01/11/2023
Let’s “Furnish” this debate once and for all!
As mentioned yesterday, Goldendoodle breeders used to believe curly coats were best for folks needing an allergy friendly dog, but DNA advancements have shown it’s not the curl factor that dictates allergy friendly qualities, it is the combination of the furnishings gene and the long coat gene.
This understanding is not new. Geneticists discovered the furnishing gene and its correlation to shedding around 10 years ago, but there is still a lot of misinformation floating around the internet. Many of those sharing outdated information include non-reputable Goldendoodle breeders who do not stay up to date with scientific research.
So, what about the furnishings gene?
Furnishings are arguably one of the first things you’ll notice about a dog that helps you identify it as a characteristic “Goldendoodle”. Furnishings are the longer facial hair, including eyebrows, mustache and beard, found on most Goldendoodles.
Goldendoodles can have 0, 1 or 2 copies of furnishings. Goldendoodles with 0 copies have a “flat” coat, which is similar to a Golden Retriever coat and will shed. Dogs with 1 copy are “Incorrect coat carriers” and have furnishings, but could shed a bit more and may not appear as shaggy a dog with 2 copies. Goldendoodles with 2 copies have full facial furnishings, and paired with the long coat gene, will generally be low to non shed.
What’s the take home point?
Yes, Goldendoodles can be allergy friendly. No, it doesn’t have anything to do with the curl factor. Genetic technology has taught us that furnishings are what confer the low- to non-shedding coats on our Goldendoodles that help make them such optimal family dogs. Due to the outdated idea of curl being a driving force to non-shed qualities many breeders still advertise F1bs as being the right choice for allergy friendly households, but actually the ideal combination for folks who need an allergy friendly dog is a Multigenerational (Goldendoodle x Goldendoodle) with 2 copies of the furnishings gene and 2 copies of the long coat gene. *All Goldendoodles are fixed for 2 copies for the long coat gene. If you are a family needing these allergy friendly qualities, please work with a breeder who tests their dogs for AND is educated with the furnishings gene.
🚨 If you have allergies, we highly recommend you consult your allergist before purchasing a puppy of any breed. GANA breeder members are not permitted to guarantee families will not have an allergic reaction to their dogs. People can also have allergies to dog salvia and urine.
Per our Code of Ethics:
“I will not guarantee hypo-allergenic qualities or non-shedding coats to any customer”.
👏🏻 You can find some of these breeders here:
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