the more fluffy and thick.
Bearded Collie
In 2006, Disney remade The Shaggy Dog with Tim Allen where the star breed was a Bearded Collie this time around. According to Dogtime.com, these pups earned their name from the white hair around their mouth that differs from the darker grey of their ears. It gives them the appearance of having a long white beard and mustache.
Skye Terrier
These small dogs have long hair that covers their ears and eyes and flows to the ground. According to Skyeterrier.org, they stand out from other long-haired small dogs because their ears stay up, giving their heads a little bit of a bat wing appearance due to all that hair. Even though their coats grow long, Vet Street reports that they don't need a ton of grooming care besides being brushed twice a week.
Japanese Spitz
These floofy white dogs have curled tails, so their long fur cascades over their back in a pretty plume. They also have a double coat that they shed twice a year for two to three weeks, according to the AKC. That means you'll probably find hair all over everything in that time period. But the AKC reports that they're pretty low maintenance the rest of the year.
Briard
Briards have long wavy fur that grows over their ears and eyes giving them a kind of Beatles mop-top look. Vet Street com says that if you brush them regularly they won't shed or tangle as much.
Belgian Sheepdog
These majestic black pooches have a double coat, according to Animal Planet, so they do need to be brushed weekly. Their hair also wicks away dirt, so you don't have to bathe them as much.
Puli
The AKC says that Puli fur naturally forms into cords as the dog gets older, but owners can choose to brush them out into a more wavy texture if they prefer. If you leave the fur in its cords, you won't need to brush the dog, just bathe it and separate the cords to avoid them clumping in large masses.
Coton de Tulear
According to Vet Street, these dogs are related to the Bichon Frise family, which you can see in their puffy white coats. But they also grow longer than the Bichons. Their fur is pretty matte, unlike other small dogs who have shinier hair (like Yorkies). Their hair can grow up to half a foot in length, per Vet Street.
Shetland Sheepdog
These farm dogs look a lot like rough collies (think: Lassie) but are their own individual breed and much smaller, according to Dogtime.com. The outlet reports that they also have double coats that grow thickest in a mane around their heads. They're basically the dog version of lions.
Keeshond
This dog breed has a thick double coat that is most pronounced on its front half. This gives the illusion that the pup is puffing its chest out. The AKC recommends once a week brushing to keep this breed's hair fluffed and fuzzy.
Pekingese
These small dogs have long hair that makes them resemble a mop, since they're so low to the ground. But the AKC says their shaggy fur is also referred to as a "lion's mane" because of the Chinese legend that Buddha created the Pekingese by shrinking a lion. It's also a fitting comparison since these dogs have thick manes that surround their small faces. They've also been called "sleeve dogs" according to the AKC, because royal family members could carry them around in their garments and use them for warmth or as guard dogs (they would bark ferociously if threatened).
Portuguese Sheepdog
Unlike some other sheepdogs, the Portuguese Sheepdog doesn't have hair that grows into its eyes or an undercoat according to the United Kennel Club. However, the breed's long hair does form a distinctive beard, eyebrows, and mustache and has a shaggy texture all over its body.
Lowchen
In German, "Lowchen" means "little lion," according to Vet Street. As such, the AKC reports that most Lowchen dogs are groomed to enhance that lion name — with the back legs and tail shaved and the front legs, head, and chest left long and fluffy.
Rough Border Collie
These herding dogs have a signature white and black coat that grows long and feathery mostly on its chest, legs, and stomach, according to Dogtime.com. This breed also has a double coat, with a softer undercoat and thicker top coat.
Lhasa Apso
According to Vet Street, Lhasa Apso means "bark lion sentinel dog," because they were guard dogs for Buddhist monks and have lion-esque appearances. They may have long hair, but they don't shed like most long-haired dogs because they don't have a double coat. After they're bathed, they need to be dried completely, because their wet hair can get severely tangled, per the AKC.
Bergamasco Sheepdog
These dogs also have thick cords like Pulis and Komondors. According to the Bergamasco Sheepdog Club Of America, this sheepdog's corded fur keeps it warm in cold temperatures, and keeps cool air circulating on the skin during warmer times. The thick hair also protects from animal or insect bites. When the dog is a year old, the wooly coat must be sectioned into the cords, which will stay separated for the dog's whole life. Within five years, the cords will reach the ground. This is a low-maintenance long-haired dog, with the Bergamasco Sheepdog Club stating that bathing is only necessary one to three times a year because dirt cannot penetrate the thick tangles of hair.
Talk about a floofy puppers.