What is a hypoallergenic dog?
Cute aren't they? But little and 'cute' is NOT the reason for demanding a hypoallergenic dog...
What some call hypoallergenic dogs actually come in all shapes and sizes. And some are very high maintenance in their care- regular grooming by a professional is a must!
https://www.101dogbreeds.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/List-of-Best-Hypoallergenic-Dogs.jpg
But what is a hypoallergenic dog exactly?
Let’s be clear here, there is no such thing.
NO dog is allergen free- that would be impossible.
You aren’t 100% allergen free to others either. Nothing is allergen free.
The Smart Canine website gives a list of 57 dogs of all sizes that could have a reduced likelihood of you being allergic to your own dog but even hairless dogs can bring on a reaction in humans prone to allergies.
As a rescue we find however, that when people say they need a dog like this, what they mean is they can’t be bothered with dogs that shed fur (!) and as the majority of smaller breeds are allegedly ‘hypoallergenic’, what they really mean is they want a small, low maintenance dog. And that's fine (sort of), but say so! Don’t hide behind the genuine medical conditions of others, as rescues get so sick of hearing this framed as a ‘requirement’ only to find out it’s a lifestyle preference and not an actual need.
If really you just want a small dog say so! (But see our ‘dog sizes’ blog- puppies GROW!)
If you actually want one that the breed MIX suggests could be low shedding, just be honest and say it- and we can try and accommodate (but see points 1-7 below).
But either way, say why! Rescues aren’t mind readers and get so many people trying to take advantage that rescues just sigh and eye roll when they see ‘I want a hypoallergenic dog’ coming up in requests.
Also when people come to rescues with this request, you will find that rescues do not know the parentage of their dogs (again the size blog has some useful stuff on what a dog breed is and how people just don’t realise what the word ‘breed’ even means). This makes the rescue think you’re after pedigree dogs known to low shed at ‘rescue prices’. So as the breed or breed mix is almost never known in a rescue dog, a good rescue will never guarantee the dog won’t set off any actual allergies you have, so you may find they will not want to risk a dog’s adoption failing.
Why? Two reasons-
if it’s just because you don’t want to vacuum more than you do now, or clean the car more often, or go through lint rollers like tissues, are you going to be bothered to put in all the rest of care and attention needed to properly care for a dog? (Toilet and command training, walks- where dogs will also get muddy and sandy or roll in something awful, and also need cleaning- socialising and so on.)
if it’s due to a genuine issue then the dog could end up coming back to us through no fault of its own.
Rescues don’t adopt dogs to humans with the hope they will soon be back with them. And we won’t accept applications from people who really mean they don’t want dog fur in their house. Dogs have fur. Plus it’s dishonest, and would you want to adopt a dog to someone who lies to you?
So, let’s actually state exactly, first, what a so-called hypoallergenic dog is!
A hypoallergenic dog is a LOW-shedding dog breed that is meant to produce a LOW amount of allergens (substances that could make you react). So low, that it MAY not trigger allergic reactions in allergy-sensitive people. That’s it.
It’s best to look at what actually causes the reactions.
What is an allergy?
It’s when your immune system goes into hyperactive overdrive over something harmless to most other people. Dog allergies focus on a protein found in the their saliva and skin cells, especially present in an animal's dander.
The substances that can trigger an allergic episode are commonly found in
dog fur or hair
saliva
urine
dander (that hair ‘under fluff’ dogs have)
dirt, dust and pollen stuck on the dog’s coat (in other words it may not even be the dog, it could be stuff they ‘collected’ on their last walk!)
Therefore, it’s not the actual dog you are allergic to. Any mammal, including other humans, or the plants and trees inside and outside, could be causing this reaction. You may actually have (undiagnosed) hay fever instead, for example. Hay fever is four times as common as being allergic to a dog, and you should rule that out first.
How do you know you are getting an allergic reaction?
Well, about 1 in 10 of the population are allergic to dogs. So don’t think it won’t happen to you! Those allergies usually show up as:
Sneezing
Runny or stuffy nose
Coughing, wheezing, or shortness of breath
Itchy, watery, red eyes
Hives or a rash
Which of course is not nice for the sufferer. (Also note some of these are also the symptoms of Covid-19.) But you can’t blame it on the dog!
What can you do to prepare for a dog, should you have allergies?
Before you even think of getting a dog, get an allergens test. it’s a simple skin prick test.
Take any advised/deemed necessary medications prescribed by your doctor.
Narrow your list of dogs very considerably and do your research BEFORE you contact any rescue
But be warned! The Henry Ford Hospital released a study in 2011 that essentially found no real difference between the amount of allergens produced by so-called hypoallergenic dogs and ‘regular’ dogs. "We found no scientific basis to the claim hypoallergenic dogs have less allergen," says Christine Cole Johnson, Ph.D., MPH, chair of Henry Ford's Department of Public Health Sciences and senior author of the study. She also adds “"Based on previous allergy studies conducted here at Henry Ford, exposure to a dog early in life provides protection against dog allergy development. But the idea that you can buy a certain breed of dog and think it will cause less allergy problems for a person already dog-allergic is not borne out by our study."”
So breeders trying to sell you an ‘allergy free’ dog for thousands are ripping you off, and a good rescue will never lie to you about how likely it is that a dog you are asking about will be low dander or low shed.
Thus in reality, no dog is ‘safe’. Also you are twice as likely to be allergic to cats than dogs. What you think is an 'allergy to dogs' may actually be cats' dander... and don't forget. Meds aren't infallible; a 0% reaction to a dog from someone prone to allergies simply is not possible!
So that dog has a one in three chance of being returned to the rescue if their humans don't have a handle on their allergies! We won't risk that- would you? All you can do is put the work in yourself- and research, research, research!
So, if you are about to apply to a rescue here is a handy checklist you should do/try first-
get tested if you suspect you have allergies (see symptoms above) and keep the copy of your results safe to send to the rescue
take appropriate medication for your condition, on the advice of a medical professional. But note some have contradictions (don’t react well) with other medicines you may be on, and/or allergic reactions to these drugs themselves, and some of these drugs can and do have some side effects and the side effects are often very similar in their results in the human body (see the list above of allergic symptoms) so this is not a quick fix, it may take weeks and longer for your body to get used to any meds, so you shouldn't expect a fast 'turnaround' on your adoption application- we have a duty of care to our adopters as well as our dogs.
once you have appropriate and effective medical protection in place, get out and about and as up close and personal with other dogs as much as circumstances (such as the current pandemic) and permission from dog owners will allow, check out how others have dealt with their allergies and getting a dog on YouTube and other platforms too
get your knowledge in place on which dogs are less likely to set you off should your allergy test come back as showing it’s a dog related issue, a shortlist of 20 can be found here
do not straight adopt a dog from us, or apply for a dog that would be a straight adoption from the shelter or rescue.
You can either sign up for our dog fostering service (for which there is a charge) for a dog, or
ask for a list of dogs being fostered in your area. If there are none, you would go on the waiting list.
Meet them, multiple times first (we insist all applicants for dogs in our fosters have a minimum of three visits anyway) indoors* and out, ask the foster for some of their shed fur (almost all dogs shed a bit!) so you can ‘expose’ yourself to it at home and prepare yourself it may take more than one go to find the dog who you don’t react to (much, or at all.)
6. Be honest with yourself and the rescue. If you really want a small dog, or a dog that doesn’t shed much, tell them. They’ll find out anyway from your replies to other questions they ask and they’ll reject you if they see you’re not really needing such a dog, but that you're looking for a dog who 'won't be a bother'.
7. Understand that NO dog is actually hypoallergenic.
We will not accept any applications for a so-called hypoallergenic dog unless 1-7 are all in place and you sign a proviso that your allergies will never be the reason you give up on the dog. It will take a massive commitment from you to be ‘dog ready’ if you have allergies. But ‘dog ready’ you must be.
Your medical condition is not the dog’s fault and it is you that needs to adjust to the dog, not the other way round. If you have an ‘allergy to dogs’ or develop one post adoption, then it is your responsibility to resolve the issue.
*Note during lockdowns, indoor visits are not possible, Thus any waiting list for people with allergies will be longer when any lockdowns are in place.
The article containing the graph and pie chart can be found here.