We are thinking about getting another dog however my mum is allergic to the dander that comes off the dog. I know that some breeds are worse than others for this as we have not had a problem with our current dog who is a male border terrier cross border collie. We were considering either getting a Labrador or a husky as we like both breeds. We would probably choose the one that has les dander but I am not to sure which breed this would be. Please could some body help me with this.
Hi there @Ella . My understanding is that the breed of the dog should have no impact on the amount of dander. Dander, or flakes of dry skin/dandruff can be managed by diet, addition of some fish oils, and grooming.
Hi Ella, there are two aspects to the effects of a dog on people sensitive to the proteins carried in dander. One is the type and quantity of that protein, the other is how much dander is floating around the home where the dog lives. While some breeds of cat have been found to produce lower levels of the proteins that causes allergies to cats (Fel 1) I don’t believe any breed of dog has been discovered that produces lower quantities of the protein that causes the majority of allergies to dogs (Can 1). The main claim to hypoallergenic qualities in dogs comes from assumptions about dogs with curly hair. Dander is released by the surface of the skin and also clings to shed hair. So a dog that sheds a lot is likely (in theory) to produce more of it. Curly haired dogs like poodles shed less because the dead hair remains trapped within the fur. And it has been claimed that some people sensitive to Can 1 can tolerate life with a curly haired dog. Studies however, have found just as much of this protein in homes with supposedly hypoallergenic dogs as in homes with non hypoallergenic dogs, which calls these theories into question. One thing that does seem to help is washing and grooming dogs that live indoors, and using hepa filters in vacuums. I have seen no evidence that fish oils reduce the levels of Can 1 in homes containing dogs of any breed You’ll find lots more information and links to scientific evidence in this article on hypoallergenic dogs
