Which Hypoallergenic dog?

[Smallfry79]

Hi,
I would really love to get a dog for myself and children. I am currently weighing up the decision as I know it's a very big long-term commitment. My youngest is 13 so no concerns about small children.
My oldest has allergies so I would need a hypoallergenic breed.
There will be someone home most days but realistically there will be times when the dog may need to be left alone for a few hours. Especially in a few years time when our circumstances might change.

Ideally I would like a medium sized dog, with moderate exercise needs.
We live rurally so no street lights for long late night walks.

I know a lot can depend on the individual dogs temperament. We had dogs as kids that were related and yet very different!
But despite that can anyone recommend a suitable breed? I was thinking of a minatire poodle but I think they are very prone to separation anxiety so might not be best choice.

Thanks in advance for any advice!

My dog is the best family dog I've ever had hypoallergenic he can walk 2-3 miles per day. Shihtzu. They are clingy but with training and security ie routine they are wonderful family pets. I personally believe dogs are better than bitches but that my preference training wise in every way toileting and calm all the bitches I've had areca but high maintenance. Loveable but high maintenance especially my poodle! Although I will say he chose me he came out from the pups to me and didn't want to go back to his crew. They are known to be fussy eaters so I tend to do egg and meat for his breakfast always after walk gets his appetite and biscuits in a treat ball in the evening does the trick. Again after a good walk. He's loveable gentle and protective of our toddler he goes to bed when she does lies outside the room they are best friends and he's my 5th child I've never been so bonded to a pet it's hard to explain really I just adore him as do all the family Eve my mum who is not a dog lover. Good luck finding the right pooch. I've attached a picture of the other love of my life 💖

Hello!
Myself and my partner have a Yorkshire Terrier x Jack Russell. Honestly she's the perfect dog! My partner has allergies to literally everything and most breeds, but with ours, he is absolutely fine. She doesn't shed, very easy to maintain.
In terms of temperament, she is great with kids, other dogs etc. loves attention and cuddles but also loves her own space and will potter off to her bed when she's had enough of you haha. We both work full time, so she is left in the day, but has always been absolutely fine with this and adjusted to our life style very very well. We walk her most days and she's great off lead. Doesn't need long walks, so we do quick walks in the week, then long walks at the weekend, she loves to go out and trips to the beach where she can run free!
I would recommend her any day to absolutely everyone!!!
Remember all dogs will adjust to your lifestyle, all puppies are hard work at the beginning, but once they get past the early puppy stage and training is in place they will be a huge part of your family ❤️
Any other questions, just ask ☺️ x

Poodle.
.

Poodles (miniatures - the medium sized ones) make the most fantastic family dogs. THey don't shed, don't have to be clipped like a poodle if you don't like that look, are easy to train, love people and have huge personalities.

Bichons, poodles and malteses are probably the most hypoallergenic. However, be aware that no dog is truly allergy free. The major source of the allergy is the skin cells, not the hair. The hair is bothersome mostly because skin cells are on it. That's why non-shedding dogs are better tolerated. However, highly allergic people can certainly react to non-shedding breeds.
I have a Maltipoo who does not shed at all. The only problem is that the non-shedders need a ton of grooming.

She is gorgeous!

There's no such thing as a hypoallergenic dog. Even a dog that doesn't shred fur still sheds skin cells so I would consider how bad your eldest's allergies are before going forward.

Absolutely! I know you’re right, we have a miniature poodle. She’s the best dog ever. I was nervous about starting with a puppy again but she’s been so easy.

There's no such thing as a hypoallergenic dog. Your child may react less to a non-shedding breed but this isn't guaranteed.

The best advice would be to look for a rescue dog and see if you can spend plenty of time with it to see how your DC reacts. If you adopt it and subsequently find that it's triggering allergies then you will at least have rescue back up to return it.

Miniature Schnauzer? They're border terrier sized (I'd say a border but they're not known as an anti-allergy breed).

Family have a mini schnauzer and he's a lovely little dog.

You can’t just pick a dog at random and get rid of it if its allergies don’t fit your life. Dogs are living, breathing creatures not toys to be picked up and dropped at will.

What terrible advice.

If you find a breed you like you could advertise locally and see if you could meet up with someone with that breed to see how your child is? Or contact a local breeder to visit? There are definitely some breeds people tend to be less allergic to which is literally the meaning of hypoallergenic (low allergy causing) but no one is saying they don’t cause any allergic reactions at all.

Thanks for all the suggestions.
I will look a little more into the breeds mentioned.
His dog allergies aren't too severe nothing he will be ok. Good idea to take him to meet any potential dogs first though.

I have allergies to cat and dog fur but I was ok with our Lhasa that we rescued but I’m also severely allergic to all puppy fur no matter which breed (which is bizarre) so double check allergies before getting any dog as no dog is allergy free

Please be aware that with allergies even a hypoallergenic dog can still trigger them. We had an awful time earlier this year when dss and dsd had to come to live with us and they’d got a puppy 8 weeks previously to which they were extremely attached and I was so allergic as was my ds that we had to rehome the puppy 3 weeks later and it caused them so much trauma on top of everything I felt awful . So dogs that are supposedly hypoallergenic sometimes aren’t any better for allergy sufferers

You might not have a choice if the allergies are severe - we had to rehome a puppy as me and my toddler literally couldn’t breathe and I wasn’t prepared to medicate us both daily for years (and antihistamines weren’t even fully treating the reactions )

There's absolutely no such thing as a hypoallergenic dog.

There's also huge difference between being around dogs outside or for short periods inside, and having to share your home and environment with one 24-7.

You'll need to do a lot of research and pick a very responsible breeder who will let you spend regular chunks of time in their home to make sure your DS doesn't have any kind of reaction.

But deliberately going to a rescue and taking a punt on some random dog is a choice. Dogs going in and out of rescues is cruel, and suggesting that as an option is cruel at worst and pretty twatty at best.

@Killingoffmyflowersonebyone If you read my post properly you will see that I advised them to spend lots of time with the dog first before adopting so that they will know beforehand if the child will react. Therefore the chances of them having to return a dog due to allergies would be slim.

In this situation that would mean spending time with the dog over the course of a few meetings and if that didn't produce a reaction then they could trial having the dog in their home for a few days. Only then would they be able make the decision to adopt. It would be a careful, considered decision with the rescue who ultimately have the final decision and the best interests of the dog at heart. The last thing anyone wants is an adoption breaking down and a poor dog passed around from pillar to post.

It depends on the allergy though; is it asthma/breathing issue or eczema/skin problem? That can make a difference to the choice of breed too. Our double-coated dogs can make me wheeze occasionally when they shed heavily so DH grooms them outside. For me, it's manageable. My parents short-coated dog also made me wheeze but he made my skin itch like crazy as well whereas ours don't affect my skin at all.

With cats it's similar; I can live with long coated cats okay but the tiny fine hairs on short coated ones trigger my asthma.

I know it's always said to be dander that causes allergies and it may be largely true but the coat texture can also play a part.

I have allergies and have 2 miniature poodles, for the first couple of weeks with both my allergies were worse, absolutely fine now. I sometimes get a bit itchy/asthma if I brush them.
They are lovely dogs, do bark a lot though 😁

Ok so maybe a bit more to think about on the allergy front then.
I have seen my son react to cats by getting wheezy and very red itchy eyes. I haven't seen much reaction to dogs but he has been tested by a dr who said moderate dog allergy, severe cat one.

Maybe a dog isn't for us then but my younger child would love the company and friendship and is mad about dogs. 😪

I do have allergies to animals mainly birds and cats. But and this sounds mad I have my own pets I get used to them my tolerance builds not with cats but dogs I have still had a cat short hair I'm a crazy animal lover. But honestly my shihtzu has been perfect my poodle who I had as a teen amazing no allergy issues yet take me in a pet shop or vet I flare big time water eyes nose wheezy. I take fexofenadine daily now but do have to change it up occasionally I also have very bad tree pollen allergy so it helps all round. I guess what I'm getting at is once your pet is in your environment I believe it's possible to build a tolerance. X

OP, like your son I'm extremely allergic to cats and moderately allergic to dogs. This is how I've been able to have dogs; I keep my bedroom as a clean room. No dogs allowed in it and no items that are worn or used around dogs. Leave his dirty laundry outside his room somewhere as it will be covered in dander. I just take off whatever I'm wearing outside of my room and wipe myself down head to toe with baby wipes to remove dander before entering my room, then change into the clothes I wear in there. The door is always kept closed. There is an air cleaner in the room. There is also a whole house air ventilator with a HEPA filter. If you have forced air heating, it's pretty easy to add an air cleaner. If not, you can use freestanding air cleaners.
This regime might be too much for a kid, but it may depend on how badly he wants a dog. I'd definitely go for the lowest dander breeds. Don't believe people who tell you a non-shedding breed mixed with a shedding breed is okay with allergies. It's not. So no Labradoodles and the like. Top choices are poodles, malteses and bichons. Shih Tzus are good as are some of the terrier breeds. Many of them don't shed but some, like Yorkies, are fairly high dander dogs. Good luck. Hope you can get a little friend for the kids.

They don't exist