hi

would be most grateful for any advise please.  would like to have a puppy which would grow to be a family pet - we have two kids age 7 and 3 who are very affectionate and quite boisterous.  please bear in mind that we have not owned a dog before and are anxious to find the right pet for us - the main concern being my childhood allergy to dog and cat hair - (my allergy was always much worse with cats than dogs) i have been advised to look into buying a border or a yorkshire terrier as their hair type would not affect me too much.  thank you fjor any advice you can give as to these breeds or any others that i dont know of - i`m really quite confused at the moment. 

ruth

Hi Ruth

It would probably be best if you visit someone (or lots of people) who have dogs of various breeds so you can see whether you are still allergic to them.  There is no point in looking at different breeds until you have found this out. 

If possible visit someone who have quite a few dogs, carpets (as opposed to timber or tile floors) and is happy for you to spend some time with them.

Groom the dogs, let them lick you, rub your arms and face after handling them and see what happens.  Hopefully you will have grown out of your allergy - although your children may have it as well so let them handle the dogs and be licked etc as well.

It might also be advisable to do this at a time your GP is on duty in case any of you do have an adverse reaction.

Once you have tried this out then you can narrow the breeds down :)

Christine

Hi Ruth,

My husband and son both suffer from asthma and excema and we have two dogs, a labrador and a westie. Both were bought as puppies with the breeders agreement if there was an allergic reaction then they could be returned.

Before we bought our puppies we tested any reactions with other peoples labradors and westies so we knew that neither husband and son reacted to these particular dogs.  But even now if we go into a home with alot of dogs they can both still react sometimes. Cats are a definite no.

I think I have read somehwere that Bichon Frises and Poodles are very good for people with allergies, something to do with non-shedding coats.

Hope this helps.

Rosie 

I didnt think we were ever going to get a puppy because our little girl is allergic to almost every dog she has had contact with we couldnt even visit the outlaws(not such a bad thing) as his sister has a lab and eveytime she goes near her she has an asthma attack. One day out walking we met a friend with her dobe and B. didnt have any kind of reaction at all so we took her round to my friend house to play with her dog and even a confined space no reaction  so it may not be all breeds
Good luck
mary

As been mentioned previously it is the dander and not the coat that most people are allergic too.  My breed is said to be helpful for people suffering with allergies.  Find a breed that you wd. like and then go and visit.   I have Spanish Water Dogs, some people have come and had no reaction but I have had two come who have had a reaction.

Good luck in your search.

Hi Mary

Just out of curosity, did your friend with a Dobe have carpets or solid floors?

Kerioak
solid floors in the kitchen and dining room and carpet in the living room
Mary

Hello,

I have always been told if you suffer from asthma or allergies that a Chihauhau is the dog to have.  It may be an old wives tale, but they are supposed to actually lessen asthma attacks.  Search the net and see if you can find any other info on this.  Good Luck!

Hi Ruth , there are quite a few breeds that good for allergy sufferers in as much as they don't moult , they include :

SOFT COATED WHEATEN TERRIER
BEDLINGTON TERRIER
POODLE
FOX TERRIER (WIRE)
YORKSHIRE TERRIER
PORTUGUESE WATER DOG
BICHON FRISE
MALTESE
AFGHAN HOUND
KERRY BLUE TERRIER
TIBETAN TERRIER
SCHNAUZERS
SPANISH WATER DOGS

I would look into the various breeds and consider what size dog you want as well as the coat :) You should be able to find the various breeds and some notes on them here :  Kennel Club (under Discover Dogs) and some breeders and club information here : Champdogs Guided Search

Hope that helps

Melody :)

My son was allergic to nearly all dogs..But..he is fine with our yorkshire terrier and now he is older (my son that is) he seems fine with all dogs.

thank you all so much for your help.  all of your advice is most welcome.  i think that i may make some enquiries about yorkshire terriers to start with, as I think a smaller dog may be more suitable for us - and they seem to have lovely characters - quite cheeky ive been led to believe.

thank you all again - were hoping to get sorted out in the spring time so ill let you all know - its very reassuring to have this kind of website for someone like myself who knows very little about dogs in general.

kind regards

ruth

I have asthma and excema as do my two (grown up ) children. When I go to training classes, I start wheezing and sneezing like mad. I have a Doberman and have never had any problems with them. When I was a child we had a bearded Collie cross and she made me wheeze badly :)

if u already have a dog but then have children and the children turn out to be allergic to the dog, is it ok to give the children away ?

;)