Allergy sufferer... need advice!
I'm new to the forum, but I thought this would be the best place to come for some real advice and information. My family and I want to get a puppy in the spring, and we are very interested in an OES. The only problem is, I have allergies. I know there's really no such thing as a non-shedding dog, but I need to get something as low-shedding or allergy friendly as I can. When I was growing up I had a shih tzu and wasn't allergic to him at all. Do any of you guys know how allergy sufferers make out with OESs? I've done a little research and have read varying information. I would never want to get a dog and then realize I was allergic to it, so i'm trying to do all of my research well in advance. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!! |
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| hi, odds are in your favor, but you need to find a breeder and go get your face all up in some sheepies.    |
| My best friend works with us a few days a week, in our home. She suffers from pet allergies, and when Tonks and Luna were puppies, she was all red eye and sniffling. She's really allergic; like has to be hospitalized allergic. But she was able to tolerate the pups, with the help of benadryl, and it wasn't very long before she wasn't allergic at all. She now suffers NO symptoms. Full disclosure; she doesn't live here 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. But she is in 2-4 days, 8+ hours a day. And it might help that I'm a frequent dog-bather; I cannot stand a filthy dog. |
| It is not the hair that causes allergies, long hair, short hair doesn't matter. It is the dead skin cells.....that are the main allergen. I've had sheepdog with snowfalls of dander and others where it was minor and easily kept at bay with bathing. You would not be the one to do the grooming, chances are you are exactly the one who will be brushing the dog....and it is an intense grooming period, not just a swipe here and there. Alternative is to keep them in puppy cut thus easier grooming.....not none, just easier. Also realize saliva and urine can cause allergic reaction. We know that in cats.....their grooming, licking, and the saliva is why many people can't be around cats. Both my sheepdogs are "cats" in that they lick themselves alot. One for arthritis relief and the other because he has the nobby callus on his elbows and they become inflamed...also he licks when his hip hurt. urine should be outside, put not initially with puppies  Hope this helps. Try being around sheepdogs for awhile......we do have get togethers around the country, maybe one near you........St. Louis for example? |
| [quote="SheepieBoss"]It is not the hair that causes allergies, long hair, short hair doesn't matter. It is the dead skin cells.....that are the main allergen. I've had sheepdog with snowfalls of dander and others where it was minor and easily kept at bay with bathing. You would not be the one to do the grooming, chances are you are exactly the one who will be brushing the dog....and it is an intense grooming period, not just a swipe here and there. Alternative is to keep them in puppy cut thus easier grooming.....not none, just easier. Hi just a thought maybe a disposable face mask may help when grooming so not to breath in the dead skin cells!!! (health carer and have to use them sometimes )   Love val xxx |
| We here are allergy sufferers and do not have a problem with Chowder herself. Everything mentioned above should be taken into careful consideration though. I wanted to add that we ended up getting allergy attacks when she has long hair and brings in the outside, especially the pollen during spring time. |
| My husband and one of my sons are mildly allergic to dogs. For this reason, I searched a long time to figure out what breed of dog might work best for our family. This is how we landed on OES and it has worked out well for our family, allergy wise with the following notes: 1. Neither my husband nor my somewhat allergic son has had issues with any of our OES. 2. My allergies in general have increased over the years. I am guessing that a portion of this is due to pollens, etc. that come in on the dog's hair. However, there are enough other environmental allergies that I know this is only contributing a little, if at all. Basically, I live in a valley and pollens and molds tend to sit in the air instead of blow away. 3. Sophie and Sherman tend to get very dirty ears, very quickly. They are the only two of any of our dogs where this has been an issue. We've had them tested for ear mites and all of the usual suspects a number of times, but nothing is ever found. So, we clean their ears fairly often. I notice that after I clean Sophies ears (hers are the worst, by far), I tend to feel a little allergic unless I am careful to wash up quickly afterwards. As far as I can tell, I am the only person affected, but then, I am almost always the ear cleaner of the family. So, it is possible that individual dogs can cause a reaction. As a breed, OES tend to make relatively little dander, but some individuals may make more and it may depend on their diet, grooming, etc. The big reason we did not get a lab or a golden retriever was because of the dander factor, as a matter of fact. |
SheepieBoss wrote: It is not the hair that causes allergies, long hair, short hair doesn't matter. It is the dead skin cells..... Precisely. And there are ways to minimize the amount of dander. From the inside out: high quality food and good fat (omega 3, coconut oil). Externally: Nature's Miracle Dander Remover http://www.petco.com/product/5985/Natur ... rizer.aspx |
I have my fair share of allergies. Sometimes they would flare up while I was grooming my sheepies. I depend on allergy meds to help me thru. One time my family doc asked when I was gonna get rid of my dog? I said never, I'll just take my allergy meds and deal with it.  |
| I go to my family to visit and not even bring the dogs sometimes, no matter what they feel it. Basically it is on my clothing. |
| I'm one of the unlucky heavy allergy sufferers. I've had every kind of pet, and have been allergic to every single one minus fish; cats are the absolute worst, and while I would consider my dog allergies 'moderate', it varies (often greatly) from dog to dog. I recently dog-sat a friend's Basset Hound, but had to relinquish my duties to another friend after 18 hours-- at that point I was a bleary-eyed, snot-nosed, sniveling, itching, huffing mess that no amount of pills and soap could help. To clarify, to a lesser extreme, this is my typical reaction, though I'm usually able to prevent the brunt of it with washing/avoiding affected areas, and taking a pill beforehand. I do also have recurring patches of eczema, and they are more prevalent now than when I had no dog, but I've learned to deal. With my sheepdog, it's not a problem with the dander. The non-shedding helps in that the dander isn't readily spread, and is only ever bothersome when grooming, but it's nothing a mask, long-sleeved shirt, and shower can't help. I don't wake up coughing, sneezing, and with red eyes. I've even tested out directly rubbing my face into her clean coat (I have NEVER been able to do this with any animal, to my childhood dismay), and I had minimal reaction, if any. It's pretty wonderful! BUT-- and this is a very big BUT-- keep in mind every other thing you're allergic to. Pollen, dust, mold, cedar, ragweed, and anything else that affects you outside. I'm allergic to it all, and have become a (totally necessary) obsessive-compulsive when it comes to prevention. I wash my hands, scrub my nails, wear at least one removable outer layer of clothing; I wear my hair up when I know I'll be exposed so that it's not bringing sundry allergens straight to my face. Think long and hard about that, because every single one of those will be on your dog and consequently in your home after even the shortest of excursions. If you want to keep your dog in full coat, consider all the additional grooming that will be necessary to keep you comfortable. I've chosen to keep my dog in a shorter, easier-to-clean cut, but it still affects me on a daily basis. I have to lay down blankets marked as 'dog-only' on the couch and bed and floors (one side is always kept down, one side always kept up to prevent transfer) so that when the space is free for me to use, I can peel that layer off and not worry about itching and sneezing. My dog was trained at a young age to sit on the blankets and towels I set out for her, always. I wash her on a weekly basis and I use baby wipes in between. I wash my hands and arms after every interaction. This may sound tedious, I'm used to it; it's been a normal routine with every animal I've had, and even without pets, I maintained it every time I went outside, or touched something that'd been outside. So I guess this is my long-winded way of saying that your allergic reactions are inevitable. Plan on them, and live accordingly. If you want an OES badly enough, you can make it work-- but only with a lot of work.  There's no magical breed of dog that will allow you to live without suffering, unless you make the poor guy live in a bubble! |
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