Advice for Allergies!

[danielsonson]

Here is an interesting conundrum someone can hopefully help with,

 

A good friend recently asked my advice on a breed of gun dog that would fulfill the following criteria:

 

First Gun Dog

Dual purpose - gun dog but also something for his children interact with (at this point i am thinking lab)

Something that will hunt cover as he mainly shoots rough (hmm now thinking springer)

 

but lastly and this is the crunch - his daughter although madly in love with all animals suffers from an allergy which only kicks off around certain types of animal hair - in general its anything that moults badly i.e. rabbits - she is fine with horses but not cats?

 

As a candidate for having a first gun dog they are ideal - they have a big house, lots of land and plenty of people to walk them. He is also the type to be committed to a training regime - so i am happy on these fundamental basics.

 

So what gund dog breeds are generally less "moutly"?

 

I was wondering if the oilly lab coat might be more suitable than a moulty spaniels?

 

What about the HPR breeds, I havent had a GSP for a long time but I dont recollect them being too bad?

 

Any help welcome!

 

DB

[sbald]

I would avoid Spaniels as there hair seems to get everywhere,

Lab is probably best bet, could also look at a cross such as Labradoodle as like poodles I believe they dont moult

but I have no idea what sort of gun dog they would make (not very good I suspect)

[new to the flock]

It will be more the dander that she is allergic to than the "hair". Problems with animal allergies is that they normally get worse with time. If he wants a a non allergetic working dog that the kids can have fun with than I would highly recommend a Standard Poodle from working lines. They make excellent upland and water dogs.

 

NTTF

[danielsonson]

Thanks for your replies - I did mention a working poodle > its quite a specialist breed - he seemed a little put off by their camp image but....needs must.

 

Interestingly since his daughter twigged that a new dog could be on the horizon her allergies seem to be improving - I have suggested he borrows one of my spaniels for a weekend, if she can spend time with them without issue then she should be ok with most things?

 

Watch this space!

 

Have a great xmas everyone!

[Mrs Sweepy]

I am allergic to cats big time. So bad if i go near them i cant breathe .And my chest gets really tight also my eyes get sore.

But i have two spaniels both live indoors moult like mad(i have to clean up after them)

And they have no effect on me what so ever.

xxxxSuzy

[sheene7]

I'm allergic to cats and horses in a big wayand my wife tends to react to certain breeds of dogs as does our 19 year old son.

 

We picked up a 2 year old cocker spaniel on sunday and we all seem fine with her (thank god!). As NTTF said it is the dander and not so much the hair, we also looked at labradoodles thinking that they were hypo-allergenic, but . they aren't guaranteed to be ok with people who suffer with allegies.

 

Good luck with your search!

[bobt]

Try a bald one?

 

sorry my niece has bad allergies to dogs, particularly labradors and alsations, (guess what we had when she was small?)

however she has never had a problem with spaniels, to the extent our spaniel used to sleep on her bed when we took them away in the caravan.

 

 

why not try the daughter with a few different dog breeds, one a day, to see if she has a problem?