Dog Breeds for Allergy Sufferers
Hypoallergenic
dogs? Dog breeds commonly recommended for allergy sufferers The following three breed lists (hairless dogs, coated dogs, and other
potential low dander breeds) are mostly based on dog breeds that are either hairless or possess a single layer of coat and
therefore usually produce less dander than double-coated breeds. I obtained the first list of "low allergy dog breeds"
from the American Kennel Club (AKC) around 1990, but I added the two very rare hairless dog breeds, the American Hairless
Terrier and the Peruvian Inca Orchid, to the list. These two hairless breeds generally do well with allergy sufferers. They
are available in the U.S., although the numbers are low.
Based
on owners' allergy trials with different breeds, the American Hairless Terrier seems to be the least allergy causing of
all the "low dander" dog breeds. This is true for me as well. American Hairless Terrier is often the last resort
dog for those who cannot tolerate any other breed.
When
studying the breed lists, please keep in mind that people's allergies vary greatly. There is no dog breed that is truly
non-allergenic! You can be allergic to dog dander, dog saliva, dog urine, or all of them. Severe pet allergy sufferers may
not tolerate any dogs at all, even with the best environmental controls. Read also the Allergic to Dogs? main page. It contains information about human pet allergies, symptoms, environmental
controls to reduce dog allergens in your home, human pet allergy discussion board, human pet allergy books, and allergy studies.
"Low dander" dogs - Hairless dog breeds American Hairless Terrier
Chinese Crested
Peruvian Inca Orchid
(Peruvian Hairless)
Xoloitzcuintli (Mexican Hairless)
Notes: With
hairless dog breeds, it is possible to have allergic reactions to the coated dogs and not to the hairless ones within the
same breed (Chinese Crested breeder). Some people
are so sensitive that even the hairless dogs aggravate their allergies! After all, these dogs do still have skin cells and
saliva. The hairless dogs have the added advantage
of being very clean, flee free, and truly non-shedding!
"Low dander"
dogs - Coated breeds
(Basenji) - no longer recommended by the AKC for allergy sufferers
Bedlington
Terrier
Bichon Frise
Irish Water Spaniel
(Italian Greyhound)- no longer recommended by the AKC for allergy
sufferers
Kerry Blue Terrier
Maltese
Poodles
Portuguese Water Dog
Schnauzers
Soft Coated Wheaten
Terrier
Notes: Italian Greyhound - According to the IG breeder I spoke with, IG is not
a good choice for allergy sufferers. As of 2005, AKC does not recommend the IG as a low allergy breed anymore. Basenji - As of 2006, the AKC does not recommend the Basenji as a low
dander breed anymore. Chihuahua - Contrary to popular
belief, Chihuahuas are usually not suitable for dog allergic people (Chihuahua breeders).
Other possible "allergy friendly" breeds
More Bichon family dog breeds:
Bolognese
Coton de Tulear
Havanese
Lowchen
Coton
de Tulear is not on the AKC's low allergy breed list, but it has been recommended by several allergic dog owners. Coton
de Tulear is a relative to the Bichon-type dogs. Breeds in the Bichon family are Bichon Frise, Bolognese, Havanese, Maltese,
and Lowchen. Bichon Frise and Maltese are on the AKC allergy friendly dogs list above.
Other dog breeds sometimes listed as hypoallergenic: Komondor
Puli
Tibetan Terrier
Genetically engineered
dogs
See the Genetically engineered dogs page.
Updates
While no dog is 100% hypoallergenic, there are many breeds which the American Kennel Club (AKC) suggests
people with allergies to consider. Most of these breeds have non-shedding coats which produce less dander. It's the dander
not the hair which causes most pet allergies.
1998
Update:
The 1998 AKC allergy info page lists the Basenji, Bedlington Terrier, Bichon Frise, Chinese Crested,
Italian Greyhound, Kerry Blue Terrier, Maltese, Miniature Schnauzer, Poodle, Portuguese Water Dog, and Soft Coated Wheaten
Terrier as the most suitable dog breeds for dog allergic people.
2005 Update:
The 2005 AKC allergy info page lists Basenji, Bedlington
Terrier, Bichon Frise, Chinese Crested, Irish Water Spaniel, Kerry Blue Terrier, Maltese, Poodles (toy, min, std), Portuguese
Water Dog, Schnauzers (min, std, giant), Soft Coated Wheaton Terrier, and Xoloitzcuintli (FSS breed) as "lower dander"
breeds.
Changes:
The Italian Greyhound is no longer listed by AKC as a recommended breed for allergy sufferers.
2006 Update:
The current 2006 AKC allergy
info pages lists the Bedlington Terrier, Bichon Frise, Chinese Crested, Irish Water Spaniel, Kerry Blue Terrier, Maltese,
Poodle (all 3 sizes), Portuguese Water Dog, Schnauzer (all 3 sizes), Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier, and Xoloitzcuintli as less
dander producing dog breeds.
Changes:
Basenji is no longer listed as a low dander breed.
2007 & 2008 Updates:
AKC still recommends the same list of dog breeds as in 2006.
(above) Please note that the AKC only lists
"lower dander" dog breeds that are eligible for AKC or AKC Foundation Stock (FSS) registration on their allergy
page. "Low dander" non-AKC rare breeds are not included on their list.
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Low shedding dog breeds All hairless dog breeds (American Hairless, Crested, PIO, Xolo), Affenpinscher,
Airedale Terrier, Australian Terrier, Basenji, Bedlington Terrier, Bichon Frise, Bolognese, Border Terrier, Brussels Griffon,
Cesky Terrier, Coton de Tulear, Dachshund (Wirehaired only), Dandie Dinmont Terrier, Fox Terrier (Wire only), Schnauzer (Giant,
Standard, Miniature), Havanese, Irish Terrier, Irish Water Spaniel, Italian Greyhound, Kerry Blue Terrier, Komondor, Lakeland
Terrier, Lowchen, Maltese, Norfolk Terrier, Norwich Terrier, Petit Basset Griffon Vendeen, Poodle (Standard, Miniature, Toy),
Portuguese Water Dog, Puli, Scottish Terrier, Sealyham Terrier, Silky Terrier, Soft-Coated Wheaten Terrier, Tibetan Terrier,
Welsh Terrier, West Highland White Terrier, and Yorkshire Terrier are low shedding breeds.
Caution, being low shedding does not necessary mean low dander!
High dander dog breeds
- Avoid It has been found that the epidermal
turnover is more rapid in breeds that are prone to the various forms of dry and oily seborrhea (term for any skin disease
involving dry or greasy scaling), such as Cocker Spaniels, Springer Spaniels, West Highland White Terriers, Chinese Shar-Pei,
Basset Hounds, German Shepherd Dogs, Irish Setters, Afghan Hounds, Doberman Pinschers and Dachshunds. Instead of the normal
21 day cycle, the epidermal turnover of seborrheic dogs is 3 to 4 days and so they produce exceptionally large quantities
of dander. (Allerpet Inc. 1997)
These
dog breeds are known to be prone to skin problems and therefore likely to shed more dander (shed more skin): Afghan Hound,
Basset Hound, Cocker Spaniel, Dachshund, Doberman Pinscher, German Shepherd, Irish Setter, Shar-Pei, and West Highland White
Terrier (Asthma Magazine 2005).
Dog
breeds to avoid if you have pet allergies: Afghan
Hound
Basset Hound
Chinese Shar-Pei
Cocker Spaniel
Dachshund
Doberman Pinscher
German
Shephard
Irish Setter
Springer Spaniel
West Highland White Terrier
"Got
Your Dander Up?" by
Susan H. Bertram, DVM, Dog Fancy magazine, April 1998
According to this article about human pet allergies, it is a myth that nonshedding breeds of dog are less
likely to cause allergies. The breeds (e.g. Bichon Frise, Poodle, Schnauzer) with a reputation of being hypoallergenic are
those that get bathed and groomed frequently. It is known that bathing cats decreases the amount of allergen on their skin,
and it is assumed the same is true for dogs.
A
dog's size also contributes to the amount of dander it produces. So, a larger dog is going to produce more allergen and
be more likely to trigger a reaction.
"Keep
Your Dog's Dander in Check" by
W. Bradford Swift, DVM, Dog World magazine, August 1998
This
article also dispels the myth of hypoallergenic dogs, but mentions that certain breeds (terriers, Poodles, Bichon Frise) are
thought to produce less dander than other breeds. However, according to this article the allergic reactions to dogs depend
more on size of the dog than on the breed. The bigger the dog is, the more dander it produces.
Environmental controls and dry skin in dogs are also discussed. Dry skin
can result in irritation and itchiness in the pet, which in turn causes even more dander to be spread around. This article
mentions several common causes of dry skin in dogs, including poor nutrition, lack or improper balance of essential fatty
acids in the dog's diet, over bathing the dog or using a wrong kind of shampoo (e.g. human shampoos or using a medicated
shampoo too frequently), not brushing the dog frequently enough to release more oil to the coat, and several medical reasons
(e.g. various forms of mange, hormonal disorders, fleabite allergies, chronic bacterial dermatitis).
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