Best family dog for someone with pet allergies?

[citymama]

All the security threads have got me thinking about a dog again. DH and I both grew up with dogs and love them. We've promised the kids a dog some time in the next couple of years. But I have developed pet allergies since I was a teenager - more severe allergies to cats, milder (but still uncomfortable) allergies to several kinds of dogs (retriever family, dachshunds, boxers, short haired dogs, long haired dogs!). Does anyone with dog allergies have a dog that doesn't aggravate the allergy and is good with kids? MIL has a small lapdog that has hair, not fur (a variety of bichon), and I know I'm not allergic to her - but I'd love something more, um like a real dog. I'm intrigued by some of the poodle mixes but I'm sure there are a lot of other options out there. Thanks for any advice about breeds - or about ways I could do a trial run to make sure my allergies aren't aggravated. Thanks!

[MizMojoLaveau]

I have heard of poodles and chihuahuas being good for that reason.

[larig]

Schnauzers.

[oneplustwo]

You could look at many of the terrier breeds and poodles, for starters. I have dog allergies and even worse cat allergies. I grew up with a miniature Schnauzer and a Shih Tzu and was fine with both of those. When I started looking a couple years ago to add a dog to our family, I found one website that helped me go through breeds that are generally considered good for those with dog allergies (the list includes doodle mixes too): http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/lightshedders.htm My allergies sound like yours, in that I'm fine with dogs that shed lightly (like those with hair instead of fur and terriers) ~ I don't seem to be allergic to dogs' saliva.

I pored over breeds from that list to figure out which ones might work well for our family, reading up on breeds from various sources. Last fall we got a Tibetan Terrier and she is awesome for us. TTs are a small to medium sized breed, furry as all get out (one of my kids dubbed her a living fluff ball), sturdy (important with my two 9-yo boys), medium exercise needs, low to medium level of activity in the house. She's not a barker but when she does bark, it's on the deep side (DH didn't want "a yapper"). She does come with high grooming needs, but I was willing to deal with that to get the right dog for us. I would have liked a slightly larger dog, and another breed we considered was the Portuguese Water Dog, but ultimately decided the TT was likely to be a better fit for us. PWDs tend to need a lot of exercise and I wasn't sure we'd be able to provide that. Our dog is great with kids, and the other families I know with TTs say the same.

So figure out more about what kind of dog you want in terms of energy level, grooming needs, breed personality/temperament, size, ease of training, then read up on the different breeds that are good for allergy sufferers to figure out which ones would be best for you.

[twowhat?]

Volunteer to foster dogs of breeds that don't shed (poodles, schnauzers, etc). Non-shedding does not guarantee anything, because most people are allergic to proteins in the dog's saliva and as long as the dog licks you/itself/etc, you will be exposed to it regardless of if the dog sheds. But - a lot of people do do better with the non-shedding breeds.

Chihuahuas DO shed - a lot!! :)

If the foster works out, then you can adopt him/her, or go on to adopt a different dog that is a good fit for the family, personality-wise. Good luck! I definitely feelt LOADS safer with dogs around.

[JBaxter]

I have heard of poodles and chihuahuas being good for that reason.

Chihuahua are not good for small children. They are very nippy and small and tend to get injured.

Poodles and poodlemixes are usually pretty good. schnauzers ( will the 6 I've known) are hard to house break.

[AJP]

One of the reasons we've decided on a "doodle" (Bernedoodle in our case) was for the low shedding and they tend to not aggravate allergies. My breeder has goldendoodles and Bernedoodles of all sizes. None of us are allergic to dogs, but I have picked up other allergies in the past few years.
I like the idea a PP posted of fostering. It will give you a good idea of what dog will work for you.

[arivecchi]

DS2 is quite allergic to lots of animals and he is not allergic at all to our blue great dane. We rescued her, so we had an opportunity to test things out at the rescue before we made the decision.

[weech]

Schnauzers.


:yeahthat: DH and I both have dog allergies and our miniature schnauzers sleep in our bed with us and we don't have any issues.

eta - We fostered schnauzers for a year or so (and have two of our own) and they've all been pretty easy to train. So I guess YMMV on that one. They can be stubborn but are very smart, loyal and a much sturdier breed than your typical terrier. Mine are lazy, too, which I love! hah.

[larig]

Chihuahua are not good for small children. They are very nippy and small and tend to get injured.

Poodles and poodlemixes are usually pretty good. schnauzers ( will the 6 I've known) are hard to house break.

We did not have housebreaking problems with our schnauzers at all. I'd have another schnauzer in a heartbeat.

[oneontheway]

Labradoodles are great and most multi gens are non shedding and non-allergenic. They come in various sizes. Ours is a medium and she is about 40 pounds but they go up to around 60-70 for a full size. We also have a toy poodle mix and he is great but not like having a dog dog. Our labradoodle is a dog dog... loves to play ball, run around with the kids but is gentle and sweet.

[Melbel]

Labradoodles are great and most multi gens are non shedding and non-allergenic. They come in various sizes. Ours is a medium and she is about 40 pounds but they go up to around 60-70 for a full size. We also have a toy poodle mix and he is great but not like having a dog dog. Our labradoodle is a dog dog... loves to play ball, run around with the kids but is gentle and sweet.

:yeahthat: We are thrilled with our labradoodle pup. DD1 has shown some allergies/sensitivities to some dogs, but has had no problem whatsoever with our 5th generational labradoodle (by breeding across more generations, you reduce the chance of shedding, huge size, etc.). Our doodle is around 28 pounds and was super easy to house and crate train.

[AnnieW625]

I would do some sort of Poodle mix, or a medium or standard sized male poodle. I was doing some research on Poodles recently and read that male poodles can be way less snippy than female Poodle. Plus my grandparents first had a male poodle Nd he was really well mannered and really low key, then when he died they got a female Cockapoo and while she was a loving dog and pretty good around us kids she was very high strung and much more ansy than the male dog.

IMHO I think any dog breed can be snippy around children.

One other thing to think about with a dog who has natural hair is how often and how much you will have to pay a groomer.

[sophiesmom03]

Another vote for Poodle - standard if you want a big dog. Super smart and good dogs.

[maestramommy]

Just wanted to say I have found that pet allergies are so individual. What people are often allergic to is the dander, which comes from their saliva. The composition of saliva is genetically determined, so you may be allergic to one dog but not another. If two dogs come from the same litter, you may still be allergic to one dog but not their sibling. I once fostered a blue heeler mix who is not a hypoallergenic dog. She ended up being adopted by a family with a girl who was allergic to most dogs. But they visited a relative with a dog and she ended up not reacting to that dog, so they decided to try out my foster, and it worked out. Dh has a cousin who allergic to "most dogs." She even tried a wheaten terrier, which is supposed to be very hypoallergenic, and within minutes she was reaching for the Benadryl. They finally ended up adopting some other kind of terrier (head of a yorkie but bigger with a long body) from the shelter that she did not react to. They visited our house for a party one day and due to circumstance we had 5 dogs here that day! Now she wasn't rolling around with them, and everyone was in and out, but it did take until the end of the day for her to start feeling that itchy throat.

So just wanted to say if you try the hypoallergenic dogs and keep reacting, or if you want a more "more" dog, don't be discouraged. Keep looking!

Also, I had a relative looking into the designer type non-allergy dogs (doodles), and what she found is that it's not guaranteed that you will get a dog that you won't react to. Genetics is really uncertain. It can be a tedious process but the only real way to find such a dog is to meet them one-on-one.

[AnnieW625]

Just wanted to say I have found that pet allergies are so individual. What people are often allergic to is the dander, which comes from their saliva. The composition of saliva is genetically determined, so you may be allergic to one dog but not another.

So just wanted to say if you try the hypoallergenic dogs and keep reacting, or if you want a more "more" dog, don't be discouraged. Keep looking!

I have found that to be true as well. I have no issues with my big lab., but Basset Hounds, and my BIL's old white shepard mix pup make me sneeze like no tomorrow. Cats for me are way worse than most dogs, my Grandma's old Siamese cat actually picked up on it and would avoid me anytime she saw me. My parents cat is fine (Main Coon) as long as he is not sleeping on me, and I am trying to sleep. DH however prefers to keep our dog outside most of the time because of the allergies so his dog allergies can be worse than mine at times. (no flames, but our dog sleeps in our garage on an old chase lounge).

[citymama]

Ooh, great suggestions, y'all. I agree 100% with maestramommy about allergies being so individual. I am allergic to chihuahuas and to at least some terriers (a pity, as I love terriers). I really like the idea of a labradoodle. Fostering might be the way to go, but don't kids get really attached to the pooches? I can't imagine what the separation would be like!

Interesting about male/female poodles too. I hadn't realized that. Need to connect with the NorCal Poodle rescue folks, perhaps.

On a completely unrelated note, my autocorrect inserts "'maestramommy" when I start typing "maes"!!!!! What does that say?

[Melbel]

We also agree that the allergic response can be so individual. We spent almost 2 hours with our pup and her mom, litter siblings and cousins (same sire). She had no reaction whatsoever. We also worked with the breeder for a back up plan if she reacted. We adopted our cat as a kitten from the pound with a poor match (she is the meanest cat ever and is still going strong at age 16). Considering this experience and DD1's allergies, we opted to hedge our bets with our dog selection.

[maestramommy]

On a completely unrelated note, my autocorrect inserts "'maestramommy" when I start typing "maes"!!!!! What does that say?

:hysterical: Doh! Maybe it means I need to spend less time here!

[citymama]

:hysterical: Doh! Maybe it means I need to spend less time here!

Or I do! In truth, it means I must agree with you a lot of the time. ;)

[NJ_Mom2011]

Don't forget the Portuguese Water Dog! I think that the Obamas' dog, Bo, is so cute, and looks as if he's always dressed in a tuxedo!

The American Kennel Club provides a list of breeds that produce less dander, and thus good for allergy sufferers:
http://www.akc.org/about/faq_allergies.cfm

[hellokitty]

Citymama, you mean you aren't keen on a rodent, lol? :tongue5:

I have always been severely allergic to cats, like anyone who owns a cat, I can tell when I am around them out in public. As for dogs, I was never allergic to dogs, BUT I ended up developing an allergy to my min pin (she lived for 16 yrs, I adopted her and had her for 13 yrs). Like MM said, it is their dander. She was one of those dogs who really liked to lick and nibble to show affection and I would end up with serious eczema in those spots. She had really small and short hair (the size of human eyelashes), so it's not even that she was a long haired dog. That is part of the reason why we ended up kicking her out of our bedroom, b/c dh also developed an allergy and I had to avoid letting her lick me.

Fastforward to now. We adopted a dorkie puppy in late Sept and so far I am ok, but I'm aware that I may end up developing an allergy to him as well in the future. He is not much of a licker, so maybe it won't be as bad. Oh and I grew up with a miniature schnauzer and they are wonderful dogs. I have a soft spot for german breeds, they are extremely intelligent and very alert, so even the smaller breeds are good guard dogs, but are also very affectionate. The miniature schnauzer was a pup when we adopted him and he literally potty trained in less than ONE day! He had ONE accident indoors, and figured out right away that was not ok. We were very lucky he was with the program. The only thing about that breed is that they do need regular grooming and to be taken to professional groomers to get their hair done and he really enjoyed hunting and always brought us, 'gifts" of dead animals, lol.

[SASM]

Standard poodle! We have had Poppy since she was 9wo. She has been a fantastic family dog!! Quick to alert us of any out-of-the-ordinary noises. She is my little shadow. Only negatives...1) my kids still cannot walk her, as she is quite powerful, and 2) she requires grooming every 5-7 weeks, depending on the time of year. Both DS & myself are allergic to a TON of breeds. I am even allergic to my SIL's goldendoodle, which is supposedly the least allergic variation betw 2 goldendoodles. We have also done well with bichons, but it sounds like you want a larger dog. :) Every stand poodle that I've met have had wonderful dispositions. Good luck!!!

Eta: I tried to attach a photo...lets see if I did it correctly. :)

[MichelleRC]

We did not have housebreaking problems with our schnauzers at all. I'd have another schnauzer in a heartbeat.

We lost our mini schnauzer this past summer and she was a fantastic dog. The boys and I are allergic to sheddy dogs and we had no problems with her whatsoever.

[magnoliaparadise]

Hi,
I haven't read the responses, but lhaso apsos have hair instead of fur and do not cause allergic reactions.

[citymama]

Hi,
I haven't read the responses, but lhaso apsos have hair instead of fur and do not cause allergic reactions.

Wow, that's the kind of dog I had as a kid! (The other was a shepherd mix.)

[SASM]

Hi,
I haven't read the responses, but lhaso apsos have hair instead of fur and do not cause allergic reactions.

Really?? I've always had my eyes on these, as I desperately wanted one as a child (saw in a pet store while on vaca). I haven't seen the breed on a hypoallergenic list. I hope the lists are wrong bc they are ADORABLE!!!

Not sure if others have posted hypoallergenic lists but these are the ones that I used:

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

http://www.akc.org/about/faq_allergies.cfm

As people have stated, allergies are very individual. Good luck finding that one breed that works for everyone in your family. :)

[sf333]

One of my friends has a son who is allergic to dogs. She spent a LONG time researching breeds that are suitable for allergic people. In the end, they decided on a standard poodle. They got a puppy from a breeder about a year ago and have been thrilled with him. She says he's the best dog she's had (and she's had a lot between her childhood and adulthood). He is incredibly smart, easily trained, loyal to her family, and great with her kids. I've never liked poodles and we don't have any allergic people in our house, but the way she talks about this dog has made me interested in the breed.

[Mommy2Abby]

Schnauzers.

:yeahthat:

Schnauzers are great!

ETA - just read all of the comments above and see that several have suggested them. They really are fantastic dogs - I have never had trouble housebreaking them (I've had 4), and they are totally loyal, loveable pets that don't shed. (Note - they do need to be groomed every 6-8 weeks since they don't shed.)