Which dog is right for us?!

[pishedoff]

Hi

We've decided that this is the year we're going to find ourselves a dog!

We've 2 children, youngest is 8. I'm a SAHM but may be looking to work later this year however this should only be a few hours a day maximum, certainly no more than school hours. I'm hoping to be a lunch time assistant at school. So generally I'm home a lot.

We live in an area with lots of space for walks and safe off lead running around.

We have a garden and a reasonable sized house

Now to the hard part.. allergies.. DS1 and I have Asthma and allergies. I'm known to be allergic to cats and DS has tested negative to animal allergy but is generally a sniffly person. I grew up with a King Charles spaniel, DS1 has spent a lot of time with my parents ( sadly now gone) Kerry blue terrier- always sniffly but hard to know if cause. I think my friends Sproodle makes me sniffly but not too bad

Any ideas which breeds would be a good place for us to start?

[TrionicLettuce]

Firstly there's really no such thing as a truly hypoallergenic dog. The allergens are actually in the dog's saliva and as they lick themselves their hair and skin become covered so when they drop hair or dander they're dropping the allergens as well.

All dogs drop dander and all dogs shed to some degree, whether lightly or heavily. As well as being fairly light shedders, the major difference with breeds like poodles is that the shed hairs aren't dropped but remain caught up in the coat. This does mean that "non-shedding" breeds need a lot of grooming.

Another coat type that can be quite good for allergy sufferers is extremely short and fine single coats. DH (who has asthma and allergies) does very well with this coat type. We've got whippets and he's never reacted to them or any other whippets (or similarly coated dogs) that he's met.

I'd recommend coming up with a shortlist of breeds you think would suit your family and then meet as many adults as possible to see how you and your DS react to them.

Poodle crosses are often touted as "hypoallergenic" but they don't always inherit the poodle coat and it can be hard to tell when they're puppies what the adult coat will be like. If poodle crosses appeal I'd look at pedigree poodles. They're great little (or big if you like the standards!!) dogs and you're guaranteed to get the right coat type.

[Wolfiefan]

I think the best thing to do would be to try and meet lots of different dogs or to try a rescue where you can make multiple visits. Don't fall for the idea of hypo allergenic cross breeds. There's NO guarantee that they would be such.
We have two cats. I'm allergic to one. They're sisters. I've had cats most of my life and never reacted to one before!
We have just got a puppy. I spent months cuddling as many of the breed as I possibly could to check I wouldn't have a reaction!

[halfbuffy]

My OH is allergic to dogs but we have a cockapoo and he has had absolutely no reaction whatsoever. When we found the dog we were going to get we made sure that we went to visit (also to make sure it wasn't a puppy farm situation), and spent a good couple of hours with the litter and the mum and OH was fine so we knew it was ok...so I think whatever you choose make sure you spend time with the pup before you get it so you can find out as much about the place it's coming from and to check for allergies.

Also as a side note, cockapoos are LOVELY. Ours has spent time with our nephew (4) and nieces (18m) and was so patient and gentle with them. He didn't jump up or steal their toys...which is quite surprising considering that he's only 6 months old now. We've got a baby on the way so it makes me feel much more confident that we can manage both in harmony (hopefully).

Best of luck on your search!