Homing a dog when partner has an allergy

vixarooni

Hello,

I've had three dogs in my lifetime, two have been rescue doggies. I'm really missing not having a four legged friend around since murphy died, but my partner has a bit of an allergy to dogs.

I know poodles are meant to be ok for allergy sufferers but my boyfriend isn't keen on them. Am i right in thinking that anything mixed with a poodle would offer us a good compromise? I know of labradoodles and cockapoo's.

I feel disappointed that the likelihood of us being able to re home is slim with these breeds and we'd have to buy one

arbroath_lass

Has your boyfriend seen his gp about his allergy?

I ask because a friend of mine has allergies to all sorts of animals. She currently owns a cat, a dog and a horse.

She takes tablets when she needs them (antihistamines I think) but, tbh, rarely needs them with her own animals now.

As far as the crossbreeds go I think the pups could, potentially, end up with the "wrong" fur for your boyfriend.

Welshwoofs

There's a lot of research that suggests that allergies can be over-come by very gradual exposure so that may be worth looking into in combo with anti-histamines.

I can't comment on the Poodle crosses but it's my understanding that the mere fact that a dog has a Poodle in its mix does not automatically mean it's got a hypo-allergenic coat. The Standard Poodle Club seems to have something to say on that point too:
http://standardpoodleclub.com/page22.html

catkins

I know a couple of people who have got labradoodles because they supposedly don't moult and their have moulted like crazy! Poodles don't moult but labradors do (a lot) and crossing the two is no guarantee that the resulting puppies won't moult.

There are other breeds that don't moult If you search on google quite a bit list comes up

niandsa

We have a 9 month old labradoodle and my future sister in law reacts very badly to her. It is a myth that the poodle crosses are hypo allergenic. Some are of course but there is no way of telling when they are puppies. They go through a coat change at around 8 months and that is often when the problems develop.

If you are seriously considering a labradoodle have a look at this site. The labradoodle trust do rehome labradoodles but as it says on their website be very careful if your partner has allergies.

http://www.labradoodletrust.com/

I am also an active member of the labradoodle association forum which is a great place to start if you need more information.

http://www.labradoodle.org.uk/index.php

liz545

It would probably be wise for him to speak to his GP about his allergy - I think some people are allergic to dog hair, while others may be allergic to dander or saliva. You may get a non-moulting dog but then discover he's still experiencing allergy symptoms, so it's worth getting checked out before making any decisions.

Person_one

There are many many breeds that are suitable for allergy sufferers. There's no need at all to take a chance on a cross or risk your partner's Wellbeing. I'm badly allergic to dogs but have had them all my life, several different breeds.

Poodle
Bichon frise
Schnauzer
Wheaten terrier
Airedale terrier
Tibetan terrier
Puli
Komondor
Portuguese Water Dog
Lhasa apso
Maltese
Shih tzu
Lots of the wire haired terriers


Although I've never understood why some people are weird about poodles, they're great dogs, come in three sizes and the daft haircut is completely optional!

Oh, and all but one of my hypoallergenic dogs have been rescued, it just means you have to be willing to look for longer and maybe further afield.

Fosterdog

A friend has a bad allergy to dogs but has two dogs. When she is first around a new dog she has to take antihistamines and quite a high dosage but she reduces this over time and after around six months she is fine with that one particular dog, if she has contact with any other animals she has to take antihistamines again.

She has had her one dog for three years and the other for two and is completely immune to them now even when ill. Neither are "hypoallergenic" breeds.

Person_one

My allergies would never improve with exposure, it's not a given at all and its a big risk to both the human and the dog.

hethmar

Does your boyfriend really want a dog do you think?

Dollardog

I know two people who have poodles, one is a miniature and the other a standard. I was never particularly a fan of poodles but I have to say both those are great, particularly the miniature who has been trained to load and empty the washing machine, she fetches things for her mum, like socks and things if she's left them in the other room. She wakes her up if she hasn't heard the alarm etc. They are really intelligent dogs, neither of them have the silly show cuts but they are quite high maintainence in that they have to be regularly clipped, which in the case of the standard is quite expensive.
I was brought up with Airedales, they are a lovely breed.

Poodle crosses are very hit and miss as people have said regarding allergies, I think they have to have been crossed several times and then its not guaranteed they will be ok. Even the man who did the first crossing of the labradoodle for the Guide Dogs for the Blind has said he regrets it.