we are looking into getting a non moulting dog. I'm wondering which type of such dog you think has the best temperament for a family pet. My husband is anti bischons and pooodles cos he thinks of them as yappy dogs, maybe too highly strung. that leaves bedlingtons, which look great, but we dont actually know any personally. none of us are schnauzer fans. any thoughts appreciated. we have two sons ages 12 and 8.

bedlingtons are good dogs they dont moult much a labradoodle might be a good choice irish water spainels would prob be alright to. the standard poodles are great dogs easily trained. i will let u know if i think of any more

Rather than a Labradoodle go for a breed!  Sorry, I know that there are some people who are interested in setting up this x-breed but many are just in it for making money!  Labradoodles can and will moult you would have to see which parent they follow after.

There are Lagotto's, Spanish Water Dogs, Irish Water Spaniels, Poodles are a lovely breed.

But all of the above plus the Labradoodle are not exactly laid back dogs, don't forget they were all working breeds at one point and some still are so definitely need their brains stretching.

Bedlington's always seem to be a lovely breed, but you will need to make sure that they have all the necessary health tests as with any of the above really.

Also why are you going after a non-moulting breed if it's due to allergy don't be so sure that you or your husband won't be allergic to them!

yes. its because of allergy.  I take it from what you say that its possible to be allergic to a non moult dog, too?
Is there any testing for this that anyone knows about? My GP is blank on allergy  testing, and doesnt believe in it.

Many people are allergic to the saliva (dogs lick themselves!) or the dander (dead skin) rather than the hair, so your husband will need to be tested to see which it is.

Yes I sold a pup 8 years ago to a lady that was allergic to some dogs.  Mine most defintely moult!!:rolleyes:

She found out on holiday in Norway that she was not alergic to her cousins Elkhounds. 

With her it turns out to be short coated dogs that flake more than longer or double coated ones.  She was fine with Border Terriers I had staying too:D

i have found that mostly all the labradoodles i have met do not moult there is anough of them around to be breeding more than first crosses so they are going to take after the x than either the lab or poodle.. lagottos and spanish water dogs are both lovely dogs but they are so rare going to find it hard to get one unless your prepaired to wait a long time.  you need to spend time with the breed of dog u choose and c if there is a reaction to the hair and if all elce fails go for a mexian hairless.

mexican hairless =:rolleyes:

that is a bizarre type of creature, apologies to any lovers of that breed...

Mexican hairless dogs are one of the rarest breeds in the country! There are far more Lagottos or SWDs around! Perhaps you're thinking of Chinese Cresteds?

it was a joke i know that they are rare.

I'm a bit mortified to think of being allergic even to a non- moulting dog. 

http://www.the-kennel-club.org.uk/registration/faqs-miscellaneous.html a small list of dogs that have a non moulting coat by the kennel club

hope it helps

Get your GP to arrange for your husband to be properly tested. Don't waste your money using any of the cowboy allergy-testing firms that advertise in the paper. Good luck!

See which breed you like then ask a breeder to allow you to go and see them!  That's the only true way that you'll know if he's allergic or not!

That's not exactly correct.  In my breed a terrier was added many, many years ago and I've actually just had a litter where one of my boys was definitely a throwback from the terrier in the breed, the coat was just like a terrier coat, although looks wise he was definitely a SWD.  He did look funny with his harsh straight wirey coat though.

It will take many generations to ensure that you have a certain type of coat not just a first and second generation and then of course as I say even after breeding quite a few generations there will always be a chance of getting something more like one of the original breeds.

does anybody here actually know/heard of anyone who has been allergic to a non moulting dog?

I 'm wondering how common it is to have that degree of allergy..

We own poodles as I have an allergy to fur, and have had no problem. Much will depend on the severity of your husbands reaction, but in my case just being in a room where a cat has been is enough to make me ill. If he has a reaction to normal moulting dogs, then I suggest you try and find a friendly owner nearby and spend some time in the company of their non-moulting dog and see what happens!
By the way neither of my dogs yap. though I do agree that the men in the house are reluctant to walk them in daylight!!

Many people are allergic to non-moulting dog, that's why I don't really say that my dogs are good for people with allergies.  About 6 people have come to my house and only one has still had a bad allergic reaction to my dogs.

Your husband really would need to meet up with the breed to realise whether he was allergic or not.

Yeah I agree with perrodeagua, some people find that my breed (soft-coated wheaten terriers) are ok for people with allergies but not everybody. I defiantly wouldn't advise you to have a labradoodle, breeders seem to like to advertise them as hypo-allergenic but when you are crossing two breeds together you never know what the puppies are going to turn out like. One litter may have inherited more from the poodle so it may not moult very much, but another litter could have taken more from the Labrador and moult as much as they do!  

hmmm. I'm going to try to spent some time with a non -moult dog... but I wonder how long it takes for the allergy to make itself felt. sometimes it can be a slow build up, cant it. tricky. maybe I should  offer to foster a rescue non - moult to find out.

thanks everyone.

My husband and I are both badly allergic to cats and mildly allergic to some dogs such as spaniels and labradors. We now have a border terrier and have had no problems at all. She doesn't moult much and has very wiry hair, which I think makes the difference. We were both concerned before we bought a dog about the possibility of allergies so we visited some friends with different dogs before we made the decision,but I was told that an allergy can take days or weeks to show sometimes. Luckily all was fine and we have had no problems.

thanks, sam diss. It's really true, isnt allergies can be slow to develope- so painful though to have to rehome a dog, if allergies crop up.

I too am highly allergic to cats and have a similar reaction to some dogs. In the past it has been shorthaired dogs that have caused the reaction (but not all shorthaired dogs) but a few weeks ago I reacted to a BC which was surprising to me as I grew up with a BC and never had any problems.

When we got our first dog (Chow X Rottie) my allergies flared up a little over the first few weeks and then settled down again but I had no such problems when our Newfie joined the family last year.

Lloyds pharmacies now do free allergy testing :)