[News] Hypoallergenic Dog Claims Don't Stand Up
 

Hypoallergenic dogs don't actually produce fewer allergy-provoking proteins than other dogs, say researchers who put the claims to the test.

Researchers in Detroit analyzed dust samples collected from 173 homes one month after a newborn baby was brought home to check allergen levels from hypoallergenic dogs and other breeds.

Specifically, 60 dog breeds were involved, 11 of them considered hypoallergenic. Researchers found no significant differences in allergen levels in homes where either hypoallergenic dogs or non-hypoallergenic resided, they said in the July online issue of the American Journal of Rhinology and Allergy.

"We found no scientific basis to the claim hypoallergenic dogs have less allergen," Christine Cole Johnson, chair of Henry Ford's Department of Public Health Sciences and senior author of the study, said in a release.

"Based on previous allergy studies conducted here at Henry Ford, exposure to a dog early in life provides protection against dog allergy development. But the idea that you can buy a certain breed of dog and think it will cause less allergy problems for a person already dog-allergic is not borne out by our study."

The experiment included had four comparisons:

Purebred hypoallergenic dogs to purebred non-hypoallergenic dogs.
Purebred and mixed breed dogs with at least hypoallergenic parent to purebred non-hypoallergenic dogs.
Purebred and mixed breed dogs with at least one hypoallergenic parent to purebred and mixed breed dogs with no known hypoallergenic component.
Only purebred dogs identified as hypoallergenic by the American Kennel Club to all other dogs.

All four showed no significant differences between hypoallergenic dogs and non-hypoallergenic dogs.

In homes where the dog was forbidden from entering the baby's room, allergen levels were slightly higher in homes with hypoallergenic dogs versus homes housing their non-hypoallergenic counterparts.

The American Kennel Club's list of breeds suited to allergy sufferers includes the Bichon Frise, Maltese, Poodles and Portuguese Water Dog, based on breeds "which usually produce less dander." The group does not recommend or endorse any specific breed.

Hypoallergenic dog claims don't stand up - Health - CBC News

That’s really not a great study, finding “no difference” after only one month really means nothing. Most scientific experiments test the null hypothesis, which means there is no difference between x and y, and most experiments show this, it’s a very common finding, but it means little. We don’t know what type of dogs they used or their methods of testing the environment. Also, we don’t know what type of environment was tested, were windows open most of the time, was a filtering system used in some homes? This was not a closely controlled experiment, so to me it means nothing. My nose and eyes can tell the difference between hypoallergenic dogs and those that aren’t!

I have to agree!! I am slightly allergic to dogs. The difference between my yorkies and my cocker spaniel for example makes a huge difference. For example, anytime I groom my cocker or our border collie mix I end up sneezing really bad and will get a rash for a short time. When I groom my yorkies, nothing happens.

"Researchers in Detroit analyzed dust samples collected from 173 homes one month after a newborn baby was brought home to check allergen levels from hypoallergenic dogs and other breeds."

Research is my "schtix" and this study is flawed.
Who knows what those homes were like prior to bringing home a baby? Could have been a garbage dump. And what do they consider and allergic reaction. None of this is clear.

I know many, many folks who can tell you they have had dogs they could not tolerate and then found a breed they could. There are many factors involved and this study is too short and with too many variables to be accepted as the truth.

Gee, O.K., I need another glass of wine........

I'm highly allergic to Pug dogs and others as well, usually the dogs with fur and an undercoat that shed a lot. I'm not allergic to my yorkie. I can cuddle him all day and not have one sneeze or stuffy nose episode. Plus he's always laying on me so you'd think if that study was true I'd be having allergy problems. I will only ever be a mommy to yorkies :D They are a size I can handle, bigger dogs just wear me out but a 7 pound yorkie is perfect for me.

My mom has no allergies from Bentley (our yorkie) but she is allergic to other dogs. So 2 against one! Ha! ;)

I'm the same. When I groomed dogs for the shelter, I could barely breathe afterwards. With Kaji, I get out of breathe once in a while. But that is usually when Kaji is way, WAY overdue for his bath. Maybe a week or so overdue. I physically feel a difference when I'm around chis, poms, golden retrievers, pitties, and yes the yorkies.

My daughter is really allergic to lots of things, dogs and cats high on the list. We got a wheaten terrier 10 years ago and she has done well with her allergies (we keep her out of the bedrooms, off the furniture, no carpets) She has admitted that she has more reactions to Ziva ( the yorkie) than Lucy (the wheaten).

I do agree with Nancy on this one. My son has severe allergies. He has needed shots for them. With Suzi our yorkie he is doing very well. When he goes to my brothers house he has 5 little terrier mixes and he suffers after a visit at their home.
I just do not see that their is enough detailed information in that study to be conclusive . I do know that my son is much better with non shedding dogs.

No way this is comprehensive. Here's my study. When in a house with a dog with fur, I have allergy attacks. Dogs with hair don't produce the same effect in me. This was a study done over the last 50 years of my life. :D

Here at my house,, I can bury my nose in Mina's coat (yorkie) or either of the poodles. Groom the pom and my eyes go crazy.

Here in my house my husband does normal with our dogs, but he can not even get into a pet store and he will start having reactions. If he only gets near a "pom" his chest start to wheeze and eyes itch, etc...
Science can measure whatever they want, my experience is all i need .
If it was not for these hypoallergenic breeds we could not have the dogs.
I had a guinnea pigg my husband loved when we married, we had to re-home it because of his was getting very sick in the house. he can not deal with cats either .
He is not bothered by the dogs, i mean, not at all .
XOXO

What is it about poms? I grew up with them and had terrible asthma all my childhood. The one that lives in my house is my inheritance,Mom went to a facility and I got the dog. Mom nolonger has asthma! Taffy and I cuddle from a distance and when I groom her I take alot of wash my face and hands breaks. Must be the undercoat that flys around while she is being brushed.

I do not what it is, but for my hubby, Poms and goldens are the worse, he also can not stay near labs and other dogs, but the reaction is not as instant as it is with the poms.
I am Blessed with our dogs, he loves them as much as i ...
XOXO

I think with poms its that thick undercoat and it holds the dander in more. I believe its actually the dander that makes one's allergies act up. With the dogs with no undercoat, they are usually groomed more often hence less dander flying around. Of course, I thought I was allergic to a rabbit we got for our daughters years ago and come to find out, I was allergic to dust and mold (which was in a couch we received as a hand-me-down). But not allergic to any animals - thank goodness!

I have no problem with my yorkie. I am very allergic to dogs that shed and have an undercoat. I can't be without my inhaler. I can't even breathe when I enter a home with a cat. I even react to people who have dog hair and dander on them if they sit next to me. Thank goodness I can love my little boy and breathe!!!!!

I agree it needs more study and a larger sample. However, it shouldn't be written off completely due to antecdotal evidence. While most people tend to associate allergies to just fur (because it's the most common) it's possible to be allergic to fur, dander (dead skin cells) and even saliva or any combination of those.

I hope that I dont have any reaction to my new puppy.. I will just have to get a prescription then.. oh well... cuz umm im not giving him up #nope #iwont

There is no such thing as a hypoallergenic dog. There are just certain breeds that are less likely to give people a reaction because the smaller the dog the less allergens it has. See article below:

Pet allergy: Are there hypoallergenic dog breeds? - MayoClinic.com

I have also watched Dogs 101 on Animal Planet and they also say there is no such thing as a hypoallergenic dog. Breeders label dogs with that so they can charge more money for them~my brother fell for it.

I myself am allergic to dogs and cats. I have severe reactions to certain cats and to certain dogs. I take zyrtec everyday because I hate the allergies but I LOVE MY DOGS!
I have a lab springer mix and I have been allergic to him since he was a puppy. I know they say exposure to pups early on can supposedly give you more immunity to the dog but that was not the case with him.
Now my yorkie I got when she was 2 1/2 years old and I have NEVER had a reaction to her at all~I am still taking the zyrtec but if I forget to take it I still don't react to her and she is up in my face all the time.
I just think there are certain small dogs that have less dander therefore they are less likely to give people with allergies a reaction.

I understand completely I have asthma that is exacerbated by allergies and dogs and cats set that off. I have a lab springer who I am allergic to and a yorkie whom I am not but I take zyrtec and singulair everyday so that I can live with my precious furbabies!! :)

There may be no such thing as hypoallergenic dogs, but I know there are hyperallergenic dogs! I don't need a study to prove it to me; all I have to do is pet certain dogs.

:thumbup::thumbup:
Oh I agree with you. I have pet some dogs and I thought my eyes were going to pop out of my head they were so itchy!!!

I know, me too, and it can happen so fast!

Yes, there is no such thing as a hypoallergenic dog or cat. The only difference is dogs with fur hold a lot more allergens/dander because i guess it sticks better to the fur. Dogs with hair it doesnt cling to the hair as much, but their skin produces the same amount of allergen/dander it just goes somewhere else, i guess out into the air LOL Soooo the study that the OP posted tested the room right? well there would be the same amount if not more allergens in the room because its not sticking to the dog (with the "hypoallergenic breeds") and there would be less with the "fur" breeds because most of it is on the dog.
That is my understanding of it. Let me know what you think ;)

Yeah, I agree with your theory. I don't get sick when I just walk into a room with dogs, I get sick when I touch the dogs, so testing the air quality seems pointless. I’ve read that dander tends to stick to things, so it’s probably not floating around in the air. I think people misunderstand the word hypoallergenic and think it means it won't cause any allergies, hypo means low or less than normal, so there is no totally non-allergenic dog, but I really believe that there are hypoallergenic dogs, and the yorkie is one of them. As you said, the hair instead of fur may be part of the difference.

Yes it does and I have asthma that is usually set off by allergies and if it doesn't make my eyes itch then eventually I will have a harder time breathing....it is not good. I have no reaction to my yorkie and I hold her up to my face all the time!

I agree that there is no such thing. I have heard the smaller the dog the less the dander which is why we don't react to yorkies. I do remember being very allergic to an old roommates dog and she was a cocker spaniel...cutest thing but I got all stuffed up I would get close to her or pet her...they have a thicker coat and may even have the under coat too.
I don't know why we react to some and not others but I don't like the fact that breeders make more money by advertising hypo-allergenic dogs.

Well, if the size of the dog was the issue, my husband would not react as bad as he does to Pom's... he can not even stand in a roon with one and he will start a severe reaction. Also, if size was the matter, when you put too many small dogs together would cause him a reaction, well, he is not one tiny bit , not even an itty bitty allergic to our yorkies and Shih's all together.
So they can say whatever they want to say . There are some breeds of dogs that do not cause allergies to my husband, none, not at all. And other breeds and animals he not stand.
I do not need much more than that .
XOXO

I don't think it is just the size it also has to do with the type of fur vs hair. Yorkies have hair and I believe Pom's have very thick fur with an undercoat.
I agree that Yorkies seem hypoallergenic I just don't think any dog should be labelled with hypoallergenic if they are not~I don't think it's okay for breeders and pet stores to get away with getting more money because they brand certain dogs with hypoallergenic.

Even hairless dogs carry a certain amount of dander which can cause allergies~all people react differently.

I just think there are certain dogs that are better for for people with allergies (and one of them is yorkies) and certain dogs that make allergies worse.

I am the same way as your husband I can be around one type of dog and get no reaction and be around another and I won't be able to breathe and I want to scratch my eyes out!

Well, i understand some people may be allergic to anything, everything, somethings, it is like that with foods, perfumes, fabrics and pretty much anything in life.
To be honest with you, i believe when someone is looking for a hypoallergenic breed or advertising one dog or breed as hypoallergenic, the aim is not to get more money, but to describe the breed or the dog. Some breeds cause more allergies to more people than others. I have heard of people who are allergic to saliva, therefore any animal , including humans, can cause them allergies.
I personally have nothing against the word. Our Shihtzus have an under coat and my husband is not allergic to them either. We have discussed this with our family doctor several times, they happen to own one of our dogs, and often we bring the subject into our conversation, she also uses the word and when people who have allergies are looking for a dog she recommends them to check the breeds that are called "hypoallergenic s". I believe for some , there will never be a totally hypoallergenic dog or breed no matter what, but for a great number of people who suffer from pet allergies and are not bothered by hypoallergenic breeds the word stand just fine. As with anything in life, the point of view may change the perception of the object.
I usually do not see just any dog labelled hypoallergenic, just the breeds that cause less reaction to most people who are allergic.
XOXO

You've gotta wonder if how clean a person keeps their home and how often the dog is bathed plays a role in allergy symptoms.

I've grown up with yorkies & never had a problem with them, but then I went in a person's house with couple of yorkies and definately had a reaction after petting them. But those dogs are rarely bathed & the house was dusty, so I'm guessing more dander laying around?

I have to disagree... I would get hives from my English Bulldog. I am just fine with my two Yorkies.