17 Long Hair Dog Breeds With Gorgeous Locks

A dog with well-maintained, gorgeous long hair is a sight to behold. To keep those hairstyles manicured and luscious requires hours of extra brushing and meticulous grooming. The beauty of having a long-haired dog is that you have the option of hours of maintenance or cutting your pooch’s hair short. Although, if your dog’s hair grows fast, you’ll need more frequent grooming appointments. There are many kinds of long coats—some are thick and dense, others are silky and fine, while a few are corded or intentionally kept in mats.

Long-haired breeds come in different sizes, temperaments, and coat types, from moplike to fluffy to flowy. Many spitz breeds and mountain dogs are double-coated and have long hair to protect them from harsh weather or keep them warm. Additionally, herding dogs have long bangs that flow in their eyes to shield their eyes from the beating sun while out on the fields. Many long-haired breeds, namely single-coated dogs, tend to shed less and may even be a more suitable choice for allergy sufferers.

These 17 dog breeds are known for having long hair.

1. Afghan Hound

The Afghan hound’s long, silky, flowing coat is one of the breed’s hallmark characteristics. The thick coat protects the dogs from the cold climate in Afghanistan’s eastern mountains. This ancient breed—thousands of years old—is among the oldest of all dog breeds. As a sighthound, it hunts prey using its keen eyesight and swift speed. The dog’s long coat requires considerable care to maintain. Prepare for several hours of brushing a week, plus routine bathing using both shampoo and conditioner.

2. Bearded Collie

The bearded collie features not just a profuse beard, but also a long shaggy coat. The bearded collie originated hundreds of years ago in Scotland, where it was valued as a sheepherder and cattle drover. Bearded collies are bouncy, athletic, and full of energy. Their coat has two layers: a straight, harsh, and shaggy outer coat and a soft, furry, and close-lying undercoat. The coat requires significant grooming to prevent mats and tangles, including daily brushing and combing, weekly deep-brushing with an undercoat rake, and occasional baths. On the upside, the beardie doesn’t shed much.

3. Bolognese

The Bolognese’s crowning glory is a long, fluffy white coat that envelops its body like a soft cloud. Named for its birthplace of Bologna, Italy, it was a favorite of the ruling royals for many centuries. This Italian dog breed has long been prized as a calm, sweet-tempered lapdog and faithful companion. They nearly went extinct in the 20th century, but a few dedicated breed fanciers worked tirelessly to preserve them. The Bolognese’s long, cottony coat does not shed, but it needs daily brushing to prevent it from becoming tangled if kept long. Many Bolognese owners opt for shorter pet clips for ease of maintenance.

4. Briard

With its long, flowing coat and strong, muscular body, the wise and spirited Briard is simply magnificent to behold. Hailing from the Brie region of France (also the birthplace of the cheese), the versatile Briard was a sheepherder and a flock guardian. This loyal and loving breed is a “heart wrapped in fur,” as breed aficionados call it. The double coat has a coarse, hard, and dry outer coat that lies flat, falling naturally in long, slightly wavy locks. The undercoat is fine and tight to the body. The Briard requires brushing three or more times a week, using a pin brush and an undercoat rake to remove the loose undercoat.

5. Coton de Tulear

Known as the royal dog of Madagascar thanks to nobility’s affection for the breed, the charming and friendly coton de Tulear (pronounced KO-tone Dih TOO-lay-ARE) is covered in a long, profuse, supple, dense coat with a white, cotton-like texture. This cottony texture is a defining characteristic that explains the word “coton” in its name. Tulear (the second half of the breed name) is the port town of Tulear, likely where the breed originated in Africa’s island nation of Madagascar. The coton is a devoted companion that doesn’t thrive when left alone many hours a day; it can be prone to separation anxiety. This breed requires daily brushing with a coat conditioner unless being kept in a low-maintenance shorter clip.

6. Havanese

The only dog breed native to Cuba and named for the island nation’s capital city of Havana, the Havanese is covered in a luxurious, long, silky coat. The Havanese is highly social, friendly, and intelligent, making the breed a popular family pet. When its abundant, wavy coat is kept long, it needs daily brushing to prevent tangles and mats. A shorter pet trim is easier to maintain and requires less brushing. Regardless of length, the coat sheds very little. This breed looks fantastic with cords, but getting there takes serious maintenance. Owners must form sections of hair that need repeated checking to keep mats from forming, and the entire process can take as long as two years.

7. Lhasa Apso

The Lhasa apso is an ancient breed that comes from the Himalayan Mountains of Tibet. The little dogs acted as interior watchdogs in palaces and Buddhist monasteries, sounding the alarm if they heard people approaching. The breed, which is named after the sacred Tibetan city of Lhasa (“apso” means “longhaired dog”), has been highly prized for centuries by dignitaries in the country and even the Dalai Lama himself. The heavy, straight, dense double-coat sheds very little, needs thorough brushing two or three times a week, and requires regular trimming by a professional groomer. Some Lhasas are kept in a lower-maintenance shorter pet clip.

8. Pekingese

The Pekingese is the ultimate lapdog. The Peke was treasured for centuries by Chinese royalty who loved to hold the small dogs and stroke their luxurious fur. Legend has it that the punishment for stealing one of the little dogs was torture or even death. The long, thick, double coat has a magnificent ruff reminiscent of a lion’s mane. It requires considerable care, including frequent, thorough brushing, making sure to get down to the skin. This dog will also need regularly scheduled baths. Keeping your Pekingese clipped cuts down on grooming and can help keep this brachycephalic (flat-faced) breed cool, especially in the summer months.

9. Shih Tzu

The charming little shih tzu (pronounced “sheed-zoo”) means “lion” in Chinese and was popular with royalty for hundreds of years. With its pushed-in face and flowing long coat, the breed resembles a little lion. Wonderful family dogs, shih tzsu are affectionate, lively, and outgoing. If allowed to grow, the breed’s straight, smooth, silky coat can reach the ground. Shih tzus require professional grooming, plus regular coat maintenance. Their long coats need frequent brushing, combing, bathing, drying, and trimming. The shorter the clip, the easier it will be to care for.

10. Tibetan Terrier

Known as the “holy dog of Tibet,” the Tibetan terrier is a misnomer and not a terrier. Westerners mistakenly used the term when the dogs were introduced to the rest of the world. These dogs were watchdogs and companions in Buddhist monasteries in the Himalayan mountains of Tibet for centuries. The Tibetan terrier’s protective double coat consists of a fine outer coat and is a soft, wooly undercoat. Brush the Tibetan terrier two to three times a week. This breed can also be kept in a short trim that’s easier to groom.

11. Komondor

To the casual observer, a Komondor’s unique coat looks like “locs,” although the correct terms are cords, flocks, or mats. The dogs’ white coat helps them blend in with their herds and Hungary’s wintry landscape. As a puppy, the coat is soft and wavy. The outer coat grows coarse as the dog ages, trapping the softer undercoat to form cords. These help to protect the dog from ferocious predators going after the flock and provide warmth and coverage from the harsh elements.

12. Puli

A close cousin of the Komondor, the puli herding dog is another Hungarian breed. It also rarely sheds. It sports rope-like thinner cords that also form naturally when the outer and inner coat become intertwined. Pulis are often paired with Komondors to guard the herd. Komondors are the night watch while the pulis work during the day. Their white, gray, or cream-colored cords provide warmth and protection, but their coats require maintenance to prevent painful matting. The coat comes from a controlled matting process. The puli’s coat needs considerable grooming to keep its cords clean, neat, and attractive. The cords can reach the ground over time. This breed can be trimmed short, although it loses its distinctive look when trimmed. If cut short, the coat can grow out again in cords if desired.

13. Yorkshire Terrier

Yorkies have a single coat of fine, long, silky hair, closely resembling human hair. Its hair grows continuously and needs constant grooming. These low-shed dogs are potentially a better option for people with allergies. When hair sheds, it’s usually a strand here or there, similar to how people lose hair on occasion. Puppies are born with darker markings and a thicker texture to their coat that thins out and lightens over the next two years of life.

14. Polish Lowland Sheepdog

Like many herding dogs that brave the elements while the flock grazes on the fields, the Polish lowland sheepdog is covered in a shaggy double coat, long on top with a soft and dense undercoat. Their tail can be naturally short (bobbed) or is docked as a puppy, though a long tail is fine for dogs not intended for the show ring. Their oval feet feature arched toes. Although it has lots of hair, it sheds usually only twice a year—dropping its undercoat. This dog needs brushing once a week to prevent mats, and an occasional bath to maintain its coat.

15. Maltese

A Maltese’s single-layer coat is versatile. Its hair can grow long, touching the ground, or you can style it many ways—cropped short, long on the head and tail—the options seem endless. Most owners opt for a short coat since long coats can be a lot of work to maintain. When short, the hair has a wave or slight curl, but as it lengthens, the weight of the hair straightens the strands. This dog can sport a top knot with the best of them.

16. Collie

A rough (or long-haired) collie has a long, double-layer coat, requiring a bit more brushing to ensure its coat stays tangle-free and shinier than a smooth, short-hair collie. Collies require brushing two or three times a week. The upside is that the breed naturally keeps clean and has very little doggie odor. Both rough and smooth collies shed. More frequent brushing can help remove hair, so not as much ends up on your clothes and furniture.

17. Sheltland Sheepdog

Shetland sheepdogs or Shelties are small herding dogs with the coat and appearance of a much larger collie. This Scottish breed has a long, rough double coat. It can take five years to grow to full length. As puppies, they have a lion’s mane and short body hair. From 6 to 12 months, the neck and chest hair grows up to 6 inches. By 18 months, the topcoat on the rest of the body and legs grows longer. By age 5, their undercoat is short, soft, and dense; the topcoat is rough and about 6 inches all around. Shelties are big-time shedders, blowing their coats twice a year, sometimes only once a year (depending on neutering or spaying). Brushing your dog can keep its coat healthy, distributing conditioning skin oils and encouraging new fur growth.

Breeds to Avoid

Hands down, if you have allergies, some long-haired breeds to avoid would be double-coated dogs that tend to shed and have major coat blow-outs. Dogs like Shelties, collies, and Polish lowland sheepdogs drop their undercoats twice a year, which gets hair everywhere. Those furballs carry the dander that triggers allergies.