Which dog for those who have allergies?

[Mjasp]

Anyone know which dog is good for those who have allergies to dogs?

We had a black lab for many years and DH always had headaches (he always thought it was sinus headaches), after he was tested he found out he was allergic to dogs. We still kept our baby till she passed at 12 years old.

Now we have 2 kids and they want a dog badly. A woman came into the office where I work with a Maltese in an airline bag, it was like a large handbag. She said that Maltese dogs are hypoallergenic. I really think those dogs are real cute and are easy to travel with.

When I put hypoallergenic dogs in my search, the Maltese breed doesn't come up, but the poodle does.

Anyone have any knowledge of this?

Thanks

 

[janette]

My youngest DD is allergic to dogs. We now have 2 Bichon Frise and she has no problems. They have the same type of hair as a Poodle and don't shed at all. They are great dogs, one of them is about 1yr old, we got him from a breeder. We just adoped our second one last week from a local pound. She's about 10yrs old but a real sweetie.

The Maltese and a few other breeds don't shed much but they do shed some, he probably would tolerate them better than a lab. Poodles and Bichons also have a different type of hair that has less dander. No dog is 100% allergy free but these are better tolerated by someone who is allergic.

 

[becka]

Yes poodles are supposed to be one of the best breeds because they have less dander than most breeds and it is the dander that most people are allergic to - not the hair.

My DH is allergic to dogs and while I love DH and would not give him up for a dog I was a little disappointed to think that we would never have a dog. I really wanted a poodle because we had them growing up and they are such great dogs. Well we did a little research and thankfully the poodle was the best breed for people with allergies so we tried it out. DH and our poodle, Rusty, have been living together for over 5 years and DH does not have any problems with him (he does take Zyrtec for allergies so that probably helps).

 

[Mjasp]

Yes the Bichon Frise was also on the list. I don't anything about those dogs. I will have to check it out.

Thanks

 

[olena]

The allergy is to an enzyme in the saliva. Dogs lick their skin and hair. The hair sheds and the skin flakes as dander. That's why dander gets blamed. That's also why cats usually cause more severe reactions. They're covered in their own saliva.

A dog that doesn't shed much will cut down on the amount of saliva-bearing particles in the air and house. There is still the dander to consider. For some reason, poodles tend not to be so bad. I noticed that myself, since my cousins had one and it didn't bother me very much.

If possible, find a friend with the breed of dog you're considering. Then ask to visit their home and see how the allergies react.

 

[jamsmom]

I am allergic, but was able to have poodles growing up. I have also heard that chihuahuas are good. I had one when I was married before something happened to it (thanks to the ex) andI had no problems.

 

[Tiger Fan]

Here are a few dogs that are considered hypo-allergenic: "The 1998 AKC allergy info page lists the Poodle, Bichon Frise, Bedlington Terrier, Miniature Schnauzer, Kerry Blue Terrier, Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier, Maltese, Portuguese Water Dog, Italian Greyhound, Basenji and the Chinese Crested"

We are not allergy sufferers, but I hate dog and cat hair in the house. We have a Maltese and a Miniature Schnauzer. We brush them both daily and NEVER find any hair around. We have a friend has bad allergies and she never has trouble when visiting us. We have had our Maltese for almost 14 years and I can tell you she is so sweet and perfect. She's great with children and hardly ever barks. We just got our schnauzer so I can't say as much other than so far so good. Have fun deciding.
Lisa

 

[Rajah]

I'm also allergic and grew up with a Shih Tzu with almost no problems. My friends had Bichons, and I had no trouble with their animals either. And my cousins are even more allergic than I am and they grew up with Miniature Schnauzers.

 

[eeyore74]

My aunt has allergies and they have a dachsund. My exBF was allergic to dogs, but we had looked into Wheaton Terriers then. (hehehe.. the puppy we looked at peed on him. I think it was a sign.)

 

[tinaw]

I am usually very allergic but we have a Schnoodle (part poodle and part schnauzer) that doesn't bother me at all. Not to mention he is the smartest dog I have ever met. He's pretty cute too!

 

[Mermaid02]

I'm severely allergic- grew up with a poodle, was SEVERELY allergic to her. We now have a 5 yo Weimaraner, they have an extremely short coat. I take an antihistamine daily, plus Nasonex. Our dog does not bother me unless she licks me- then I get hives where her saliva touches me. She made my eyes itchy the first few months we had her, but she doesn't anymore.

 

[Lanshark]

My cousin who is allergic has an Italian Greyhound.

 

[Ranatra]

Just had to put in my vote for a Poodle!!
Beside the fact that they6 don't shed, they're so intelligent!!

Becka, your poodle is beautiful! I would love to see more pics of him/her.

 

[dianeschlicht]

I am a dog breeder who is allergic to dogs!
We have Airedales. Most of the wirehaired type terriers (Wire Fox, Westie, Schnauzer, Austrailian, Airedale, and wire versions of Jack Russle, Cairn, etc.) will be less allergy producing than some others. The soft coated terrier breeds like Weaten and Kerry Blue are also good.

Dogs with continuously growing coats that don't shed, like poodles, Bichon, and Portegese water dogs are the best choices since they do not shed AT ALL.

With small children, I would stay away from the maltese. They sometimes are not good with children.

Even the shedding breeds like the Smooth coated Dachshund and IG that were mentioned can be all right since they are small and have less hair and surface.

When I sell a puppy and there is any question about allergy, I usually give the people some groomed off dog hair to take home and wear under a sweat band on the inside of the wrist or inside of the elbow. Usually, if they are going to react, they will do so in that spot after just a few hours.

 

[mckryan]

My husband and I had a cocker spaniel for 14 years. We got him shortly after we married and had our daughter 5 years later. Our daughter always had a stuffy nose, but we never made the connection until after our dog passed away. It's now 2 1/2 years later and we're starting to think about a dog again. The most important thing is allergies for us, so we've started doing a lot of research on what dogs cause less problems. We're thinking about a Kerry Blue Terrier or a Bichon. I'd love a Bichon since they are a nice size to just pick up and cuddle! =) Anyway, here's a site I found with a decent listing of dogs for people with allergies.

http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/allergy.htm

Christa

 

[WeirdEyes]

We have a Shihpoo (half Shih Tzu & half Poodle) and he doesn't shed. I am highly allergic and I am fine around him. He's also very sweet, smart, and loving. I had a Poodle growing up and never had any problems with her...only thing about Poodles is that usually they get attached to one person in the family. Not all of them do, but a good many that I've been around do. Our Shihpoo (Barkley) loves EVERYBODY and everybody loves him. All of our friends and family want to take him home cause he's so sweet and cute.

 

[cindala]

We have a Jack Russell Terrier, and there are no problems with allergies here. We were told they have hair not fur, and that makes the difference. Whatever it is, no one has problems with her being around!

 

[Obi-Wan Pinobi]

Another vote for poodles here. We have 4 of them and they are wonderful, personable dogs. There are two different types of coats on poodles. Usually you see the tight wirey kinky fur. That fur will shed if you let it get long enough. By long enough we are talking 3-5 inches long. There is also a silky variation that tends to cord a bit as it gets long. We have two of each and I've never seen any hair shed from the two with the silky hair no matter how long it got.

 

[WeirdEyes]

Here's a picture of Barkley. I hope this shows up. I've never been able to get a picture in my post.

 

[dianeschlicht]

Wierdeyes, Press the IMG button above and copy your string into the box that appears at the top. That should make it post.