Are poodles really hypoallergenic? (also: buying a dog for a child)

[Kokeshi123]

Non-dog owner here.

A friend of mine is thinking about buying a toy poodle puppy for her 7yo son, who has been struggling with ADHD and behavioral challenges, but who apparently likes animals.

She feels that having a dog to look after would be good for him, and wants a toy poodle because they are small and hypoallergenic (for the benefit of any visitors coming to the house).

Fond though I am of my friend, I am wondering whether buying a dog "for a child to look" after is a good idea, and there seem to be some very mixed opinions online about whether poodles are hypoallergenic anyway. Finances are very tight for my friend and she has a tough time due to being a single mother with no extended family around--I wonder if she is underestimating the work involved with house training a puppy and so on. Although she says she grew up around puppies as a kid.

Can anyone with experience of poodles/allergies comment? And are my concerns about the other issue reasonable? I am sympathetic to her desire to help her son, she does try very hard for him.

My sister is allergic to some dogs and all cats.

When they get their dogs they visited several litters to "test" whether it set off her allergies.

No such thing as a hypoallergenic animal.

Has she had a dog before?

Definitely not all hypoallergenic, I react to a friend's poodle.

Can she afford the costs of having a dog, insurance and any treatment not covered?

All dogs can trigger allergies as often it's the dander rather than fur that causes it.

I grew up with dogs but under estimated the time and effort in raising a puppy.

If finances are tight how will she afford the vaccinations, flea/worming treatments as well as all the usual equipment. Even if she can afford the insurance, which is a must unless you can find thousands immediately, there is an excess for each condition. Just to put it in context my excess is £85 and we have claimed over £4500 within the first 18 months.

Maybe he'd do better with a rabbit or rat? Still good for care, but less time consuming and less of a problem when she's out at work all day. Doggy daycare starts at £20/ day and it's cruel to leave them alone for extended periods.

As others have said, no such thing as a hypoallergenic dog. But poodles have far less dander and shed far less than most breeds.

I agree with your other concerns. Never buy an animal and expect a child to truly take care of it. They are barely capable of looking after themselves, let alone another living being so you have to go into with the full
Expectation of th entire burden falling in the parents laps.
The comment about finances though is the cruncher. Dogs, even small ones, are surprisingly expensive. Even when things don't go wrong. Food, standard vet care of boosters and check ups, insurance and especially for a poodle, grooming all add up to a surprisingly large amount every month. And that's if nothing goes wrong whatsoever.

Then it's the time implication. Do they have the time to train it, walk it etc. Plus what will they do if they go away? Kennels are another huge expense.
Plus even the cost of buying one is huge - a decent breeder (and I beg you to tell her to do this responsibly through decent breeders and the kennel club, not a backyard one who advertises on pets4homes, gumtree or Facebook) will be charging around the £1k mark for a pup.

After all that, I would also say that toy poodles are lovely dogs, but I'm not sure it's the breed I'd recommend for a child, especially one with additional needs.
There's some helpful info on the breed here:
www.yourpurebredpuppy.com/reviews/toypoodles.html

If finances are tight, no dog is really suitable, but a pedigree toy poodle will be an expensive purchase, often in excess of £1000. Add insurance, vaccinations etc, and you are looking at a large initial outlay plus a sizeable annual outlay as well.
A toy poodle puppy is very small and delicate, and certainly not suitable as a plaything for a young child, they can be so easily injured (as can most puppies, but larger breeds are a bit more robust).
All puppies bite. A young child would not understand that this is what puppies do (and it hurts!) and may behave inappropriately in response.
Poodles are extremely sensitive and intelligent and like company, mental stimulation and plenty of exercise. They need, like all puppies, gentle guidance. A child with behavioural difficulties would not be in the best place to do this.
It is a really bad idea.

Thanks for your responses. I think they confirm my suspicions that this has Bad Idea written all over it, quite apart from the weak evidence on allergies.

She apparently grew up with puppies but this was on a family farm that she stayed at a lot with her grandparents. Sounds like a different ball game to me. I bet old-school farm puppies live mostly outside and largely toilet train themselves, and don't get a lot of vet care.

She works from home so the dog would have plenty of company, but I can't imagine her son actually being consistent about looking after the dog (he's not terrible, but he is a kid!), so the walking, poo, pee, chewing, cleaning up hair/dander/slobber, vet visits will just be another thing she has to deal with.

And she goes overseas about once a year (we are both foreigners in this country, so this is kind of "essential" and is what she saves any surplus income she can spare for), so yeah, what is she going to do with the dog then? I hope she does not think I am taking it, I am a cat owner and my cat hates dogs! Even if one of her friends is OK with taking a dog for 3 weeks, just sorting it out is going to be a source of extra pressure.

Expense, yup, I hear you.

And the pet shop industry in this country is not nice.

I think next time I see her I will make a strong case for trying a couple of mice or gerbils (if her son is keen on the idea), and seeing if her son is actually capable of fully taking care of them for at least two years without help, nagging or reminders. (He won't be able to meet that kind of bar, obviously, and hopefully once she has been through the 25,000th round of nagging and then resentfully cleaned out the poopy cage litter for the millionth time, she will be thoroughly disillusioned with the idea of a dog....)

Have you discussed your friends plans for how the dog will be cared for before assuming the worst? There's a big difference between buying a dog for the benefit of your child and buying it assuming your child will do all the work. I can understand her wanting to her a dog if she feels it may help her son. Maybe she is perfectly prepared to take on the responsibility but wants to give her son the benefits of being part of it. Three weeks away isn't an unmanageable problem. Has she even hinted that she would ask you to take the dog? Sounds like a lot of assumptions on your part to be honest

Hi User467

I'm making assumptionswell, "educated guesses"that this might be difficult, based on my knowledge of my friend's current situation.

At the risk of drip-feeding---my friend has a bit of a track record of trying out this, trying out that with her son (often putting a lot of her money into whatever it is, which she is hard pushed to spare), and always hoping that this will be the magic solution that will transform her son.

Like, a short while ago it was martial arts lessons. Didn't last for long as her son was asked to leave :(

It comes from a place of love and I really respect that she tries so hard to hard to find solutionsit must be a desperate situation. I am just concerned that if the dog turns out to be yet another thing that does not work, then it's not like cancelling the martial arts lessons and trying to sell the martial arts clothingyou've got a little dog that you now have to look after. Or try to rehome. Here, dogs relinquished to shelters mostly get gassed :(

She also is not sure where she will be living in the future and her living situation, location, employment are a bit unstable and up-in-the-air.

I just feel that a hamster might be a better idea, quite honestly.

Sounds like you have your heard screwed on OP. I really hope your friend sees reason.

A dog is a lifetime commitment.

She also is not sure where she will be living in the future and her living situation, location, employment are a bit unstable and up-in-the-air.
These circumstances are completely incompatible with getting a dog. I can tell you from experience, having a dog makes every life and living situation a lot more complicated and potentially a lot more expensive.

I'm a poodle owner and love the breed but am in the Bad Idea camp
Yes, they don't shed, but the downside is that the coat needs careful and frequent grooming to prevent it matting and also will need clipping (our boy is clipped every 6 weeks).
They are lively and loyal but are sensitive and like all dogs need training - you always underestimate how much effort a puppy is.
Plus they're expensive - around £1k or more for a health tested puppy - and yes, the breed has health issues so health testing is important.

I'm not sure that poodles are great pets for children really. They can be quite highly strung and anxious. I got a poodle which primarily was for my daughter, but tbh they weren't a great mix. The poodle is pretty much my dog now, follows me every where and rarely wants to play with the children. Which is fine, but if you do want a dog for a child it might be sensible to look at different breeds.

I don't react to poodles or the Labradoodles I have encountered but react very quickly to to other dogs and all the cats that I have been near.

I have a 7yr old and she is no way able to care for a dog. In the first months of owning a puppy I spent ages all day everyday in the garden toilet training, taking pup to vet, brushing, worrying about feeding, training, etc.. Now puppy is less bitey kid is able to hold the lead as we walk but still has to be accompanied. She likes to put dog food down but I remind her it is time and help her get the right amount. She can also do a little "sit" training. I still do most of it and the responsibility sits with me.