# Allergies and Havanese???



## IWANTAHAVANESE (Nov 14, 2010)

Hi! I have been lurking on here since December..As you know we may want a havanese and Ive already been contacted by some great breeders you recommended to me...We are waiting till my daughter is alittle older..
Heres the thing..Now we are unsure how allergic she may be..
We went to a dog show yesterday in NJ, that in one huge room there had to be over 100 dogs, and all groomers there too grooming and trimming all the dogs etc...After 2 hrs of being there, when we were leaving my daughter developed 5 hives around her chin, and was all stuffy in her nose, after neing i the car 10 minutes, she was completely fine....
She has been around my sisters yorkiepoo, and only once did she have a hive or two, but my sister also has 2 cats, a bird, and rabbit....
Soooo, Im assumely she has a slight allergy to dogs, but woudl she be fine with one dog?? Was it jsut cause there were tons of dogs? And if we get a havanaese, do you think she woudl be Ok? 
We are are only considering a Havanese, Norfolk Terrier, and a Papillon...Though now a Papillon may be out of the question???? 
Thank you in advance for all your help!!!! My daughter will be 3 in the summer


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## jacqui (Aug 7, 2007)

Hello Iwanta,

I think a dog show is probably the WORST place to go if someone has allergies to dogs...also the BEST place if you are not sure whether your daughter is allergic. Next trip, I would guess, would be to your pediatrician.

That said, Havanese are a very good breed for people with allergies. The shed minimally and do not produce dander. Most people with allergies are fine around Havanese. It is the dander you want to watch out for. Some non-shedding dogs still produce dander.

I congratulate you on all the research you are doing to find the right dog for your family! Nice work.


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## LoudRam (May 23, 2010)

My wife and son are both allergic to dogs and cats but they are fine with our dog as well as our friends hav. My advice is find a breeder that has only havs and ask them if you can come over for a visit. If your daughter doesn't have a reaction, you'll have your answer.


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## IWANTAHAVANESE (Nov 14, 2010)

Thanks for the info....


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## HavaneseHannah (Mar 30, 2011)

I also agree, the best place to go when you have dog allergies is a cat show. lol! You can buy anti allergy drugs before you go to a dog show to have a fun time.


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## IWANTAHAVANESE (Nov 14, 2010)

Anyone else have thoughts on this? Im really confused now..I feel like we will never get a dog..As we were unsure if were getting a puppy, we wanted a rescue..Liek even a havanese mi, or poodle mix of some sort..


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## juliav (Nov 21, 2006)

If your daughter has allergies, I would stay away from the mixed breeds (unless both breeds have hair like maltese/poodle mix), as you never know what you are getting. Most people who are allergic to dogs, seem to do fine with dogs that have hair vs. fur. I would recommend you visit a breeder who breeds just Havanese and spend some time there with your daughter. That should help.


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## IWANTAHAVANESE (Nov 14, 2010)

Yes, I agree...I still feel liek a purebree havanese is best...Just emailed Hawkhaven, our breeder,( I hope) and she recommends my daughter goign there a few times to play with them before we buy....We still want a slightly older puppy though, but if not we will have to wait it out and get a puppy...Im not an experienced dog person, so training a pup may be more of a challenge for me...


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## JMGracie (Mar 30, 2011)

Yeah, the best thing is to always just try it out. Find someone with a havanese, whether it's a friend, the breeder, whatever, and have your daughter spend time with them. Just make sure they don't have other dogs or animals around. My breeder also had labs.

Personally, I've been allergic to dogs and cats my whole life, but I've never had any trouble with the Hav. She even sleeps in bed with me now (so I'm breathing near her all night) and still no trouble at all. But I never had severe reactions to dogs - no hives or anything like that, just lots of sneezing and itchy eyes.


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## IWANTAHAVANESE (Nov 14, 2010)

Great to know! Also, she onyl had a few hives too, but after 2 hours worth of over 200 dogs in a small place, with all teh groomers blow drying, etc...
I bet in a regular atmosphere with one dog, she may not have an issue..But I woudl still feel safer with a lower dander dog....Also, she is 3, so I still deep down feel the Havanese is a better family dog...


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

IWANTAHAVANESE said:


> Great to know! Also, she onyl had a few hives too, but after 2 hours worth of over 200 dogs in a small place, with all teh groomers blow drying, etc...
> I bet in a regular atmosphere with one dog, she may not have an issue..But I woudl still feel safer with a lower dander dog....Also, she is 3, so I still deep down feel the Havanese is a better family dog...


Also, in a show environment, remember that there are a lot of grooming products being used. I know that the only time I've been "allergic" to Kodi has been when I'e tried a different shampoo and had a reaction to that!!!


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## IWANTAHAVANESE (Nov 14, 2010)

Thats true! Didnt think about it...It was our first show ever....So mad we didnt get to the Havense tey were not showing until 2 hrs later, and we were already there 2 hrs...
Wishing for a Havanese..In the meantime, Ill keep learning about them and preparing for our addition, hopefully, someday!


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## Thumper (Feb 18, 2007)

Usually those of us with allergies have many different allergies, I know I do and I have to give very frequent baths, she's like a little pollen mop! lol The dog dander doesn't bother me so much as the other allergens she brings in from outdoors. If its been a week with bathing her, my sinuses start acting up.

Kara


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## IWANTAHAVANESE (Nov 14, 2010)

*Allergies*

I hear ya! So far my daughter has no hay fever, but Im the one that suffers usually in May...Does keeping a shorter coat help?


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## IWANTAHAVANESE (Nov 14, 2010)

Update: Just took her to Petco today where they had adoptable rescue dogs and some cats..I kept letting her touch and really nuzzle into this adorable 6 mo old Mountain Cur...Unsure of the breed before I looked it up..Not even under AKC...But then in the car after we though she was fine, she starting to rub her eye alittle, then it was all red and watery for some time..Soo, I guess she is allergic to dogs, Im just praying not Havanese..Also, odd thing is we have been on a few playdates with some cats, and never had any issues...


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

IWANTAHAVANESE said:


> Update: Just took her to Petco today where they had adoptable rescue dogs and some cats..I kept letting her touch and really nuzzle into this adorable 6 mo old Mountain Cur...Unsure of the breed before I looked it up..Not even under AKC...But then in the car after we though she was fine, she starting to rub her eye alittle, then it was all red and watery for some time..Soo, I guess she is allergic to dogs, Im just praying not Havanese..Also, odd thing is we have been on a few playdates with some cats, and never had any issues...


I was one of those very strange people who is much more allergic to dogs than I am to cats also. That's backwards of most of the allergic world, but it happens. I really think you need to expose her to a single breed that you are interested in where there are not a lot of other dog allergens in the environment. Otherwise, your just not going to be able to tell.

While I am less allergic to cats than dogs, some cats (orientals specifically) are MUCH worse for my allergies than others. I remember when my parents brought home and adorable Siamese kitten for me, thinking it would be OK, since I'd been OK around other cats. Within half an hour I was in a full-blown asthma attack. I was devastated, and they felt awful that they had to take the kitten back. (fortunately, the breeder had already agreed to take the kitten back if I was allergic to it) So make SURE she is really going to be able to tolerate it... thinking you are getting a new pet only to have to send it back is a horrible experience for everyone, but especially for a young child.


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## Suzi (Oct 27, 2010)

IWANTAHAVANESE said:


> Update: Just took her to Petco today where they had adoptable rescue dogs and some cats..I kept letting her touch and really nuzzle into this adorable 6 mo old Mountain Cur...Unsure of the breed before I looked it up..Not even under AKC...But then in the car after we though she was fine, she starting to rub her eye alittle, then it was all red and watery for some time..Soo, I guess she is allergic to dogs, Im just praying not Havanese..Also, odd thing is we have been on a few playdates with some cats, and never had any issues...


 My Havanese's Sister got returned to our breeder because her daughter was allegoric. She even spent about 2 hours at her house and had no problem but when the pup came to live with them she got very bad. They returned the puppy just to see if she got better and she did so they found a new home for her.


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## IWANTAHAVANESE (Nov 14, 2010)

Krandell... I hear ya..Thats why we will need to make sure...
Suzi..Oh gosh, I hope that doesnt happen..So far I dont hink her allergies are that bad, considering we were at a dog show for 2 hrs, and her worst reaction was a couple of hives..Im praying so hard that we will be able to tolerate this dog in our house...We will be heartbroken with a dog..As she will most likely be an only child, and she is already allergic to peanuts...


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