I may be getting a dog, but am worried about possible allergy.?

Question

I may be getting an assistance dog, but I have an allergy to certain dogs, but not others. I seem to be allergic to those whos hair is like a cats.
Would a Labrador or Retriever or Cross of the two be OK.

I once had a retriever cross and was fine with him, and I know a flat coated retriever whom I'm OK around, but I haven't yet seen her when she has been molting.

Thankyou.

They only have Retrivers or Labradors or a cross of the two.

Could someone please tell me which dogs have hair and which have fur?
How do you tell the difference?

The one dog I've had problems with so far is a terrier - her fur/hair was very short and course.

Answer 1

Hi, I suffered my whole life with allergies to animals, its true that sometimes a certain type of dog or cat can be worse than others but generally its inhaling the air surrounding these animals that cause the problem & not actually the fur itself. It made visiting people so miserable. My eyes would swell up, i had dificulty breathing, i wouldn't be able to stop sneezing & although I have eczema anyway, it would get considerably worse, often coming up in huge hive like lumps. I used to have to stay in hotels if I ever visited my family as they have cats & dogs & i couldnt stay in the house for an hour without feeling terribly ill but then i heard about FLIXONASE nasal spray. You spray it up each nostral twice every day & it prevents the allergy from entering your system. I was very skeptical coz I had tried EVERYTHING but i was amazed at the results. I can now even sleep at my mums house, even recently visiting for 5 days without so much as a sneeze. If you find that your allergy is bad when you get a dog id recomend you try it, you'd need to use it each day for the first few days but after this once a week should be enough to keep the allegy at bay for good. I suffered for 30 years before this became available to buy over the counter & it really has given me a whole new lease of life - Anyone out there who knows how bad an allergy like this is will understand. Best of luck.

Answer 2

Some dogs have fur (like a cat) and some dogs have hair. It sounds like you would do better with a dog that has hair for a coat and not fur.

Also, lots of people who are allergic to dogs find that they aren't sensitive to poodles. Some people don't particularly care for poodles, but... they're one of the least allergenic dogs, they're very intelligent, and they make great service animals. If you talk to the group that is providing your service animal they can make accomodations to make sure that you are matched with an animal that doesn't trigger your allergies. You might ask if they have a standard poodle available to try.

Answer 3

Just remember that the allergic factor is also in the saliva of the dog. If you didn't need an assist dog I would recommend no type of dog however under the circumstances it is good you can have the assist dog. It would be advisable not to let it sleep in your bedroom.

Answer 4

You should be fine as long as it's kept clean. Stick to a short hair. Don't get a dog that oversalivates either.

Answer 5

You will get to meet your dog long before any decision is made, so it shouldn't be a problem.

Answer 6

You'll probably be fine with a lab, as long as she is well-groomed and isn't shedding too much.

Good luck!

Answer 7

If you do start to react, try bee pollen