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  #1  
Old May 4th, 2001, 07:58 PM
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Question:

What breeds of dogs are best to have if allergies are present?

Answer:


Firstly, there is no dog that is non-allergenic. It is a myth that dogs with short hair are non-allergenic.

What people with allergies are allergic to is a protein that is found primarily in the saliva and urine.
When the dog (or cat for that matter) grooms itself by licking its fur, it is placing the allergen on its coat where the particles become airborne and find their way throughout your house....and into your lungs.

So if you are allergic or your kids are allergic to dogs or cats DO NOT GET ONE.

It's not fair to the allergy sufferer or the animal that will eventually be given away.

If you already have a dog and develop allergies there are some things you can do.

The best solution for your physical health would be to remove the pet from your home. However many people with allergies (it all depends on how severe) do live reasonably well with their pets save for the occasional sniffle.

If you do have allergies and are living with pets here are some things you can try;
  1. Do not let the dog enter your bedroom. You sleep 8 hours a day there. Minimize the allergens that can get into this room.
  2. Get some kind of ventilation system that exchanges the air in your house with fresh air from outside.
  3. Vacuum frequently
  4. Wash your pet frequently (ask your vet for a schedule for your breed)
  5. Have someone who is not allergic brush your pet OUTDOORS as frequently as possible.
  6. Wash your hands after handling the pet

These steps should reduce but not eliminate the amount of allergens present in your home. They may lessen your allergic symptoms but they will not eliminate your allergies.

Hope that helps

Samantha
Dog owner and breeder for over 20 years
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  #2  
Old July 11th, 2005, 12:39 PM
Prin Prin is offline
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This should be a sticky.
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  #3  
Old July 13th, 2005, 12:41 PM
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Tracy Martinez Tracy Martinez is offline
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There are also products that can be found at pet-stores for allergies. I've used a liquid that you put onto a cloth and wipe over the animals fur. It keeps the allergens from flying off. It actually works quite well.
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Old July 13th, 2005, 12:45 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Prin
This should be a sticky.
Good Point!
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  #5  
Old July 13th, 2005, 10:46 PM
Prin Prin is offline
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Stickies stay at the top of each forum. Threads gradually fade away... (you'll notice this one won't change places ever). Stuff that is of general interest and is information that people should always read goes in a sticky.
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  #6  
Old July 14th, 2005, 01:36 PM
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Hi,
I just wanted to ask a question regarding this post.
I was of the understanding that some breeds of dogs were
considered "HypoAllergenic" such as Poodles, Bichon Frise,
and Yorkshire Terriers (my mom in law says yorkies are hypoallergenic, however I do not know this to be true myself).
Is this a myth, or is it because the hair type is different and therefore
is less likely to cause allergic reactions?
I personally cannot think all people would be not allergic to these
breeds, as there is no concrete rule about allergies and every person is unique.
However, In regards to refusing to purchase or keep an animal because
of allergies, I will say this- I have 2 cats and a dog, and am allergic to all
of them, the cats the worst. However, allergy pills are 10 bucks for 30 days worth, and that is a heck of a lot cheaper to me, than getting rid of my pets.
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  #7  
Old July 14th, 2005, 01:42 PM
White Wolf White Wolf is offline
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Dogs with hair have different fur and different dander than other dogs. You may be allergic to one type and not to the other, but that is rare enough to consider it a myth.
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  #8  
Old July 15th, 2005, 12:36 PM
Hogansma Hogansma is offline
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Just thought I'd add a comment, nothing scientific. I am highly allergic to puppies, all puppies, bathed or not. When my puppies get their adult hair, my allergies almost disappear. This happens when they are about 10 months old (give or take a bit). There are a lot of people who love dogs but know they are allergic and think they can never own a dog. I would recommend looking at a small, fully mature dog and of course doing test visits before ever bringing one home on a perminent basis. Bathing the dog and feeding a good quality dog food is important too so they don't get smelly. Most SPCAs are flexible and can work with you on this. I am a happy owner of 2 dogs and with both, my allergies and asthma were terrible during the puppy stage. I actually looked forward to going to work so I could breathe!
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Old July 16th, 2005, 05:35 PM
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I can't remember where I heard this but someone told me bathing dogs alot makes them smell worse. Brings out the natural "wet dog" smell.
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  #10  
Old July 17th, 2005, 11:19 AM
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My BF is the opposite- he is really not allergic to puppies, but adults are terrible for him. Lucky ours stayed puppies forever..
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  #11  
Old August 11th, 2005, 08:53 AM
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my dad and sister are both almost severely allergic to cats and we just got a cat bout 2 years ago and in the beginning it was horrible to them but they eventually got used to it...if you have kids that have an allergy to a cat or dog and they want one and you want to give it to them do it because they will grow used to the animals dander.....i swear.......
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  #12  
Old August 11th, 2005, 04:22 PM
Prin Prin is offline
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I find allergies get better when the person allergic gets the animal as a baby and as the adult fur gradually grows in, they get gradually used to it.
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  #13  
Old August 11th, 2005, 09:59 PM
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Exclamation Allergies

Excuse me but I am allergic to dogs, well to be exact the hair on dogs. I am allergic to many things. My vet reccomended me getting a poodle, since they are wool and will not trigger my fur allergy. I've had him for 12 years now and he's still going. I've not once had any reaction from him, what a great pet he has been.
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  #14  
Old August 11th, 2005, 10:18 PM
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I had understood that there are specific breeds that don't produce dander, or very little. Two of these breeds are the poodle and soft coated wheaten terrier. These breeds grow hair very similar to ours. Almost all short coated breeds produce this dander, though it is not the hair that you are allergic to. There is also the saliva that many with allergies will react to regardless of having a non allergetic breed, such as the poodle. The dogs saliva that I tend to react to are from the diggers. If a person with allergies reacts to a breed that is classified as non allergetic is usually allergic to their saliva. In some cases the allergic reaction has nothing to do with the dog, it may have come in contact(hair) with some other allergic source by brushing by it, or rolling etc.
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  #15  
Old August 12th, 2005, 12:52 AM
Prin Prin is offline
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Robsug, did you get the poodle as a puppy?

I don't believe that people who are allergic to dogs are all not allergic to poodles, etc. I believe there is a slim chance they may be allergic to one and not the other. I can't find too much science about dander in dogs, but I can say from personal experience that my old man was allergic to only poodles when he was younger. That would mean the dander would be different, not just lower in quatity.

(I had posted a story, but Kandy posted it already in the news section, here: http://www.pets.ca/forum/showthread.php?t=18303 )

Last edited by Prin; August 12th, 2005 at 01:02 AM.
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  #16  
Old August 12th, 2005, 03:24 PM
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Allergies

When my son was quite young he was disagnosed with allergies (mild) to cats, dogs and dust. All three of which were in abundance at our house. My mother asked me if I was going to give my son away Lucky for me I kept them all and the son's allergies were never a severe issue - we were lucky.
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  #17  
Old August 12th, 2005, 04:13 PM
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I think the gist of Samantha's post is that it is not safe to say that a particular breed is entirely hypoallergenic. Some dogs just happen to be less reactive to people prone to allergies.

Saying that a specific breed is 100 per cent hypoallergenic for everyone can cause problems if people buy them and then turn out to have a reaction. As one poster already mentioned, everyone is unique and will react differently to each breed, so we cannot safely call these breeds hypoallergenic, as that would be a misleading statement.
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  #18  
Old August 12th, 2005, 04:36 PM
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Lightbulb

I got the poodle as a puppy.
I'm alergic to most other dogs and cats apart from a poodle, so it must be something to do with them.
I'm not saying they are 100% hypoallergenic but they are definatly an improvement over other dogs.
If you find you are allergic to dogs then I would reccomend seeing if you are allergic to poodles aswell.
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  #19  
Old August 12th, 2005, 04:59 PM
Prin Prin is offline
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See, that was my original point. It might be the poodle you are not allergic to, but it might also be the fact that you had the dog with puppy fur that slowly developed into adult fur full of dander giving you the ability to adapt to it slowly.
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  #20  
Old August 12th, 2005, 05:55 PM
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Well I know my Mom is allergic to cats. She will become immune to a cat after living with it for about two months. She is fine with her own cat, but other peoples cat's really bother her. Her eyes swell shut.

Because of this I think people with allergies can become immune to certain pets (Dogs or Cats). It may have to do with how severe your allergies are.
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  #21  
Old August 17th, 2005, 01:13 AM
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Wink

i just wanted to say i am a highly allergic person to all animals. It doesnt matter whether its cat, dog, horse, cow, chicken. A year ago i took 2 cats in as rescues as the people that had them were moving away and couldnt take the cats so instead of putting them down we took em in. Then one day while surfing the net i checked out the local SPCA and found they had a shih tzu. We have had him for a couple of months now and i havent had a problem with him at all....... the only time it does bother me is when he gets out of the bath. I can comb him down and nothing happens to me. I suggest that anyone that is allergic like i am to try the shih tzu out. Now with my 2 cats they are shedders and im HIGHLY allergic to them. I love them and wont get rid of them thats why right now im really sick due to my allergies and i am on shots twice a month with no help from em not even pills help me out. Oh well we have a right to live so do the animals and its worth my being sick to see them alive and playing.
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  #22  
Old August 17th, 2005, 01:45 AM
Prin Prin is offline
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Something like 2/3 of pet owners who are told by their Drs to get rid of their dog because of severe allergies DON'T, and of those who keep the dog, 90% get another dog when the first dies....
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  #23  
Old August 19th, 2005, 01:08 AM
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My sister is slightly allergic to her golden and would never dream of giving her up. She suffers with a smile, I guess (I don't blame her, Zoe is an angel -- I've never met such a sweet, gentle creature in my life). My boyfriend has pet allergies and oddly is fine around our golden (maybe he's developed an immunity to her dander by this point), but he's allergic to Zoe (it might help if he didn't feel the need to lie down and snuggle with her every time he sees her, but that's neither here nor there ) and also sneezes up a storm around other dogs at training. I've noticed that's he's fine around certain breeds (ex: daschunds, Wheatens) but miserable around others.

My brother is also allergic but refused to give up his dog when he was a kid and spent 17 happy years with her. I guess it depends on whether you're willing to put up with the hardship.
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  #24  
Old September 2nd, 2005, 08:21 AM
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Thanks for the suggestions on how to help deal with allergies. I've only recently discovered that I have allergies because I had a miniature schnauzer growing up and have mainly been around poodles since then. I recommend these dogs for those with mild allergies. It's important to remember, as others have pointed out, that hypoallergenic is not the same thing as nonallergenic.

I find that pets with short, stiff hair, are the worst for me. This is a bit counterintuitive, but short-haired cats and dogs are worse for me than silkier breeds.

I'm looking into the portuguese water dog as a future pet. If anyone has any experience with these dogs, please post.
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  #25  
Old September 27th, 2005, 11:43 AM
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If you have allergies, bathing your dog every three or four weeks helps...plus, your dog won't smell

There are also injections that you can take with the actual allergen over a period of time....it causes your body to become decensitized to the allergen...some people with severe allergies have tried this and it has worked...to the point where they now own dogs and cats...but where choking and having asthma attacks a year or two back...

don't know much more about it though...maybe ask your doc.
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  #26  
Old January 23rd, 2006, 06:39 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Prin
I find allergies get better when the person allergic gets the animal as a baby and as the adult fur gradually grows in, they get gradually used to it.

Ya , I agree, and somewhat related to this is what I feel ... that animals
can heal /stop a disease process also. I think they can even sniff cancers.
I have a link to it, if someone wants, will send it .
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  #27  
Old January 23rd, 2006, 11:34 AM
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I have Shih Tzus and Shih Tzu crosses. I find that their fur is very different from my Border collie cross or other dogs that I've had. It is very close to human hair in texture and when they need a hair cut their hair drifts off in little clumps like feathers. I do keep them clipped fairly short all year round but that's to avoid matting and burrs not an allergy solution.
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  #28  
Old January 23rd, 2006, 01:59 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Cool Surfer
Ya , I agree, and somewhat related to this is what I feel ... that animals
can heal /stop a disease process also. I think they can even sniff cancers.
I have a link to it, if someone wants, will send it .
There's another thread on the cancer sniffers.. Here

I think in a way, animals are like laughter for illnesses. They change the mood, the perception and the attitude, which can do so much.
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  #29  
Old August 2nd, 2006, 11:22 AM
Arctic Wolf Arctic Wolf is offline
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Puppy Allergies

Quote:
Originally Posted by Hogansma
Just thought I'd add a comment, nothing scientific. I am highly allergic to puppies, all puppies, bathed or not. When my puppies get their adult hair, my allergies almost disappear. This happens when they are about 10 months old (give or take a bit). There are a lot of people who love dogs but know they are allergic and think they can never own a dog. I would recommend looking at a small, fully mature dog and of course doing test visits before ever bringing one home on a perminent basis. Bathing the dog and feeding a good quality dog food is important too so they don't get smelly. Most SPCAs are flexible and can work with you on this. I am a happy owner of 2 dogs and with both, my allergies and asthma were terrible during the puppy stage. I actually looked forward to going to work so I could breathe!
Hi, Can the person who posted above contact me on **
I have 3 dogs which I have never had a problem with but have just bought a malamute puppy and I have never been so allergic in my life. I can't work out if it is hayfever or puppy fur. I am not allergic to dogs so I don;t understand this, but I haven't stopped sneezing in the last 3 weeks. My eyes are fine, it's just my nose. I have never heard of just being allergic to puppies, so it would be interesting to see if anyone else is having the same problem as I am.

Last edited by White Wolf; August 2nd, 2006 at 11:26 AM. Reason: Sorry, no email addresses, please. People will respond within the thread.
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  #30  
Old August 2nd, 2006, 11:27 AM
Prin Prin is offline
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Puppies are definitely different than adults as far as allergens go. If your puppy scratches you does it puff up disproportionately?
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