Q about getting a dog... (And puppy pic 😍)

[FuckingHateRats]

(The troll on AIBU made me realise that MN is a great shout for all the questions we're mulling over!)

My husband has wanted a dog FOREVER. I'm allergic, and have reacted quite quickly to my mum's various spaniels and my grandparents' Cairn terriers over the years.

However... My grandparents recently got a Maltepoo (Maltese terrier / poodle cross) and I'm not allergic! At all! She's been all up in my face, on my lap, cuddled right in and no reaction at all.

We are seriously considering it as a family. My family has always had dogs (despite my allergies) and our children have wanted one of our own for as long as I can remember. So, three questions really:

My husband works a shift pattern that means every second week he works 6am-2pm. I'm a teacher and am gone from 7.30am. Does anyone have a set up where a dog walker comes every other week? Is that even a thing?

My family tend to rescue dogs, so I don't have as much experience with puppies. How hard is it to train a puppy?

We love the Maltepoo but if anyone had any other breeds that may also be an option with my allergies, I'd love to hear about them.

Pic of my daughters with the Maltepoo puppy 😍

If you have allergies then do NOT get a cross. They give no guarantee of coat etc.
I would either go for a pedigree and spend as much time as possible with lots of that breed before committing (I did this!)
Or foster with a view to adopting or look to adopt a dog you can spend lots of time with before you take it home.

Oh no! Is it maybe just a fluke that I haven't reacted to her then?

I will just have to steal her instead. They can get another - they don't have allergies

I am apparently allergic to dogs. I spent a couple of years getting cuddle close with as many of the breed as I could! There is also no such thing as a hypoallergenic dog. And many people are allergic to the dander not the coat.

My sister is allergic to dogs but found that she’s fine with poodles and bichon frisées (and probably other similar coated breeds).

Might be worth hanging round some different breeds to see, and it would widen the choice for you.

A relative has just got a similar type of dog. He’s a dermatologist and both him and his wife are allergic to dogs. So far so good with the allergies though.

My SIL is rather allergic to dogs and has been ok with some poodle/bichon crosses but not all of them. A pedigree which doesn't cast is probably your best bet. If you rather like little dogs, have a look at Havanese and Lhasa Apso.

To go back to the original question, my dog walker would definitely do a fortnightly arrangement. She’s an independent person rather than part of a franchise.

I have been using dog walkers for years, if you get a good one they will be flexible to whatever you need (please read reviews or ask around other dog owners for recommendations - there are some awful lazy ones around).

Puppies can be easily trained if you know what you are doing and are consistent, meaning everyone in the family using the same commands and following the same rules. We had some sessions with a force free trainer but you can find a lot of tips online also.

Whatever you do, train your dog properly, I find there to be a real issue just now with owners of cute fluffies thinking that they don't need to be properly trained as they are so small and cute and then they become horrors.

My dogs are big and powerful (well not so much the old one now but she was), but they walk nice and behave well with other dogs. If I had a pound for every time they have nearly been attacked by rabid fluffies I would be rich!

You do realise you’ll need several months at home with the pup before it can be left with just a dog Walker?

We definitely want to get it right so if that means we wait until next summer and do it over the holidays, that's what we'll do.

Poorly-trained dogs are such a bugbear of mine! Defo not wanting a dog as a cute accessory - we want to do it right.

Portuguese/Spanish/Italian Water Dogs are usually hypoallergenic.Hence the Obama's chose one whilst in office.