Anyone know a small dog thats good for a teenager with allergies. My girls age 12 and 16 want a dog so bad.?

Answer 1

a terrier would be great for them if they have allergies.

Answer 2

I have two boys ages 9 and 11. About 4 years ago we went through a similar experience. My boys have alergies, I have the asthma. I cannot have cats of any kind and most dogs bother me. We did a trial run of taking care of my mother's Peekapoo. It is a female, and very small, non shedding. We took care of her for about a month, to see how we would do with an animal. My husband and I also wanted to see just how "badly" they wanted a dog, who would end up taking care of it and so on. We did fine, not many sneezes, and we decided to get our own "poodle blend" dog. We got a Bichon Frise/Poodle blend dog, female, and only about 10 pounds. We have had her for 4 years without problems even with my asthma. Also, of note, the problem with allergies is not so much the hair, but the dander of the animal, and certain hormones that can trigger an allergy. I can not tollerate male dogs. For some reason they make me sneeze and wheeze more. Making sure that the animal is spayed (if female) or neutered (if male) can help some. Good luck in your quest for a four legged friend!
Check the shelters too, sometimes you can find just the dog you want there that needs a home.

Answer 3

There are a wide variety of different dog breeds and mixes that would be good. Poodles and poodle mixes, bichon frise are good, maltese , llaso ahpsos, shih tsu. Miniature pinschers, chihuahuas and other short haired dogs would be good also, because they are low maintenance. My sister has asthma and allergies, and she has a poodle-chihuahua mix and her dog doesn't seem to bother her allergies/asthma. I have 6 miniature pinscers and when she is visiting me, my dogs don't bother her either. Do some research at the library or online. Type in dog breeds in the address bar and a list will come up. Click on a few. Some of these sites will have lists of several breeds and info on grooming/shedding and info on the breed itself. Talk to several vets and breeders and even the animal shelter. They could give you some recomendations that would work for your situation. Good Luck!!

Answer 4

Miniature poodles are reknowned for being non-allergenic. Beyond that, any small dog with very short hair may work too, such as rat terriers (my faves), chihuahuas, Chinese crested, etc. It's actually the dander of the pet that causes the allergic reactions. Short haired dogs are low maintenance! There's also a product called Allerpet that you can spritz on your dog. The important thing is that you have a back up plan if the dog doesn't work out.....like a friend, relative or neighbor that would take the dog so that it doesn't end up in a "kill" shelter.
Amanda
MooSpots & NubbieWags (a group for rat terrier lovers)

Answer 5

Hope you have money, haha!

Any one of the breeds listed here: http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/lightshedders.htm, do not shed. (Well, they "shed" like humans do. You lose a bit of hair from brushing, and a little bit here and there, but a ton never falls out)

Most terriers are small, and if you find a miniature poodle those are good too!

Please be aware that most breeds of dogs cost some money (unless you want to go to a shelter). Don't buy from the pet store, and don't buy from the newspaper or people selling dogs cheaply. Find the breed you want, and research to find the average price. Most terriers don't fall under $1000, ones such as Yorkshire Terrier are well above $1000. If you buy a cheaper one, you run the risk of getting one that has behavioral and health problems.

Good luck!

Answer 6

Most allergies are caused by the saliva left on the fur in pets.

I work with small dogs everyday and there are lots of breeds that lose fur everywhere. Most people beleive that short hair dogs are better for not losing hair and for people with allergies WRONG!!!

Most short hair breeds malt fur all over the place (the fur from jack russel and fox terriers are like barb wire and impossible to remove) other breeds like shitzu, maltese, lhasa apsos, silkys they only lose fur when you brush them. They are a heaven sent for people who suffer allergies.

I am alergic to dogs but can't live without them, I run a home business called puppy camp and look after only small breeds of dogs - I only suffer from my allergies when I get the short hair breeds because of the fur they leave on the couch - carpet - everywhere, the best dog for your daugter's as far as fur loss and temperment is a maltese X shitzu, they have the best temperment and are great for kids. NO hair loss if you brush them at least once a week.

Answer 7

THere is no such thing as an hypo or non-allergenic dogs, there are only ones that have less dander and their saliva from licking themselves is which causes allergy symptoms
The hairless ones may seem like a low maintaince dog because they are hairless but really require more grooming maintaince than haired dog as they require baths every 3 days, need to have their skin moisturized and need to be protected from the sun as their skin does burn and will blister, they do have hair especially on their faces and possibly patchy growth on their body that requires shaving to keep them nice looking


Here is info on reducing allergies to dogs and includes a link to breeds best suit for allergy sufferers
http://members.aol.com/AHTerrier/allergies.html
http://members.aol.com/AHTerrier/allergies.html

Answer 8

I have a shih tuz, and she is the most adorablae dog in the world. We have no dog hair in the house, as she sheds very, very little. Shih Tzus have hair not fur, and are well known for being non allergic dogs. Besides that factor, they are small, cuter than a button, have a precious personality, and would be perfect for 2 young girls to love and adore. I vote for the Shih Tuz!!!!

Answer 9

My sister in law has terrible allergies and she and her family got a yorkshire terrier. She has no problems with it. I have a shih tzu and she keeps her for me and has not problems with her allergies with my dog. These are the only dogs she can be around and not have terrible rash, itching, tearing and coughing.

Answer 10

mini schnauzers are great dogs for people with allergies, they are almost shed-less they do require some grooming are very active dogs, great with kids, easy to train and are between 8 to 15 pounds. great inside or outside pets

Answer 11

Shih tzus. My neighbor has one. They have "hair", not fur, so they don't shed. Same with poodles. The down-side is that you'll have to pay for grooming, but both are great dogs.