Dog for kids with allergies ?

Bluesquare

Hi ,

I have two children who really really want a dog - however both of them at different times exhibit dog allergies. The allergy normally manifests as red puffy itchy eyes. The may not always even be allergic to the same dog!
I have read that it’s impossible to be 100% be sure that a person will not be allergic to a dog and that the only way to know is to visit or spend time with a dog before purchasing . Is this something you can do before buying a dog . I was looking at Bichon Frise as they seem noted a few times for not causing allergy flairs.

Sorry for the questions but I wouldn’t like to jump into a purchase without knowing about allergies first

I’d appreciate any thoughts on the matter - should I just abandon the idea altogether ?

Thanks
BS

coathanger

Firstly bichons do shed !
I would contact a few rescues first, with a view to fostering , they have dogs looking for good homes ,good rescues will help you find the best fit for your family & you will also have rescue backup / support if it doesn’t work out.

Unlike a breeder!

Bluesquare wrote: »

Hi ,

I have two children who really really want a dog - however both of them at different times exhibit dog allergies. The allergy normally manifests as red puffy itchy eyes. The may not always even be allergic to the same dog!
I have read that it’s impossible to be 100% be sure that a person will not be allergic to a dog and that the only way to know is to visit or spend time with a dog before purchasing . Is this something you can do before buying a dog . I was looking at Bichon Frise as they seem noted a few times for not causing allergy flairs.

Sorry for the questions but I wouldn’t like to jump into a purchase without knowing about allergies first

I’d appreciate any thoughts on the matter - should I just abandon the idea altogether ?

Thanks
BS

ldy4mxonucwsq6

Agree with coathanger a foster is probably best because you will be able to see if there's any allergic reaction before committing to full dog ownership.

Your local rescue will be glad to help you out and unfortunately I think they will be overrun in September with Covid lockdown dogs. Demand has been huge the last few months.

cocker5

There is alot of confusion over allergies..

Have they both been fully tested?

Reason I ask is I have allergies developed them in my mid 30’s - have had dogs my entire life.. no issues.

The thing is people are NOT allergic to a dog fur rather the dander they omit - like humans every dog is different no breed can guarantee they won’t omit dander ..

Now I react to some dogs or other dogs not - regardless of breed.

Don’t be fooled by the hypo allergenic dogs as advertised there is no such thing .. as it’s dander that causes reactions not fur!

Best to foster .. and see what works it would be unfair to purchase a dog on the basis u don’t know if it will work out and a dog is for life 15 years plus hopefully..

Try fostering

Bluesquare

cocker5 wrote: »

There is alot of confusion over allergies..

Have they both been fully tested?

Reason I ask is I have allergies developed them in my mid 30’s - have had dogs my entire life.. no issues.

The thing is people are NOT allergic to a dog fur rather the dander they omit - like humans every dog is different no breed can guarantee they won’t omit dander ..

Now I react to some dogs or other dogs not - regardless of breed.

Don’t be fooled by the hypo allergenic dogs as advertised there is no such thing .. as it’s dander that causes reactions not fur!

Best to foster .. and see what works it would be unfair to purchase a dog on the basis u don’t know if it will work out and a dog is for life 15 years plus hopefully..

Try fostering

Hi

I know it’s the dander that is more than likely the issue . My kids haven’t been tested but around most dogs they display obvious allergy symptoms. One or both and it’s random . Apparently Bichon Frise distribute less dander - according to google .

I wouldn’t dream of adopting a dog without knowing if we would have allergy issues . The dog rescue thing sounds ideal but I’ve been looking at dog types available through rescue and they all look unsuitable and research tells me that my kids would more then likely be allergic .

I think by the sounds of things I’ll have choose not to adopt a dog which is sad but I think it would be sadder if we tried and failed .

tk123

I also have allergies and a house with golden retriever fur everywhere lol. As long as the dog is well groomed there should be less problems with dander. Well groomed as in you brush them a few times a week not necessarily taking them to a groomer. So I would be looking at dogs with a coat that’s easy to maintain rather than a “non shedding” dog who is going to be like a walking birds nest with mats / scalped if you’re not able to maintain the coat.

MissShihTzu

Any dog can give you allergies. But the breeds that are less likely to trigger them are:

Shih Tzu (of course! )
Lhasa Apso
Maltese
Bichon Frise

I think Poodle as well, but stand to be corrected. Basically these breeds have hair and not fur, so less likely to trigger allergies.

Hope this helps!

Bluesquare

MissShihTzu wrote: »

Any dog can give you allergies. But the breeds that are less likely to trigger them are:

Shih Tzu (of course! )
Lhasa Apso
Maltese
Bichon Frise

I think Poodle as well, but stand to be corrected. Basically these breeds have hair and not fur, so less likely to trigger allergies.

Hope this helps!

Thanks . I’m a bit concerned if I’m honest - I know the kids are 100% allergic to the Shih Tzu as my friend has one they need to take antihistamine if they are around this dog . As much as I would like a dog myself - nothing really In my research so far has persuaded me it’s a good choice for our family.

Thanks all for comments so far .

cocker5

Bluesquare wrote: »

Hi

I know it’s the dander that is more than likely the issue . My kids haven’t been tested but around most dogs they display obvious allergy symptoms. One or both and it’s random . Apparently Bichon Frise distribute less dander - according to google .

I wouldn’t dream of adopting a dog without knowing if we would have allergy issues . The dog rescue thing sounds ideal but I’ve been looking at dog types available through rescue and they all look unsuitable and research tells me that my kids would more then likely be allergic .

I think by the sounds of things I’ll have choose not to adopt a dog which is sad but I think it would be sadder if we tried and failed .

Why not reach out to numerous rescues (there are quiet a few) they all have different rules etc.. and see what happens Explain your full situation and see

If you foster then it’s a no commitment and takes the pressure off .. and if it works out - great

If not nothing ventured nothing gained.

scilover

I have the same allergies as well but instead of dogs, its to cats! If you do adopt dogs for them, make sure they wash their after they touched the dogs and remind them not to touch their eyes after petting them. Also, just keep an eye drop just in case!

The Bishop Basher

I’ve grown up with dogs and always had allergies as a kid. We still have dogs now and one of my daughters is also allergic. Strangely, 3 of us are all allergic to the saliva of one of our dogs but not the other. We all come up in a rash after playing with him if he’s play biting or whatever.

As has been mentioned, no dog is hypoallergenic. It’s just something you’re either happy to live with or you’re not. None of us would be without dogs in this family so we just live with the allergies.

I know this probably isn’t all that helpful but just thought I’d share our experience.

Hannibal_Smith

We had a very similar issue, in that it was my husband who had allergies. Like you, we looked it up and heard certain breeds were better than others.

So we happened to land on a breed and found some puppies for sale. The guy promised the moon and stars and insisted all the family - kids and all come and see the dog to make sure there are no reactions. We thought deadly... They're letting us all spend time with the dogs and are being so accommodating. We googled and searched and nothing came up, he sounded so legit. It was only when we really kept digging we discovered he had a puppy farm in the next county with 150 bitches! He would bring the dog from the farm to the house and pretend it was their pet. Needless to say we didn't go near him.

Instead we went to the rescue centres. They were great. A lot of them recommended fostering to see if allergies kicked in and we could give the dog back but we didn't want that unless we really had to. So instead they said if they got a low shedding dog in, they would contact us. It took a bit of following up with them, but eventually they called us and invited us in to meet a dog they had rescued. Just myself and my husband at first and we could spend as much time with the dog as we wanted and see whether there was any reaction. We did, no reactions, we have him 6 months now and he's lying here on my lap snoozing as I type.

So I would definitely suggest rescuing. When you have people in the house with allergies, you think your options are limited but they're really not as limited as you think. And sometimes people selling (not all the time) hear allergies and know you're limited and will prey on that.

It takes patience and it takes determination to stick with what you're looking for and what would suit your family but it is so worth it. Lots of the rescues have follow ups and and are always on hand to help with any issues. Also, with all the dogs bought during lockdown, the centres will probably be full in a month or so.

Good luck with it and I really hope you find your new pet soon!

sillysmiles

I think by the sounds of things I’ll have choose not to adopt a dog which is sad but I think it would be sadder if we tried and failed .

I don't understand what you mean here? If a foster dog isn't suitable for you it goes back to the rescue. If you buy a dog, you have no recourse if the kids develop allergies.

tk123

sillysmiles wrote: »

I don't understand what you mean here? If a foster dog isn't suitable for you it goes back to the rescue. If you buy a dog, you have no recourse if the kids develop allergies.

Possibly the OPs kids will be devastated either way? Not to mention the upheaval for the poor dog.. which seems to be fine because it’s a rescue? A reputable breeder will take a dog back.. but I doubt they’d let somebody take a pup If there’s a chance of that happening. ( I do know of a breeder who took a dog back due to allergies btw - they’re not all puppy farmers - reputable breeders do exist..)

Bluesquare

tk123 wrote: »

Possibly the OPs kids will be devastated either way? Not to mention the upheaval for the poor dog.. which seems to be fine because it’s a rescue? A reputable breeder will take a dog back.. but I doubt they’d let somebody take a pup If there’s a chance of that happening. ( I do know of a breeder who took a dog back due to allergies btw - they’re not all puppy farmers - reputable breeders do exist..)

Thanks yes that is part of the reason and I’m a big softie - don’t think I’d be good at the fostering lark- I’d be devastated for poor Dog! Also it would take a huge amount of time and energy to find a suitable dog via the rescue route - which I’m afraid I don’t have at the moment . ( working at home full time and being full time parent) . There is a lot of effort required for what might be a pointless effort - and at the moment I’ll have to leave it go .

Hannibal_Smith

If rescuing isn't for you that's OK. But I would just say be ultra careful about who you're buying from. As someone said, yes there are reputable breeders out there. But there are also really clever puppy farmers and sometimes its very hard to tell the difference.

I know because of the allergies in our house we felt limited and almost ignored the instinct to keep researching the guy we nearly bought from.

My intention was more to give you hope that yes there are dogs out there for families with allergies, even from rescues. I posted here just before we got our guy in desperation and we more or less resigned ourselves to the fact that a dog wasn't for us. Within weeks we got that call! So don't give up!

sillysmiles

tk123 wrote: »

Possibly the OPs kids will be devastated either way? Not to mention the upheaval for the poor dog.. which seems to be fine because it’s a rescue? A reputable breeder will take a dog back.. but I doubt they’d let somebody take a pup If there’s a chance of that happening. ( I do know of a breeder who took a dog back due to allergies btw - they’re not all puppy farmers - reputable breeders do exist..)

IMO you can mitigate against the kids being devastated by starting the conversation with the kids, that the dog is only there for a little while and not forever and have that clear at the start. Then if then they aren't allergic you can relook at the situation.



The upheaval for the dog. Repeatedly we are told that being in a foster family is better for a rescue dog, even if that is not their forever home, than being in kennels as they are getting individual attention and preparing them for a forever home. Completely disingenuous to suggest that I think it is ok because the dog is a rescue.



A reputable breeder will take a dog back.. yes but in a country where dog stealing is rapidly increasing I think truly reputable breeders are hard to find in the sea of puppy farms masquerading as reputable breeders. Especially for someone who isn't in the know of who's who.



My concern would be the OP would be taken in by someone selling "hypoallergenic" puppies, with cute faces and are hosted in a family home but in reality are puppy farmed in a shed in another county. Then what? The OP has a pup, that has no more chance of being hypoallergenic than your average rescue and then no support from a rescue or breeder.





This is not directed at the OP, but in general I don't think you can take the children into it with adopting/getting a new dog. It is a 15 yr commitment. And you can't place that kind of responsibility of people who at that age can't commit to finish watching a film some days. Essentially the adults in the situation need to adult and make the decisions that are best for the dog and the family.

Bluesquare

Thanks all for your replies . This looking for a dog business is hard work. Everyone is talking about The importance of finding a reputable breeder - however I’m not sure how to do that . Ive followed numerous links - and sent e-mails to addresses on the kennel club page with no replies. If I look for dog breeders via google the only information I get direct me to pages selling designer crosses. So I’m at a bit of a loss on how to source a dog without going down this route or going to a rescue . Any advice greatly appreciated .

tk123

Bluesquare wrote: »

Thanks all for your replies . This looking for a dog business is hard work. Everyone is talking about The importance of finding a reputable breeder - however I’m not sure how to do that . Ive followed numerous links - and sent e-mails to addresses on the kennel club page with no replies. If I look for dog breeders via google the only information I get direct me to pages selling designer crosses. So I’m at a bit of a loss on how to source a dog without going down this route or going to a rescue . Any advice greatly appreciated .

You're possibly not going to get a reply from breed clubs (and I'd assume some rescues) because so many people have gotten/want dogs due to the pandemic and they've been inundated with requests. Reputable breeders didn't break lockdown guidelines by travelling for pairings and many rescues stopped rehoming too. Posts looking for puppies aren't allowed on boards atm for the same reason. I had planned on having a pup around now but there are none available and won't be for a few months I'd expect You could always join some of the breed club's FB pages and get information from owners/breeders about any breeds or crosses you're interested in. As an example for retrievers the breed club will only recommend breeders who carry out all of the relevant health checks for retrievers. There have been stories of people paying deposits on PayPal for puppies from puppy farmer or double or triple the price for poor quality pup.

Now is not the time to look for a dog if you don't know what you're looking for or are unsure imo - there's too many opportunist puppy farmers including puppy farmers posing as rescues out to con people.

Cherry Blossom

And on that note, I think its time to close this thread ad it has become less about allergies and more about where to get dog. The latter is not permitted here until the panic buying of pets stops as per the sticky at the top of the forum. As tk says that will likely be some time yet.

Thanks,
CB.