Would love a dog but...

[notjustamum2]

Hi.. we would love a dog and know all the responsibilities involved however there is a bit of a problem. Both my dd''s are allergic to dogs! Eldest has grown out of it somewhat and only gets slightly itchy eyes but the youngest 4 gets itchy eyes skin and blotches. We visit a friend who has a jackapoo and neither of them are affected at all so this may be the way to go but wonder of any other breeds I've not realised? It would do school run daily 30 odd min's and then walks at weekend to parks etc. We are quite outdoorsy but not excessive and we also need a dog that won't go mad if not having a huge walk one day. Wouldn't really be alone much but possibly odd times would be left for a couple of hours
Any help appreciated

[Booboostwo]

Poodles shed less so there is less dander which is what many people have a reaction to. So they are not guaranteed to be OK but you have more of a chance.

There is a fashion of crossing poodles with other breeds to produce hypoallergenic dogs but that is a genetic lottery.

The best thing would be to contact some poodle breeders, visit with your DCs and see how they react.

However, a 30 minute walk a day is nowhere near enough for an adult dog of any breed and you can't make up the walks at the weekend. An underexercised dog can quickly become hyper, barks, destructive and generally unpleasant to live with. You should also consider that someone has to devote quite a bit of time to training a puppy if you get a young dog.

[notjustamum2]

Thank you.. I can easily do longer walks daily but least it'd be is a 30 minute one twice a day

[arbrighton]

Love our miniature poodle and am not allergic to her whereas other dogs give me the itchy eyes/ congestion etc

She only gets walked once a day, 30 minutes is fine most days- she gets longer at the weekend and plays pretty much all day at doggy daycare twice a week

She's KC reg so had all the genetic test results etc.

[Bellabelloo]

I have a cockapoo as my husband is allergic. She is so lovely, affectionate and was easy to train. She needs a 30 minute walk a day, but would walk for much, much longer if given the opportunity. X

[Wolfiefan]

I don't think anyone can guarantee any breed (certainly not any cross breed!) can be guaranteed not to trigger allergies. I have two cats. Sisters. I'm allergic to one!!
Perhaps a rescue. You could visit a few times and check no reaction.

[halfbuffy]

We have a cockapoo puppy, my boyfriend is allergic to dogs but has been absolutely fine with ours as he doesn't shed...in fact we've picked my hair off of him more times then we've had to pick his off of us! Plus they are such loving dogs.

We usually take him for about 45 minutes walking each day, sometimes more at the weekends because we live by the beach so it's a good excuse to get down there!

[notjustamum2]

I guess if we meet the puppy with its parents and see how my dds react. Wonder if the breeders would mind us doing a few visits so we can be sure. We are all longing for a dog and now dds are older its a perfect time

[notjustamum2]

Also plenty of time to research as it won't be happening til after next year summer hols. Both dds at school then so more time for puppy training!

[Booboostwo]

A decent breeder should be happy for you to visit to get to know the breed and discuss your requirements. They should also be happy to show you the bitch (the dog is usually at another stud) and happy for you to visit once the puppies are born. Good breeders usually have waiting lists so it's worth starting the search now.

If you come across anyone (especially with the popular cross-breeds) who is reluctant for you to visit, can't show you the mum, has puppies from many breeds and many litters at a time, won't show you paperwork on the health screening that has to be done on both the bitch and the dog before one decides to breed, walk away. There are many puppy farmers out there who will sell you sick and unsuitable puppies just to make money.

[halfbuffy]

What I would say is that you need to start building up its time alone as soon as you get it, if you do want to be able to leave it for a couple of hours. We didn't with ours because I work from home, and he gets quite anxious if I even leave the room to go to the toilet.

So just be conscious of that because I wish we had as now he's a bit older it's a more difficult process, I've filmed him a few times when I've popped across the road to the shops for 5 minutes and he just howls :(

[SleightOfMind]

We have greyhounds who are perfectly happy with two 30 min walks a day plus access to the garden. They are very happy to be left - got them used to it gradually at first but it only took a fortnight or so.
They have very fine coats with little shedding and no undercoat so don't trigger many people's allergies.
If you can find a rescue near you, take the DCs to meet and walk one of the dogs and see if they have a reaction.
Although they're big dogs, they're so gentle and calm that they're much easier to have in the house than my friend's tiny and lovely, but lively, terrier!

[TrionicLettuce]

I guess if we meet the puppy with its parents and see how my dds react.

Bear in mind with poodle crosses the coat can change considerably as the dog matures.

If coat type is seemingly a factor in how your DDs react then either a pedigree puppy (so you can be sure of the adult coat type) or an adult rescue (that you can meet and see how your DDs react to) is a much safer bet.

DH is allergic to some dogs. In his case the ones that he reacts to the least are those with very short single coats like whippets, greyhounds, staffies, etc.

[notjustamum2]

I think I'm going to see if how dds react to different dogs.. German shepherds ( would love one) seem to set off a bad reaction in youngest. Will look at the breeds mentioned
Thanks for all the advice

[notjustamum2]

I think whippets are lovely, need to find out a bit more about then. Also beddington terriers? I may have spelt that wrong though

[Sinuhe]

We have a lovely Tibetan Terrier. They are hypoallergenic and beat any "doodle- X". They are great family dogs but need a lot of training as they are a bit cheeky and very clever!
Our boy is a lovely couch- potato- he is very forgiving if you don't have time for a long walk. (They are meant to be more lively, mine was bought as an agility dog and turned out to be a great armchair agility dog!) He goes almost everywhere with me (even work), as he does not like being left for long periods.

I think, with your allergies, you are well advised to spend some time with the breeds you are considering.
Any reputable breeder will be happy to meet their dogs.

[GazingAtStars]

We have 3 tibetan terriers and they are brilliant but there's no way I would recommend them for first time dog owners. They can be very naughty, they are stubborn, separation anxiety is a breed trait and they're so intelligent that if you don't keep them occupied they tend to make their own fun.

They do have good points as well, they're insanely cute as puppies (worst reason to get a dog I appreciate), they're affectionate, devoted to their families, sensitive, easy to train. I just would never advise an inexperienced person to get one!

[Booboostwo]

TTs are very energetic, prone to separation anxiety and destructive behavior. You really need to share their sense of humour to own one!

[Sinuhe]

We got our Tibetan Terrier as a first dog. I did spend a lot of time on training- we are currently working on our good citizens dog gold award! And yes, he is the class clown! But that is what made me get a Tibetan Terrier in the first place. A smallish dog with a sense of humour- right dog for our family!
I think, there are lots of dog breeds that suffer from separation anxiety - the key is, to teach them early and gently that you will come back!
If you get a dog and leave it to its own devices, you are asking for trouble! Our breeder said, every naughty behaviour is an opportunity to teach dos and don't- I stuck to this advice and got a perfect family pet - although a bit lazy! 😀

[Booboostwo]

For what it's worth I had 4 dogs behind me, years of training, obedience, agility and clicker fun amateur competitions and access to behaviourists when I came unstuck on a TT. For a general idea of what they can be like join the FB TT group.

A poodle is more likely to be a sensible choice as a first dog.