What dog breed should you pick if your child is sensitive to allergens?

A lot has been said in recent years about so-called “hypoallergenic dogs,” which are purported to greatly reduce the chances of triggering allergies in people sensitive to them. However, a living creature like a dog simply can’t be truly hypoallergenic, and all dogs might potentially trigger allergies in someone, and so there is no ideal dog or dog type that will be a universally good pick for every allergy sufferer.

That said, some breeds and types of dogs possess a number of traits that combined, tend to mean that they’re less likely to trigger allergies in most people sensitive to them, or that will generate a much less acute reaction in most allergy sufferers than other dogs.

If you have a child that suffers from allergies, particularly allergies to dogs, you might have to face the reality that your family will never be able to share a home comfortably with a dog of any type. That said, for many allergy sufferers there will be a dog out there somewhere that doesn’t trigger a poor reaction in them, and if you can find them, you may have found your perfect pet – if you know where to look!

Choosing a dog for a child that has allergies can be quite a complicated process, because the most important consideration will naturally be protecting the health and comfort of the child. However, it is really important that you don’t inadvertently overlook the importance of choosing a dog that is also the right fit for the family in other ways too, and which has the right combination of personality and core traits to make them a good and safe match for families with children.

As mentioned, every dog, and every allergy sufferer is an individual, and you might have to discount several apparently viable dogs before you find one that is a match for your own child. But to get you started, this article will suggest some dog breeds and types to consider exploring if you are looking for a dog that is both less likely than most to trigger allergies, and that tends to be good with children. Read on to learn more.

The poodle

The poodle is the original low-allergen dog breed, so much so that poodles are one of the most commonly used dog breeds in deliberate hybrid crossings, undertaken with the intention of combining the key personality traits of the two parent breeds whilst reducing less popular traits – like heavy shedding.

However, whilst most poodle hybrids are low shedding, they are rarely as low shedding as the poodle itself, and this breed has a number of key traits that can make them a great choice for kids that are also allergy sufferers.

Poodles can be found in three size variants and so offer a lot of choices for prospective buyers, and they also produce less allergenic dander in their saliva and skin oils than most breeds. Coupled with this, poodles are also very low shedding, and the little hair they do lose gets tangled in their coats rather than being shed around the home. You can find all Poodles for sale here.

The Schnoodle

The Schnoodle is one of those poodle hybrid breeds we mentioned, and one of the very few that has a coat that sheds more or less as minimally as poodles themselves. A Schnoodle is a hybrid of a schnauzer and a poodle, and once more, a lot of variety can be found in terms of sizes as schnauzers too can be found in three size variants.

Schnoodles are smart, active dogs that thrive in active families, and they are also low shedding. Their coats are rather lower maintenance than that of poodles as a rule too! You can find all Schnoodles for sale here.

The German wirehaired pointer

The German wirehaired pointer is an active, rangy and fun-loving dog breed from the gun dog group, which loves the company of children and that tends to do very well as part of a family. They are also fairly bold dogs that have open, friendly natures and that will generally be great with even visiting children that they don’t know well, and that once more has a low shedding coat, and the hair that they do shed tends to get trapped in the rest of their fur rather than being dropped around the home. You can find all German wirehaired pointer for sale here.

The Portuguese water dog

The Portuguese water dog has a huge number of positive traits to recommend it, including being better with kids of all ages than most other breeds. They’re also highly intelligent, very outgoing, generally healthy, and medium in size and so a good fit for most family homes.

The Portuguese water dog coat is densely curled but soft, and is low shedding and generally low allergen. However, they do require a reasonable amount of grooming, and may need to have this performed at a grooming parlour to prevent allergenic fur spreading around the house. You can find all Portuguese water dogs for sale here.

The Hungarian Pumi

Finally, the Hungarian Pumi is not one of the most commonly seen dog breeds in the UK, but if you’re having problems finding a dog for an allergy sufferer, it might be worth seeking one out!

This is another breed that distinguishes itself for being great with children, and is medium sized, with a somewhat shaggy, medium-length coat with two layers to it, which tangles and traps the small amount of hair they do shed before it is lost around the home and so, makes them less apt to trigger allergies. You can find all Hungarian Pumis for sale here.