Hypoallergenic Dogs

[Life_is_Good]

Dear Wife and I would like to rescue a dog from the local shelter. But.... DW has pet allergies. She sneezes, her eyes tear up, and all the rest. We've since discovered a whole category of hypoallergenic breeds. Can an allergy sufferer really own one of these breeds without having symptoms?

 

[Gotadimple]

First of all, there is no such thing as a hypoallergenic dog. There are dogs with fur and dogs with hair. Those with hair, don't shed and may have dander that will not irritate your wife's allergies.

If she reacts rather quickly, you can tell which dog will create or not create a problem for her.

Rita (and her miniature poodle, Poppi)

 

[Animorph]

My dad was pretty bad with many dogs, but he was fine with our Chihuahuas when I was growing up. Even the long haired variety we favored.

 

[Nemo2]

Chihuahuas? Miniature Poodles? I thought this thread was about DOGS.

 

[longranger]

Poodles of all sizes and poodle hybrids are the best bet. No guarantees with any of the so called hypoallergenic breeds. Many allergies are due to salivary proteins from the dog licking their fur and owner.

 

[Bestwifeever]

Maybe the local shelter has some suggestions? Probably this question has come up to them before? Friends with allergies had a wheaten terrier and a big labradoodle. I think they still found them allergenic. The labradoodle's coat required a lot of brushing and grooming to keep under control--we never had poodles as the breed is too smart for us, but I think a poodle's coat will also need maintenance clipping?

 

[eytonxav]

Here is an extensive list for you to consider:
Hypoallergenic Dog Breeds, Best Hypoallergenic Dog List

 

[Gotadimple]

but I think a poodle's coat will also need maintenance clipping?

True, about every 6-8 weeks, a poodle needs to be groomed. Their hair can grow up to 6". But same can be said for any dog with hair, rather than fur: spaniels, long-haired chihuahuas, long-haired dachshunds, Portugese Water Dogs, Irish Setters, etc.

So this is an additional cost of owning a "hypoallergenic" dog.

Rita

 

[happy2bretired]

Poodles of all sizes and poodle hybrids are the best bet. No guarantees with any of the so called hypoallergenic breeds. Many allergies are due to salivary proteins from the dog licking their fur and owner.

My dog is a Silky (hypoallergenic according to the list). My daughter has a reaction from my dog's saliva.

 

[samclem]

DW is allergic to dogs, but she has no problems with our miniature poodle (and the one we had before). It is a smart dog, and not very "yappy," a good companion. Ours was a rescue and she's got some "issues": fairly willful ("independent minded") and not well socialized with respect to other dogs. If you are interested in adopting one from a shelter and it is kept with other dogs, you might have to give it a good bath to get their allergens off the poodle before you can tell if the poodle is okay for you guys.

Grooming: Kinda like a Chia Pet. She goes to the groomer about every two months, comes back looking entirely different. It's probably something we could do ourselves, but haven't taken the time to learn the skills.

 

[MRG]

True, about every 6-8 weeks, a poodle needs to be groomed. Their hair can grow up to 6". But same can be said for any dog with hair, rather than fur: spaniels, long-haired chihuahuas, long-haired dachshunds, Portugese Water Dogs, Irish Setters, etc.

So this is an additional cost of owning a "hypoallergenic" dog.

Rita

Depends, our first Malteese never saw a groomer for his first 6 years. While not a show quality dog he did resemble the Malteese in the list. The daily care did become excessive. After 6 years DW decided to take him to a groomer, he was in a puppy cut the rest of his life. Don't know if longer hair would cause more allergy problems.

While not a watch dog, the breed is very attentive, have few bad habits as some of the small breeds can have.
MRG

 

[sengsational]

My sister got a labradoodle that doesn't shed. She's afraid of her own shadow, but sounds fierce when the pizza man rings the doorbell. Smart as a whip!

 

[target2019]

A friend recently bought a labradoodle and had to give it up because of allergies. She picked it for hypoallergenic reasons.

Daughter brought home a caverdoodle (cavapoo) , and there are no allergy problems. It is a very clean dog, but easily picks up bits of leaves and dirt from the outside. After 4 months or so, needed a cropping. Looks like every month she could use a trim.

The size of the dog is another quality to think about.

 

[Charlotte]

I have friends who have a daughter with both asthma and an assortment of allergies. Their family got a Havanese, and there have been no issues. He's a really nice, sweet, calm and well behaved dog. Cute as a button, too!

I had not even heard of the breed until she told me they were researching for hypoallergenic dogs. They were fortunate to spend a couple hours on at least 3 occasions with the breeder, and handled a number of pups during the course of their visits. This made them feel quite confident that it would work out for them. This particular breeder had a waiting list, so they did have to wait about 3-4 months before their litter was born and they could choose their puppy.

 

[splitwdw]

Dear Wife and I would like to rescue a dog from the local shelter. But.... DW has pet allergies. She sneezes, her eyes tear up, and all the rest. We've since discovered a whole category of hypoallergenic breeds. Can an allergy sufferer really own one of these breeds without having symptoms?

Does your wife really want the dog? I have allergies and would be surprised that anyone would put themselves in a position to aggravate their allergies. I have a friend that got it into his head that his wife's allergies couldn't be that bad and brought home a dog. After suffering bad allergic reaction for a week, he finally took the dog back where he got it and had to pay a cleaning service to remove all dog hair/dander/saliva/whatnot. This is also not fair to the dog if you bring it home and then have to get rid of it.

 

[ls99]

The only way I can think of making any animal hypoallergenic is to boil them. Kinda ruins their ability to live though.

Seriously, all living animals, including humas shed cells, hair feathers etc. exude various odors and slobber of all kinds.

If one is allergic, animals may not be a good fit. When DW wanted a cat, I had myself tested for allergies as I do have a few. Cat was not on the list. We do have a cat, and we get along just fine.

 

[AllDone]

The "hypoallergenic" part is a marketing ploy. All dogs shed skin cells or "dander". We have three big poodles and they don't shed much fur, but you do find the occasional strand. They are smart, sociable and easy to train, but do have a manageable level of energy. Our three would choose beating up other dogs as their favorite hobby, if we would permit it, but that's something that most tightly bonded groups of dogs will do.

Our youngest one gets a Claritin most days. He's never had allergy testing, but dogs are frequently allergic to human dander.

 

[Life_is_Good]

Thanks everyone for the feedback. DW has been reviewing the breeds and seems interested in the Bichon Frise. It seems this dog is very intelligent, good with kids and people ion general, and is one of the least shedders in the bunch.

Looking through the shelter dogs we see lots of mixed breeds too. Is it safe to assume that a mix of "hypoallergenic" dogs is still mostly hypoallergenic? The poodles are a popular dog that is part of many mixed breeds.

 

[MRG]

Thanks everyone for the feedback. DW has been reviewing the breeds and seems interested in the Bichon Frise. It seems this dog is very intelligent, good with kids and people ion general, and is one of the least shedders in the bunch.

Looking through the shelter dogs we see lots of mixed breeds too. Is it safe to assume that a mix of "hypoallergenic" dogs is still mostly hypoallergenic? The poodles are a popular dog that is part of many mixed breeds.

Bishons are a great breed.

To the mixed breed question, I think it depends. Folks here said their 'doodles' don't. We have a JaShu, Shitzu and Japanese Chin mix. She does shed. According to the list in a early post, Shitzu's don't shed but Chins do. YMMV.
MRG

 

[AllDone]

Poodles (and I suspect bichons and Portuguese water dogs) carry two genes for the curly, non-shedding coat. It's a dominant gene, so a first generation cross (i.e. one with a purebred parent) will have a curly or wavy, non-shedding coat. Subsequent generations don't have that guarantee. A puppy from two labradoodles might or might not have a non shedding coat. This coat quality, while delightful for household tidiness, has nothing to do with allergies.

 

[Dimsumkid]

For people with allergies to pets, there's a product out there called Allerpet/D (/C for carts) that worked really well for me. I used to own and bred Shar Peis (had horse coat and brush coat) and I'm allergic to cats and dogs. Shar pei's don't need their hair cut, but blow their coat twice a year and they're eyelash length. Dander is the big problem and I found bathing and towel drying, then working in the Allerpet when they were still lightly wet worked best. I found it a small price to pay in exchange for having a pet. I was able to go about a month before bathing/reapplying the Allerpet again and I was the person that did all the bathing and grooming. I can also tell you I do noticeable better at a friend's house that starting using a Roomba on the carpeting that has cats...more frequent vacuuming seems to help.

 

[Hopeful]

I have allergies to dogs and cats. I have absolutely no problems with our YORKIE. Now if she has been out rolling in the grass, that might be a different story.

 

[target2019]

Poodles (and I suspect bichons and Portuguese water dogs) carry two genes for the curly, non-shedding coat. It's a dominant gene, so a first generation cross (i.e. one with a purebred parent) will have a curly or wavy, non-shedding coat. Subsequent generations don't have that guarantee. A puppy from two labradoodles might or might not have a non shedding coat. This coat quality, while delightful for household tidiness, has nothing to do with allergies.

What exactly triggers the allergic reactions that people have?
Is it the same trigger in dogs as in cats? I have an allergic reaction to every cat, but not dogs.
Some people are allergic to some dogs, but not hypoallergenic ones (1st generation).

 

[Animorph]

DW is allergic to DS's pet rats. She even gets little raised red bumps if they walk over her. She takes allergy tablets while we're visiting him. She doesn't seem to be allergic to dogs or cats. We visit her half-brother's house with 7 huskies and a cat, fur all over the place, without any problem that I've noticed.

 

[AllDone]

Differnt people have allergies to different things, but, yes, cats and rodents are usually a lot more allergenic than dogs. I had a vet who had to be really careful to scrub her hands and arms after touching a cat and before touching her face despite daily antihistamines pills. I start to scratch when I think about cats. Zoos frequently have trouble maintaining employees who can work with the exotic hoofed animals like gazelles, too, so be grateful you don't have a heard of antelopes living in your back yard.