Non-shedding/hypoallergenic dog

[Anonymous]

My family would love to get a dog, however one member of our family has a strong allergy to cats and a mild allergy to dogs. We would like recommendations for a hypoallergenic/non-shedding dog that is good with kids. We would love to try and adopt from a shelter.

Your suggestions are appreciated!

[Anonymous]

If you have young kids you will have great difficulty adopting from most shelters. However, look for poodles or derivatives. Most of the derivatives (labradoodles, goldendoodles) have a 50/50 chance of being hypoallergenic and not shedding -- the shelter will be able to tell you whether a particular animal fits that description. Beware other genetic problems (i.e., hip displaysia). The marketing bullcrap about "hybrid vigor" is largely just that -- bullcrap and untrue.

[Anonymous]

I love schnauzers. They're very popular among my relatives because they are hypoallergenic. While some are great with kids, others might not be.

My dog was introduced to kids of all ages from the time he was a puppy, so he's been great with kids. But he's horrible with most other dogs because he wasn't around them much.

Could you look into fostering a pet on a temporary basis? Then if it works well, you could adopt?

Also, keep your lifestyle in mind. Will you need to board the dog often because of travels? Do you need a low energy dog? Do you have a yard?

[Anonymous]

Westies are great and fit your criteria. Also consider the First Dog. One of the First Daughters is allergic and they got a portuguese water dog I think he is.

Also, the poster above who talked about poodle mixes is right. We have a cockapoo. She weighs about 15 lbs, and doesn't shed. The key is, you want a dog that grows HAIR, rather than FUR. The cockapoo is easily trained, as good with kids as she is with adults, VERY high EQ. It may just be her personality, but she gives cockapoos a good name. Which says a lot, being that they're called a COCKaPOO.

[Anonymous]

There is no breed that is less allergenic than others:

http://theweek.com/article/index/217116/the-myth-of-hypoallergenic-dogs

If you want to have a dog despite mild allergies, you have to commit to regular grooming and housecleaning.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There is no breed that is less allergenic than others:

http://theweek.com/article/index/217116/the-myth-of-hypoallergenic-dogs

If you want to have a dog despite mild allergies, you have to commit to regular grooming and housecleaning.

I don't know about that. My husband is severely allergic to dogs, so much so that after 15 minutes in a house with regular dogs his eyes are red and he is wheezing. We have a Portuguese Water Dog (who we have had for nine years). She sleeps in our bed, sits on the couch, etc., and he had never had a problem with allergies. His parents have an Irish terrier and he is also fine at their house. We are both fairly neat, but not obsessive about cleaning. From our experience, there is definitely such a thing as a hypo-allergenic dog.

[Anonymous]

OP here - yes, I agree with previous poster as there definitely is a difference. We've had issues in the past when we stayed with friends for a week that had a lab and german shepherd, but no issue when we were with a family that has a labradoodle. We haven't seen too many labradoodles in shelters/rescue, so we're trying to see if there are other breeds to be considered. Our preference would be to adopt vs. buy from a breeder.

[Anonymous]

Sorry, I do not believe that article. There have been some occasions where I walk into a house (with a dog) and my eyes instantly water. In other homes, I can spend hours petting their dog and have zero reaction.

That study only focused on 173 homes.
Direct quote from the article:

The study's authors concede that their study was limited and too small to yield firm conclusions about specific breeds.

[Anonymous]

My brother grew up with terrible asthma and allergies so we always had Poodles... No prblems with allergies!

[Anonymous]

There is a lot of debate over whether or not there are hypoallergenic dogs. We read a lot on the issue before we got our dog because DH and DD are both allergic. DH has serious reactions to labs and the like but not poodles or poodle mixes.

We ended up getting a Cavapoo (poodle-Cavalier King Charles Spaniel mix) and neither DH or DD have had any problems at all. I highly recommend the breed - she is the sweetest most loving dog in the world. Really smart, well-behaved, loves everyone and hardly sheds at all. We just adore her.

Not sure if there are any Cavapoo rescues out there - we got her through a breeder.

Good luck!

[Anonymous]

Dogs shed or add other dirt to a house,, create extra work and are members of the family who require medical care, exercise and routine. Don't get one if you can't handle that, please.

[Anonymous]

I have very severe dog allergies. Even "hypoallergenic" dogs cause me to wheeze.

I have an American Hairless Terrier. Great dogs. The only drawback is that some have skin or teeth problems. http://www.ahta.info/

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Dogs shed or add other dirt to a house,, create extra work and are members of the family who require medical care, exercise and routine. Don't get one if you can't handle that, please.

Nothing in the OP's post intimated that they were not ready to take on dog ownership. Stick to the topic at hand please.

[Anonymous]

We needed a dog that met the same criteria and have been ecstatic with our bichon frise. Such a delightful, easy-going, and cheerful disposition! Love this dog immensely!

[Anonymous]

We love our goldendoodle. It's not always easy to find these as rescues but there's a website, goldendoodles.com, that I think lists some. Good luck.