# Allergic To Dogs



## jgrey

Hi,
I just found out two of my kids are allergic to dogs. They scored a 3 (4 being the highest) on the skin test. I have never noticed them having a reaction to dogs such as having hives etc. so it was kind of a surprise to us all. We have been wanting a Havanese and luckily I hear they are good for allergy sufferers. My question are for those who are allergic to dogs but have a Havanese. How allergic are you to dogs? Does your Havanese trigger any allergic reactions? Do you have to take any medication to keep symptoms in control? We have gone to visit Havanese breeders, and I didn't notice any symptoms before (but I wasn't really looking for them either). 
Thanks!


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## Tom King

Not a direct answer to your question, but we have placed quite a few puppies with both adults and children with severe allergies and we have never had anyone not be able to tolerate the dogs.

Visiting breeders to have the children spend time emersed in the dogs is a good idea.

Also dealing with a breeder who will take the pup back if there is a problem would be good insurance in case there was a problem.

We have horses, cats, chickens, and other dogs, but when people with allergy problems come to visit we just have them come around to enter the dog yard and right into the dog room where the cats don't dare go-never had a single person with allergies to have any problem, but we've ended up with some pretty amazingly happy children who thought that they might not ever be able to have a dog, sitting on the floor playing with puppies and surrounded by a pack of dogs.


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## Lina

My husband is severely allergic to dogs - stuffy nose, sneezing, red eyes, you name it, he's got it. If he stays too long in a house with dogs his throat will close up and it makes it very hard for him to breathe (he has asthma to boot). It's not pretty.

As you can tell from the profile pics, though, we have two Havs and neither of them trigger the least bit of allergy symptoms from him. Never have. We've had up to three Havs in the house and he's been fine. I do know a friend, though, who can stand two but three or more makes his nose run. I've never heard of someone with allergies to dogs being allergic just one, though.


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## Me+Sydney

I think it really depends on the individual. If you can have your kids spend a bit of time with a dog before committing, that is probably the best bet. I must say, despite being labelled as good for allergy sufferers, I do have a couple of friends that react to Sydney in various ways. None of them severely, but they do react.


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## luv3havs

The person who was going to get our Cali found out she was allergic to Havanese when she went to visit. She couldn't take her so we were the lucky ones.

My husband is severely allergic to lots of dogs, but our Havanese don't bother him a bit.


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## irnfit

My daughter's dachsies bother me sometimes. My friend had a Sharpei that triggered my allergies, but I have no problems with my Havs, or anyone else's Havs, either.


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## Rita Nelson

I have a SIL that's very allergic to dogs and cats. He doesn't have a problem with Tucker.


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## ama0722

Just to be honest, I have a niece who is allergic to dogs and that means all dogs- havanese and even my maltese. Her mom says that mine aren't as bad but she still will get a runny nose within a few minutes of being around my dogs. She is severely allergic to cats as well.


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## carebear

Hi Jgrey.
I'm severely allergic to dogs. When I'm around my aunt's lab my eyes get puffy, it gets hard to breath and I get the worst runny nose. With the havanese I'm completely fine. I wake up with Bentley on my face a lot of mornings and have never had a reaction. When I visited the breeders home I had a very slight reaction which was completely controlled with Claritin the next visit. I attributed to the number of dogs in a small space. This isn't to say no one will have a reaction to havanese, but my allergies are very severe and he's one of the only dogs I haven't reacted to. Hope this helps!


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## Cheryls

I know a person that is allergic to dogs that had a reaction to a havanese puppy. I apologize for the negative tone to follow. I suggest you seriously think about what you would do if your children were nonreactive with a puppy but then developed allergic reactions as the puppy got bigger or after you have had the puppy for awhile? Would you return the puppy? (which could be hard on children emotionally) Would you medicate your children in order to keep the puppy? Just some things I think you should consider as your family makes a decision. -Cheryl S.-


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## galaxie

I'm severely allergic to cats, quite allergic to most dogs, and have pretty severe asthma. That being said, I have never had an allergic reaction to any Havanese, Maltese, or Shih Tzu.

Have you looked into the allergy shots? If they work, they are supposed to eliminate allergies for good. Unfortunately, I'm not a candidate for them - can't exactly remember why, though. It was a long time ago that I discussed it with my doctor.


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## ama0722

Cheryls said:


> I know a person that is allergic to dogs that had a reaction to a havanese puppy. I apologize for the negative tone to follow. I suggest you seriously think about what you would do if your children were nonreactive with a puppy but then developed allergic reactions as the puppy got bigger or after you have had the puppy for awhile? Would you return the puppy? (which could be hard on children emotionally) Would you medicate your children in order to keep the puppy? Just some things I think you should consider as your family makes a decision. -Cheryl S.-


Cheryl- I don't think that is negative just realistic. Afterall, Havanese go through a coat change around a year old.


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## Scooter's Family

Two of my 3 children have allergies and asthma which is why we didn't have a dog for quite a long time. Then I found Havanese, now we have 3! They don't react to them at all but they are on daily meds because the allergies are severe. I can say their allergies didn't get any worse with the dogs in the house.


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## marltonmommy

My husband has severe allergies to dogs and cats. My SIL got a Hav first and my husband spent a great deal of time with their dog before we made up our mind that his allergies were not being trigger by the Hav. We got Sunshine first and now have three of our own and one foster. Our first two we've had since they were puppies and went through the coat change, they are now 4 and 6. Jaime came to us at 6 and Pablo is 3. My husband is absolutely fine with all of them, has not had one problem. Of course, this is just my husbands situation, we were very lucky.


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## jgrey

Thank you for all the responses! I appreciate all the different opinions because it does give me a realistic view of what I would face. A lot of people have told me to let the kids spend a long time at the breeder's house, but then again for some the allergies may not show up till the dog has been in the house for a while. So, from all the different responses it just reconfirms my opinion that it will vary from person to person. If we do end up getting a dog, we will definitely spend lots of time with the dog in question and it would be better if I get an adult dog. Plus, discuss with the kids before hand what we would do if one of them does develop a reaction later.

I just wish we could find someone who was willing to let us babysit their havanese for a while. That would be a really good test.
Thanks again!


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## Kathie

Where do you live? Maybe someone on the forum is nearby and would be willing to do that!


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## jgrey

Thanks Kathie for the suggestion!
Should I start a new thread for that? I can repost this if that's better.
Well, if anyone is looking for a dog sitter, I live in Hilliard, Ohio (suburb of Columbus). I'm a stay at home mom. I can provide more information about my background to anyone interested. I want to see if my children will not be allergic to the Havanese breed because they have tested positive for dog allergies.
You can email me at [email protected]
Thank you!


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## Mojo's Mom

I am very allergic to dogs. Relative of ours have a Golden Retriever that I am horribly allergic to, and I suffer through every Thanksgiving with severe running nose, sneezing and asthma even while taking both Zyrtec and Benadryl round the clock. 

Mojo troubles me only when I brush him, because I am allergic to dander, not saliva or hair. You need first to know specifically what aspect of dog your children are allergic to.

In my case, I first went to an allergist in order to find a way to live with two dogs to whom I was quite allergic. The initial testing showed that I was not allergic to dogs, and I told the M.D. that was ridiculous, because there was NO question that I reacted strongly to all dogs. Turned out the initial test had been for dog hair only. They tested for dander and saliva and I was very high on the reaction scale. 

Over time, I developed a certain tolerance to our first two dogs, who were high-shedding both in fur and dander. I always had trouble, though.

When we got Mojo I had no hopes of being allergy free with him, because I understood that there is no true "hypoallergenic dog". However, it has been a pleasant surprise for me to find that I have almost no reaction to Mojo. He sleeps on the bed with us, which is a joy I can't adequately describe. He licks my face, nothing happens. I do get quite sniffly when I brush him out, because I am loosening up the little dander he has, but I could never brush my two mutts at all.

I'm not sure I could handle two Havanese, although I suspect I could because I have no trouble at my girlfriend's house when Mojo plays there. That is coming to an end because they just got a Great Dane puppy, and I will react to him. Fortunately, Great Danes are very laid back even as puppies, so they aren't throwing dander all over the place as a more active breed does.

The short answer is that there is no way to be sure, but you have to decide as a family whether you want to take the chance that the children will react a Havanese puppy. Because if they do, your only option at that point is to use all available medical technology to treat the allergies and hope the result is satisfactory for everyone. I have done this in the past. I would not do that to children if I had them, at least I don't think I would. Notice I do not consider re-homing a dog to be an option. If you get a puppy, you keep the puppy, it is a commitment for the life of the dog.


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## Kathie

I think it would be a good idea to start a new thread about dog-sitting and then you could give the explanation in the post. Too bad we're in Georgia! I do have a cousin in Columbus, though - no Havs!


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## Kathy

People with allergies to dogs or cats can also have allergic reactions to Havanese. There has been some great advise given here so I won't restate the same.


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## Missy

Everyone has already given great advice... what I can add is experience both pro and con. I have off the charts allergies...to everything!! pollen, animals, food, dust, mold etc. Before we committed to a Havanese we took my SIL's, my hav-a-niece for two weeks over Christmas. We waited til Lucy was an adult before we tried this to see if there would be any difference between a puppy and an adult. I have to say I can't spend 15 minutes in a house with a beagle or pug, or even a poodle. I was fine with Lucy at first, but got a little stuffy towards the end of the first week. I simply got religious about my allergy medications. We tried it again for two more weeks a month later and then I started searching for Jasper. A year later, we got number 2.

Things to know: 

Allergies are cumulative so if your children have other allergies like hay fever those times of years will be worse than before. The only time I am bothered now by my boys are spring and fall. On the other hand, testing positive does not always mean that they will react to animals now. Some people test positive and never show reactions. 

Urine is an allergen. Your children are more likely to have allergies to a havanese puppy than an adult because they are peeing everywhere and getting it all over them and your house. This can be helped by wiping down the puppy daily (there are actual wipes for people with allergies to do this with ) I was allergic to both my pups at different times but now I am fine now that they are older and house trained. (this is why it is important to test out an adult) 

If your children are able to live without medications now (allergies meds are not side effect free) they may need to take them with an animal living in the house. again, it is the cumulative effect. 

You or another non allergic person in the house will have to do the brushing and bathing. Bathing the dog more often will help allergies not only pet allergies, but they will pick up pollen and dust. 

I got my first dog in my 40's and felt like a kid with their first puppy. I love having my boys and need to take my allergy meds anyway so they just made me adhere to the regimen a little more vigilantly. 

Just a few more thoughts for you... If you get a Hav I will be happy to give you more pointers as you go.


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## Jill in Mich

Missy, don't you also have an allergic reaction if your boys lick you?


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## Missy

Jill, I did have that for a short while. And it makes sense as saliva is also a huge allergen. But in my casem I think it was the treats I was feeding them or it was one of those overloaded times of year. But amazingly, as long as I take my claritin and rhinocort everyday. I am perfectly fine except for spring and fall and I would be allergic anyway


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## Tom King

We're having a visit this Saturday by an 8 year old girl with terrible allergies. She is alergic to nuts and legumes too, and has done all her own research on dogs and what foods she can safely handle. If her mother allows, I'll post a picture from her visit after they come.

I had Hay Fever in the fall from ragweed until I was in my early 30's. I just gave up and went to spend a couple of falls in Hawaii. My sinuses were flushed out very well with mid-Pacific seawater spending every day windsurfing. After those two years, I couldn't go back the third year. Hay Fever has never bothered me again since then.


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## jgrey

Don't worry, we won't be rushing out to buy a Havanese. We've been looking off and on for the last 2 years. Before, we thought we'd wait till the kids were older so we didn't buy one then. Now I see they are allergic to dogs. So, I need to determine exactly what they are allergic to (I didn't know they could test specifically for dog hair, saliva so that's an interesting point). I can see there is several things I need to check out before I can make any kind of decision. This has been a wonderful discussion. Even if it turns out we can't get a dog at least I know I did the research and know I made the best informed decision. I want to hear all the pros and cons and not end up being surprised with the results.

Also, I appreciate all the offers for help! I will definitely be contacting all of you if we decide to add to the family.


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## Mojo's Mom

Missy said:


> I got my first dog in my 40's and felt like a kid with their first puppy. I love having my boys and need to take my allergy meds anyway so they just made me adhere to the regimen a little more vigilantly.


Me, too! I had dogs for the first time in my life at about age 35 and I felt the same way. And I took on dogs that were very allergenic, too, initially. Lived with them for 13 and 15 years, respectively. Hard, but worth it. With Mojo, now the only dog in the household, it's very easy, but I have to take allergy meds all the time anyway.


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## krandall

Mojo's Mom said:


> Me, too! I had dogs for the first time in my life at about age 35 and I felt the same way. And I took on dogs that were very allergenic, too, initially. Lived with them for 13 and 15 years, respectively. Hard, but worth it. With Mojo, now the only dog in the household, it's very easy, but I have to take allergy meds all the time anyway.


Kodi is my first too, also mainly for allergy reasons. I have allergies to lots of animals including horses and cats. We've always had a cat, and horses, and I've just medicated as necessary. With the cat, I've found that I tend to build up tolerance to MY cat over time, but am more allergic to other people's cats. (I'm also MUCH more allergic to any of the oriental breeds) But my reaction to most dogs has always been strong enough that I didn't think I could tolerate living in the house with one.

Then I spent some time with a friend with two Bichons, and found that they didn't bother me at all. (I have always been very allergic to poodles, which are also supposed to be low allergy, so I hadn't realized that I might be OK with other low allergy breeds) The experience with the Bichons made me look more closely into the Bichon breeds, and that's when I ended up with a Havanese! I can bury my face in Kodi's coat without having any allergy symptoms. (though I do have to watch the heavily scented shampoos!)


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## Scooter's Family

Scooter was our first dog too, when I was 40! No dogs before because my kids were allergic and even before I knew that I just didn't want a dog when they were small. It's worked out perfectly for us!


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## jgrey

It will be interesting to see if Havanese or any other dog breed will bother my children. I will try to post soon for the dogsitting.


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## Tom King

Just an update on the visit from the allergic 8 year old girl. Since we have other animals here including cats coming in and out of the house, Pam set up a meeting place in a friend's house not too far from ours on the lake who had never had animals in their house. 

Turns out the father is also very allergic. They have very severe allergies to all sorts of things including dairy, eggs, peanuts, legumes, and a whole long list of things. The girl has done her own research on breeds of dogs and all the ingredients in all available foods.

They had been to visit another breeder who had 7 week olds a couple of weeks ago. The girl did have a skin reaction from handling the puppies but the mother said the puppies all had what looked to be poop on their feet and those puppies had also been eating food that had ingredients that they were allergic too.

They were very skeptical but really wanted to continue the effort.

Pam wiped down all the puppies with a washcloth and grapeseed extract. Frolic had just the evening before decided to wean the puppies, so Pam mixed up some food with boiled chicken breast, calves liver, and oatmeal making sure that no ingredients were on the problem list. They ate it like Pirahanas.

The family spent over two hours playing with the puppies, including lots of licking and sleeping in laps. They have had no reaction. They have emailed several times today updating us that they have had no reaction and are very excited with the possibility of finally adding a puppy to their household.

Sorry no pictures.


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## Sheri

Tom, that is interesting--so glad you posted on it. You guy really go all out for the benefit of your puppies and people who may add them to their families. That is very awesome!


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## jgrey

Thanks, Tom, for the info! I will have to see if my local havanese breeders would let me have a visit in a different location. Some of the breeders have other pets (which do bother my children allergies). A nice long visit where we can control other allergy factors would be good. Too bad you are not close by. You really do make an effort to work with the families and make sure there is a good match.


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