Hypoallergenic Dog--- Suggestions and Have a Few Questions--

The family I used to work for had a Portuguese Water Dog. The mom and myself both were allergic to dogs and cats and we never had a problem. :-)

My dad has a hybrid dog. I call it a mutt, because it's 4 different breeds and he paid $600 for it (He tells me all the time my dog is a mutt and is only 2 breeds, so I pick back :). It's a mix between a shiz tzu, maltese, polmeranian(sp) and toy poodle. She is less then 7 lbs, and is hypo allergenic. Even though I don't like small dogs, shes actually kinda cute. But, I can hear her bark 4 houses down (we live 4 houses away from each other). Thats the biggest reason I don't like small dogs, is because of their high pitched annoying bark!

Dogs with hair, is less allergenic.
Dogs with fur, are allergenic.

Dogs with 'hair" are: poodles, Airedales, and dogs with similar hair.

Airedales...are GREAT dogs. Good temperament. It was a favorite breed of my late Dad and who knew dogs well. He had one.

For poodles and Airedales, there are the small size or full sized. Standards. Full size being less temperamental.

Small or toy sized dogs... tend to be more nippy and/or temperamental.

I had severe dog allergies when I was a child, and my parents were told by the allergist that of all of the dog breeds, there are only two that are proven to be "hypoallergenic". One is the Portuguese Water Dog (what the Obamas have), the other is a Soft-Coated Wheaten Terrier. The allergist said that the breeds you have above have less dander, but if your child has severe dog allergies, these are the only two breeds recommended.

P.S. We had a Wheaten Terrier that was AMAZING! He was the smartest, sweetest dog ever!

Hi. I have a 4 year old male Maltese. He is really sweet and funny. He is really the best dog we have ever had. The only problems that we have is he barks a lot and he licks everything, which gets really annoying. He also doesn't care too much for riding in the car, but he hates when we are gone for any length of time. He is a total cuddle bug though. He loves basically everyone. He loves being with his people and especially loves me. I would totally recommend a Maltese to anyone looking for a good companion dog. Also, Maltese are not prone to any cancers or any major health problems like most other dogs. The boys are usually more cuddly and more of lap dogs than the girls. I hope this helps. =0)
L.

poodles have hair not fur-and they're pretty smart. Another pet is the "Rag Doll" cat-they are sweet and beautiful, hypoallergenic and respond like a dog.

I am happy to hear you are thinking of adopting a dog from a local rescue first. Those dogs are often the best breeds and need a home. Bravo to you!
Okay now I believe asthma is triggered by the pet dander and if I'm not mistaken all dogs have dander????? So something to check into.
You might be able to keep your dog washed to keep the dander in check.
If that's the case, a small dog would be easier to constantly wash.
If you have kids, breed is important because of the dog's temperment. Not sure poodles are good with kids.
What about a medium size dog good w/kids? Labs.
Small - type of terrier. My friend has 2 kids and 2 of these dogs. They are amazing. I will confirm the small type of breed she has and post on here.

I adopted a 4 yo Maltese for this reason! My husband is very allergic to animal dander and we've had him 8 months and no issues! He sits with the dog in his arms rubbing his belly, almost nightly with no problems.
I groom him about every 6-8 weeks, so not a big expense (groomers charge by size). Brush him about 3 times weekly, and I give a bath about every 3 weeks.
Has a great temperament, other than being somewhat shy around strangers. He doesn't bark much, in fact we are still encouraging him to bark at the door.

Honestly, shyness is his only down side. Whatever advice you get, please do your own research about what is best FOR YOU. Also, I love that you are considering a rescue; just about every purebreed has a rescue group somewhere. Maybe consider becoming a foster home for the breed you are considering. Rescues can always use them, and you'd be able to
"test drive" to be sure you don't have any allergy issues.
Good Luck!!

we have a pekapoo. very good temperment with kids. she was 4 when my son was born. and she is now 13 years old. my son was born with some breathing problems and the dog never caused any issues. but we have her groomed at least 3 times a year.!!

Hi Molly,
Min. Poodle or Cock -a- poo. You're right about the temperment of the Poodle.All the breeds you've picked require LOTS of grooming needs so please keep that in mind. If a dog show is coming up in your area, go & talk with those breeders and find out more about the breeds.Don't forget to ask about all the health problems these breeds have....Anyway I think it's great you want to rescue a dog!

According to reading & research, there are no truly "hypoallergenic" dogs. It is the saliva and pet dander that is allergenic. That being said, "low shed" dogs tend to, generally, cause fewer problems. These would be breeds like schnauzers, poodles, etc. Generally, stay away from dogs with long hair.

Bathing the dog often can help somewhat, but only somewhat.

Terriers, and small dogs are generally not as good with kids (terriers were bred to hunt; they tend to be nippier, and because of their small size, it hurts a lot more when kids handle them ungently).

I agree with another poster that you should visit the dog, and foster the dog if possible, to see if it's a good fit. Read up on "temperment testing on dogs" -- it will help you get an idea what to look for and what to avoid.

We have a mini labradoodle - 25 lbs. He is a great family dog. Very smart, loving and playful. One of my boys has severe allergies and asthma and has no issues at all with our dog. There are non-shedding as well. There are different variations and some are better than others with allergies so just do a little research - good luck!

Hi Molly!

Allergic reactions will vary with each person, situation and dog. My best advice would be to meet with the dogs you are thinking of adopting and see how you react to them. If possible, try to foster them for a week or so to make sure you will not react.
You can start with the common "hypoallergenic" breeds, but you may react to one kind and not another. Regarding temperament, it is a very individual thing. People may say that "poodles are nippy" or "labs are good with kids", but you can't really paint such a broad brush. Visit the dogs you are interested in, take a competent trainer if possible, and see for yourself what the dogs are like!

All the best,
S. Walker CPDT-KA
www.sidebysidetraining.com

poodles can be nippy with small kids. you didnt say how old your kids are. laso apsos are good little dogs. if you werent looking for a small dog i would say a laberdoodle. those are awesome dogs to have.

i don't have a LOT of experience with these breeds - i met a standard poodle once and he made a big impression on me, sweet, intelligent, calm. i met two bichons the other day, they were happy and excited after coming home from doggy daycare, but neither of them barked, and they weren't peeing on the floor or anything, just happy. very sweet, SOFT, GORGEOUS dogs. i want one now! :)

Our son has allergies to dogs and we adopted a male Samoyed-a sled dog, 4 months ago. Samoyed has long, white coat but only shred twice a year. In contrary of common belief, it's not dog hair that causes allergies, it's their dender, which Samoyed don't have. It's a working dog, very active and love the outdoor. We take him for a long hikes in the forest, on the snow and he really loves it. It's a very gentle and people loving breed of dogs. Originally from Russia, they were actually bred to sleep with children to keep them warm! As I mentioned, they are very active dog and need lots of exercises, or they could become destructive (digging and chewing). Samoyed are medium size dogs, adult size is about 40-50 lbs. You can google "samoyed" and will be charmed by all the pictures people posted.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samoyed_%28dog%29
Our friends have a bichon frise, which is small, about 13-15 lbs. We babysat him quite often, and it's a cute and adorable dog. Our son didn't have any allergies when we had the bichon at our place either.
If your kids have allergies, I think it's better to chose a pure breed, which you are sure to be hypoallergenic.
We considered a poodle and bichon frise but didn't like the idea of requirement of frequent trips to professional grooming(every 6 weeks or so, and it could be quite expensive).
You can check out some books such as:
http://www.amazon.com/Puppies-Dummies-Sarah-Hodgson
/dp/0470037172/ref=pd_sim_b_4
which describes breeds of dogs, their temperament and lifestyle that fits them.
Good luck!

There is actually NOT a hypo-allogenic dog. Poodles DO have "Hair" rather than "fur" , but still can cause "allergic' reactions.
In all my postings, I will say...I am gettin' a Great Dane...no matter what...It WILL happen!!!!

I have a female bichon frise. She is great. She doesn't shed and I DON'T have her groomed very often. I have her hair cut short and just brush it occasionally. I get her groomed every 3 months.

She is our first dog and my dh has no trouble with allergies with her. My in-laws have dogs (shih tzu,Brittany spaniel and a mutt, sister-in-law has a Bernese mountain dog and an Australian shepherd) and after visiting them for a couple days, DH is sneezing like crazy.

Our dog is great with our kids. She is 8 years old and our girls are 13 and 7. If my 7 year old is bothering her and she doesn't want to play, she will bark. If my dd still doesn't leave her alone, my dog will put her mouth on dd's hand but she will not nip or bite her. She will just hold dd's hand in her mouth and then usually start licking her. Then as soon as dd relaxes her hold, Chloe will run away.

We chose a female because that is what majority of the people we know have. I can only think of two people who have male dogs.

If you do decide on a bichon frise and cannot find a rescue close to you, you can check out Small Paws Bichon Rescue. They have been on Fox and Friends a few times and I get their newsletter.

We just got a Coton de Tulear about 6 months ago and she is great! She is 8 months old now and at 14 lbs. and shouldn't get more than 20 lbs max. They are more expensive but I think very worth it. She is supposed to be an allergy free dog bread but non of us have allergies so I couldn't test that for you. The breed is very smart and learns quickly. I haven't seen any in rescues but good luck!

We have a cockapoo, she is 11 months old, very loving and smart. She does bark at my husband.

About 3 weeks ago rescued and adopted a 14 month old shiz tzu and she is the best dog ever, definately won my heart and my family heart. She is so cute, cuddly and playful and extremely smart. Shi tzu are very kid friendly, they are known for loving kids.

The cockapoo and shi tzu play all day long they love each other and bonded immediately.

There is no such thing as hypoallergenic dog. Dander and saliva cause the allergy not the hair and the shedding. Please don't get a dog if you or someone else in your home is allergic.
Most small dogs are not good with children. Standard poodles are wonderful mini ones (the size you want) not so much.