# Poodles and allergies?



## mitamoniq (Jun 30, 2014)

I am in love with the standard poodle - without the frou frou hair cut though. My fiance is very allergic to dogs, I heard even poodles could be a problem? Is this true? I hear the dogs in the bichon family are 100% hypoallergenic b/c even their spit is hypoallergenic. But I like big dogs! The standard poodle would be perfect some day, with a short, event hair cut and a mohawk on his head..







.
Thanks


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## mom2Zoe (Jun 17, 2014)

Honestly, there is no such thing as a hypoallergenic dog. Every dog has saliva and dander. All the non allergic breeds are essentially the same.Although the dander and saliva can be less or more irritating on one specific dog than another, but not the specific breed.
I am a very allergic person. Have had shots my entire life . I have terrible asthma too. 
i never thought i could own a dog. The allergic dogs send me straight into an asthma attack. We watched a dog for 16 days in March{ bichon poodle} and I was mostly fine with her except when she licked me. My eyes actually blew up and swelled shut when being licked a lot. The rest of the time I was careful not to be licked too much.
We brought home Zoe May 1st and she licks me all over .I brush and bathe her.{ All the no no"s for an allergic person.} I haven't had one reaction. I consider myself very lucky.


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## LEUllman (Feb 1, 2010)

My wife has always had allergic reactions to pretty much anything and everything with fur, including dogs, cats, and rabbits. She has never had a problem with Beau, and he licks us, sleeps on our bed, and cuddles like crazy. Anecdotal evidence, true, but that's been our personal experience owning a poodle for the last 4-1/2 years.


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## kayfabulous6 (Nov 19, 2013)

I think it all depends on the severity of allergies.my older sister had developed an allergy to dogs and over the course of five years had been going to an allergist for shots to curb that allergy, as well as many others. Her allergies were always a deal breaker when discussing getting a dog when we were younger, but she has nearly completed her allergy shots and in November my family decided we would be getting a poodle puppy. Although I'm unsure how she would have reacted to the dog if she had never had allergy shots, my sister is completely fine around our dog- she is always giving her endless kisses and cuddles and not once has she had runny nose, itchy eyes or hives, etc. It is a dream come true for our family to finally be able to have a dog and she is such a joy. I would say the best advice would to possibly find a breeder that would allow you to visit to interact with puppies and the mother, and see how the allergies are. Or, if you know of someone who owns a poodle spend a day in their home with the dog to get a feel as to how they will react, if any at all. Best of luck!!! 


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## mom2Zoe (Jun 17, 2014)

kayfabulous6 said:


> I think it all depends on the severity of allergies.my older sister had developed an allergy to dogs and over the course of five years had been going to an allergist for shots to curb that allergy, as well as many others. Her allergies were always a deal breaker when discussing getting a dog when we were younger, but she has nearly completed her allergy shots and in November my family decided we would be getting a poodle puppy. Although I'm unsure how she would have reacted to the dog if she had never had allergy shots, my sister is completely fine around our dog- she is always giving her endless kisses and cuddles and not once has she had runny nose, itchy eyes or hives, etc. It is a dream come true for our family to finally be able to have a dog and she is such a joy. I would say the best advice would to possibly find a breeder that would allow you to visit to interact with puppies and the mother, and see how the allergies are. Or, if you know of someone who owns a poodle spend a day in their home with the dog to get a feel as to how they will react, if any at all. Best of luck!!!
> 
> 
> Sent from Petguide.com Free App


Spending a day is not near enough time to see if you are allergic. Allergies sometimes take time to develop. You have to spend loads of time with the particular dog you think you might bring home.


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## kayfabulous6 (Nov 19, 2013)

mom2six said:


> Spending a day is not near enough time to see if you are allergic. Allergies sometimes take time to develop. You have to spend loads of time with the particular dog you think you might bring home.



That may be a great point and something for them to look into definitely. Although when my sister and I were very young our father thought about getting a Labrador- we went to the breeders house to visit the puppies, next thing you know not even an hour in the visit the momma licks my sister in the face and she swells up- so the idea of our new pup was gone  so yes it is possible- but once they get that initial meeting over then the next step would need to be taken as you mentioned 

Every person is different, but OP did say that the fiancé already has existing allergies to dogs- being that poodles are low dander and are generally less of a saliva producer than some other breeds, it seems as though it's worth a try. Just one tip- if you do end up going through with adopting a poodle or bringing a puppy home- it is VERY easy to fall in love quickly (poodles are so amazing!) so the best thing to do would discuss your situation with the shelter/ breeder that there could be a sad possibility that it will not work out due to allergies. Hopefully that isn't the case- sorry this is such a long post but I absolutely know how it feels for you. It is so sad wanting a dog so badly but a loved one's allergies gets in the way of it. Keep us posted 


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## mom2Zoe (Jun 17, 2014)

When I am with a lab or other allergic dogs my reaction is immediate. However, I have a friend who bought a havanesse and her kids were fine at the beginning and after about two months the allergy was evident and had to give away dog.
When we brought Zoe home my 10 yr old was so sick for a few weeks and I even had him tested for dog allergy before bringing Zoe home.( he tested negative} We knew he had seasonal allergies , but they were out of control the moment Zoe came home. It turns out it was pollen and once tree season past he was fine. At the time we didn't know if it was Zoe or seasonal.
I don't recommend bringing a pup home in the spring because it can get very confusing if you also suffer from seasonal allergies.
One other point ... allergy shots do not always work for a dog allergy and can take many years to build up enough immunity.
So before bringing a dog home make sure you consider everything because it can just be heartbreaking for you and the dog as well.


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## Alicesmom (Jan 26, 2014)

Both my mom and my best friend have horrible allergies. I was never able to have a dog as a child due to my mom's allergies. I have very mild allergies to certain types of dogs but nothing more than a little itching. My friend is over at my house all of the time and plays with Alice, helps me give her baths and cut her hair, and has never had a problem. My mom visited for a week last month and had no reaction to Alice either and is now looking for her own poodle! However, I know this isn't the case with everyone, but that has been my experience.


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## Cdnjennga (Jul 30, 2009)

My mom has terrible allergies and asthma, which is why our family first got Portuguese Water Dogs. And honestly, our first puppy almost had to be returned to the breeder, because my mom's health was terrible for 6 months. Then one day she just got used to him. Now she's fine with the dogs but she definitely is still somewhat allergic to them - if she goes away from them for a few days, her body has to readjust when she returns.

She has no allergic reaction to my Miniature Poodle - he's way better for her than the PWDs. I sometimes have dog allergies myself and I also have no problem with Darcy. So again, it's anecdotal, but it does seem that the Poodle is a good choice for allergies.


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## Specman (Jun 14, 2012)

My daughter is pretty allergic to most dogs but cuddles with our mini all the time and does not have a problem. It seemed like both my wife and daughter had a slight initial reaction to Max when he first came into out home but not it is not a problem at all.


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## Michaddison (Jan 17, 2014)

For what it's worth: 

I'm allergic to all dogs and get the itchy, sneezy, stuffed up head and matching rash wherever the dog licks or scratches me. At the dog park, when other dogs jump up on me or even brush against me, I will develop an itchy rash or even sometimes blisters. 

I have had my mini poodle for 6 months and I have no sinus congestion or nose/throat itchiness with her. If I touch my eyes after touching her, I will get itchy eyes, but this is cleared in a few minutes with allergy eye drops. I will still get a mild rash if she licks/scratches me, but that goes away in about 20 minutes.

I have noticed that over the past few months, all of my allergic reactions have gotten much less severe, even with other dogs at the dog park. I attribute this to sort of building up a natural immunity by being constantly exposed to (much lower levels of) allergens from my poodle. 

For me, the minor irritation of the allergens from my mini girl is absolutely worth it.


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