Hypoallergenic Dogs??

Question

First of all, I have done some reading saying that there is no such thing, its just a big fat lie that there are certain dogs that are hypoallergenic. Another thing is, why is it that the selection of dogs who are claimed to be ok for people who have allergies so... not the type of dogs you'd ordinarily want? lol I am a big fan of big dogs, like German Shepherds, Doberman Pinschers, Rottweilers and Irish Wolfhounds, you know types of dogs that you can take out running or can feel safe in the house with at night if your home alone. I wonder, since its not the hair that people are allergic to, but the saliva, if you were to teach a dog not to l**k people at all, is it then possible to teach it to not l**k itself? In doing that making it a dog that is ok for people who suffer from pet allergies? Just a question that popped in my head, since I'm sure there are people out there who love big dogs, but are allergic to them, and dont want to sit around all day with a little fluffy 10 pound dog lol (no offense towards anyone who likes small dogs, I just prefer the bigger ones myself)

I found out that I was allergic to my German Shepherd, but for some reason I only get really stuffy and bad when I take him for his morning walk at 5 AM, then I take a Zyrtec and for the rest of the day I'm fine. Hence the reason I'm writting this question up. Since my dog doesnt ever l**k me, but he does l**k himself.

Answer 1

It's the dog l*****g themselves that causes people to have an allergic reaction. It's the dander that comes off their skin and coat that you are allergic to.

Answer 2

You want a dog with hair, not fur, so that they either don't shed, or shed very little.  How about a standard poodle?  They're decent sized.  Or a sheepdog - basically something that needs regular grooming means that its fur doesnt fall out, but keeps growing.

Answer 3

Most allergies are not caused by hair.  It's caused by millions and millions of microscopic skin cells that come off the dog naturally.

Skin is made up of protein.  Allergies are your body's reaction to these proteins.  Dog saliva (spit) has protein as well.  When he licks himself, he not only releases skin cells, but when the saliva dries, it comes off and causes reactions too.

So, l*****g is the least of your problems.  

You probably react strongest in the morning because the dog has been sleeping and shedding skin in one spot.  Once you get out and about, it scatters the skin around so it's not so concentrated in one area.

Plus, over night is a long time to go between Zyrtec doses.  It could linger in you system, giving you relief between doses, but overnight is plenty long enough for it to wear off and allow you to react.

Cheers.

EDIT TO ADD:

There will never be a hypoallergenic dog.

Why?

Everyone is different.

Every dog is different.

You can't predict what dog will make what person react.  You can't make a dog that will keep everyone from reacting.

Answer 4

i get it you like the bully large breeds i love em to....however the irish wolfhound well there friendly and do not fit in that catagory..also if you like them go get one you will not be allergic same as the deerhound..they are hypo dogs poodles and such however it is the dander of animals that people are allergic to if not the fur and thats when you get different opinions you may have a person who got a wheaten terrier and broke out sayin what the h**l i thought it was hypo ....not understanding the dander aspect...the syliva is another issue....its only some people....do more research there are a lot of german and african breeds that posess the strength and drive as our rotties and dobermans who are less apt to give you allergies like the boaerboer

Answer 5

Large wirehair breeds are sometimes ok. Irish Wolfhounds, Pointing Griffons, Otterhounds, Giant Schnauzers.

The only true hypoallergenic breeds are the ones being developed by scientists as we speak. They literally remove the protein that we are allergic to fromt he animal's dna. Who knows what this does to their health in the long-run.

Answer 6

there is actually a dog that is hypoallergenic its called a golden-doodle. my dad's girlfriend has one.. He is a standard poodle bread with a golden retriever mixed back with the standard poodle. Hes not my favorite because I'm a proud mother of a blue nose razor pit puppy, but he is a pretty good dog. HYPER, but a big, hypoallergenic dog. her daughter is allergic to dogs and he doesn't even cause a sniffle.

Answer 7

poodles, bichon frises, and all of those types of breeds are hypoallergetic.

Answer 8

Ok I hate how people claim that certain breeds have "hair" and some have "fur"..  there is NO difference.. its all still hair!  It just comes in different lengths, textures, thickness, etc..

interesting link on hair vs fur..  and why certain breeds shed less

http://dogplay.com/Articles/MyArticles/h...

read the link before you try to argue that there is a difference.

Regardless its not the hair or fur..  its the protiens found in dander, saliva and urine.  Certain breeds tend to produce less of the allergen than others..  and most of those are breeds that have longer coats.

Strange that you only have a reaction early morning.. it may be other allergens in the air besides your dog that's irritating it..  or perhaps that's just the time that your allergy medication has worn off?  At least you have found a medication that works for you.  You should try taking it before the walk and see if it prevents the reaction.

It would be hard to teach a dog not to l**k himself..  dogs self groom, and l**k to clean themselves.  Brushing him daily will removed alot of the allergens from his coat too, and also promote healthy skin and coat..  healthy skin produces less dander.

There are large breeds that are reccommended for allergy sufferers

Standard Poodles

Standard and Gaint Schnauzers

Portugese Water Dogs

Standard Xoloitzcuintle (hairless)

Peruvian Inca Orchid (hairless)