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Original poster

Labradoodle/ DH allergic to dogs

26 replies

Honeymoonmummy · 27/06/2011 23:55

Hi all,

I really want a dog having grown up with them and I want my 2 young children to grow up with them too. I also feel passionatly about getting a rescue dog having had mongrel rescue dogs as a child.

However, DH is allergic to dogs, he starts sneezing within 5 mins of being in the proximity of them and gets quite chesty.

I have heard that labradoodles are good for people with allergies. Has anyone had any similar experiences re allergies and getting a dog, which dog worked for you and do I have any chance of getting a dog from a rescue centre???

TIA

OP posts:
Original poster
Honeymoonmummy · 27/06/2011 23:56

Passionately Blush

OP posts:
DooinMeCleanin · 27/06/2011 23:59

There is no guarentee that a doodle will be low shedding or anti allergy. You need to get Dh down to the local rescue and test him out with loads of dogs. Or medicate him heavily Wink

Original poster
Honeymoonmummy · 28/06/2011 00:15

Yes, I've just read another thread on labradoodles and found that out Doo. I think if I took him to the rescue centre he would start sneezing for any dog because they get that "boarding kennels" smell don't they which is bound to make him sneeze whatever the breed! The only alternative I can see is to take in a dog and see how he gets on then return it and get another if it doesn't work, which the rescue centre will do but is not an ideal scenario for obvious reasons.

The other problem is that I think the rescue centre will insist that we take a puppy because we have young children (from previous conv with local RSPCA) and I believe you can't tell if there is an allergy until they grow the adult coat?

Seriously, is there medication that exists other than anti-histamines? I seem to recall reading something about an injection that people with dog allergies can have?

OP posts:
PrinceHumperdink · 28/06/2011 00:22

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

ggirl · 28/06/2011 00:27

I am allergic to dogs -had one for 14 yrs though
Funnily enough my allergy is a lot worse since she's died.
You can get spray to put on the dogs to lessen the dander or whatever it it.
Didn't work for me though.
My dog made my eyes itch and swell.I just had to make sure I washed my hands and arms every time I had touched her ..pita.

EggyAllenPoe · 28/06/2011 00:41

you can home an adult dog....if you speak with a different rescue..

but the allergy problem needs proper checking - it may be no dog is suitable.

a proper allergy check involves housr spend in the home of adult dogs of that breed (or the foster home of a resce dog) ...if he is ok with that, then he can get a puppy of that breed, or that adult rescue dog.

cross-breeds don't throw true, so not reliable that offspring will be same to parents.

DooinMeCleanin · 28/06/2011 08:18

ggirl my cat allergy got a lot worse when I moved out of my mum's house away from her cats. Coming home to visit was hellish, so I got my own cat, was ill for two weeks and then got used to them again. How bad is DH's allergy op? Can you foster a dog for a while and see how he goes? He might build up a tolerence. Greys are very short haired and low shedding and they always need decent foster homes.

multitask · 28/06/2011 08:45

oh definately go with a labradoodle, they are allergy free, never cast, 100% hybrid healthy and shit gold.. oh and for that pack of lies you can pay a BYB a princely sum of up to £1000..

Do your homework, there are lots of breeds that are will be less troublesome to your husband. Poodles, Bichons, some schnauzers and terriers. Some people take their dog allergy from dog saliva or dander, you need to investigate this further not just go with the mythical magical 'oh lets get a labradoodle they're allergy free' absolutely NOT.

PersonalClown · 28/06/2011 09:00

I'm with everyone else.
My doodle is cuteness on legs but he don't half bloody shed!! I could stuff cushions with his leftover fur and that's after furminating him!!

If you don't clip them into doggy topiary, giant/large poodles don't look much different than Doodles. More chance of being low allergy too.

LtEveDallas · 28/06/2011 09:23

Right now there are two standard poodles on the Many Tears Website. They are lovely looking and seem well cared for. They may be better for someone with allergies than a cross breed.

There are also a few :( Snoodles on the site. Please give it a look.

ManyTears

I do know someone that specifically went for a doodle due to allergies but had to have a 5th Gen X and it cost her ££££

AllTheYoungDoods · 28/06/2011 09:35

An alternative is to contact the Labradoodle Trust and see if they have any adult dogs for rehoming you could meet on a one-to-one basis to see if they make your husband react. As Dooin said, there is no guarranttee but individual dogs to seem to have different level of reactions in individual humans. For that reason i would NOT recommend getting any kind of puppy, as the adult coat of any dog can be very different to the puppy fur.

Do you know which bit of the dog your husband is allergic to? Sounds like a daft question, but for some people it's hair, for some it's dander (the skin all animals naturally shed), for some it's saliva. You may find you do better with different breeds than others - for example my DH seems to be mildly allergic to hairy dogs, but when we dog-sat a friend's Staffy for a week he was fine. Equally, although our doodle sheds like a wool factory in a hurricane, he is not allergic to him (and before anyone jumps down my throat, we were very clear that even if he was allergic to doodle's adult coat, DH would just have to man up and take some anti-histamines, dog was staying Grin!!)

Original poster
Honeymoonmummy · 28/06/2011 10:24

Thanks all. Multitask, the whole point of this thread is to start my homework Wink

A greyhound is a great idea, I'll look into that. Are they good with kids?

I think he's allergic to the hair. He's allergic to both dogs and cats but we adopted a cat a few years ago (now sadly died) and he was slightly more blocked up with the cat but not too much. Interesting that people build up a tolerance after a few weeks...

OP posts:
Original poster
Honeymoonmummy · 28/06/2011 10:28

Oh god, that ManyTears site is so sad. This is why I want a rescue dog Sad

OP posts:
DooinMeCleanin · 28/06/2011 10:32

Greyhounds are excellent with children and need much less exercise than you'd imagine. Two 20 minute walks a day and a warm sofa and they're in heaven. They do like a good run off veery now and again, but you need to find somewhere secure as they're not very reliable with recall, especially if they spot something to chase.

We have a hedged off field just off the side of the park I use for my recall training or a recreational ground.

misdee · 28/06/2011 11:33

dh had a mild reaction to the dogs puppy coats at the end of last summer, but he is fine this year with their new almost-adult coats.

tom shed like buggery, ralph needs clipping and doesnt shed as much (i always thought it was the other way roundm but now tom has gone, i can see the massive difference in the amount of dog fur about).

the allergy nmyth about labradoodle bothers me a lot. and when people go 'oh they dont shed do they?' because they can do. depending on what coat they have. and as their coats go through several changes until adulthood, you cant tell what sort of coat yours will have unless your breeder has a crystal ball ;)

Madsometimes · 28/06/2011 11:38

My husband is very allergic to cats, and I would not dream of getting one. We have a cockapoo dog, and were surprised that he developed an allergy to him 6 weeks after he arrived. His allergy is sneezing and wheezing. We thought that the dog may have to go, but by using a good Hoover and washing the dog regularly, and using Petal Cleanse we can keep the dander to low levels.

I think that this is only possible because my husband's allergy is relatively mild. He can stroke other dogs, and they can visit our home with no problems. He cannot do this with cats.

Your husband's allergy does sound quite severe. I would start looking at poodles and if he cannot cope with these, then it is not to be. Poodles only look silly if they are groomed with a show cut. If they are clipped sensibly, they look like an ordinary dog.

Original poster
Honeymoonmummy · 28/06/2011 12:04

I hate to say it for fear of being lynched but I really don't like poodles [ducks] A greyhound sounds like an option though ... The allergy is not that severe, he doesn't get asthmatic, just a bit chesty.

OP posts:
misdee · 28/06/2011 12:06

if u're in herts, u can come meet my doodle. he will give u dh a licking to see if its salvia thats the issue. however ralphie ib only 4months and not got his adult coat yet.

misdee · 28/06/2011 12:23

he is 14months, not 4!

bottersnike · 28/06/2011 12:37

Aw, the poodles are so cute! Our mini poodle is nearly 6 months now, and just gorgeous. Loves everyone, and dh is not allergic - hurray!

Scuttlebutter · 28/06/2011 13:58

When we were researching getting our dogs, we wanted a rescue dog but DH has an allergy to dogs/asthma. We researched greyhounds and looked further into it. Nearly five years on, we now have THREE large greyhounds in the house and DH copes brilliantly - in fact he is less wheezy. He is still very sneezy and wheezy around cats, horses and long haired dogs (thus foiling my plans for a lurcher member of the family) but is otherwise fine.

We also took up carpets downstairs, and do all the usual aggressive housekeeping for allergy sufferers - lots of damp dusting, HEPA vacuum, hot washing of all fabrics very regularly etc etc. However, we don't bathe the dogs very often (probably only once or twice a year, if that) and all three dogs have the run of the house, and can frequently be found on furniture and beds.

Lots of greyhound charities will rehome to families with children, although like any dogs they need their peace and quiet and don't appreciate being poked, disturbed etc all day long. They are also not very "play-ey" dogs if that makes sense - ours regard throwing a ball as some kind of spectator sport and just look down their very long noses at us, at the very idea of doing a retrieve. Although they enjoy running about at the park or a quick sprint at the greyhound field we go to, they don't really do the scampering/romping type of play that you tend to imagine family pets doing - much more likely to be either going at Warp Factor 10 after a rabbit or lying on a sofa somewhere having a snooze - not much middle ground. Grin

HereBefore · 28/06/2011 16:08

If you don't like Poodles, don't get a Labradoodle, the lower shedders are generally very Poodley in looks. A good Labradoodle breeder will not sell you a puppy and claim it to be hypoallergenic, lots of info about the allergy myth on the Labradoodle Trust website.

Howdoesjuliancope · 28/06/2011 16:29

A list of dogs that don't shed, or shed lightly, here.

GinaFB · 28/06/2011 16:32

My DP has the same problem but we have a Mini Schnauzer with no problem at all. We would have been fine with a poodle or a bichon too!

birdofthenorth · 28/06/2011 16:35

My doodles don't trigger DH or MIL's serious allergies but we are lucky. As you're getting an adult not a pup from a litter that takes some of the guess work out. If you're lucky enough to find one in a rescue centre the staff might consider letting you spend a few hours with it to see how DH responds. Agree they all get a bit kennelly though.

Agree a poodle is a good bet. Standard poodles are fabulous (huge) family dogs.

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