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Hypoallergenic dog breeds are those touted as being hypoallergenic; that is, provoking fewer allergic reactions in allergy sufferers. These could be, for instance, asthmatics, or people with other allergic reactions causing rashes and other symptoms.
There are various coat types that are said to produce fewer allergens: single-coated dogs, who do not have a thick undercoat; dogs whose coat continues to grow, like human hair, rather than shedding regularly; and hairless dogs. These breeds usually shed less dander and hair and are, therefore, considered hypoallergenic. However, even hairless dogs can produce enough dander to affect a highly allergic person.
For allergy sufferers, a hypoallergenic pet might enable them to have a pet in their home, whereas most dogs, cats, rabbits, and other fur-bearing animals can make their lives miserable. The proteins that cause allergies are found not only in the animals' fur or hair but also in saliva, urine, mucous, and hair roots and in the dander sloughed from the animals' skin.
Some dog breeds have been promoted as hypoallergenic, such as the Afghan Hound whose coat (hair) does not shed and is the same pH as human hair creating no dander, Maltese, Bichon Frisé, Shih Tzu, Poodle, Soft-Coated Wheaten Terrier, and the Schnauzer. Goldendoodles, Labradoodles and Cockapoos and other Poodle hybrids are sometimes good choices for those who have allergies, some of these dogs do not shed their hair or shed very little. However, no canine is known to be completely nonallergenic.
Cat breeds such as the Sphinx, Devon Rex and Cornish Rex, which lack some or all of the normal layers in cats' fur, are believed by mild allergy sufferers to be significantly less likely to provoke an allergic reaction than other breeds. Siberian cats are also believed by some to have such properties
List of hypoallergenic breeds
Single-coated breeds
Afghan Hound
Basenji
Bedlington Terrier
Bichon (all types)
Bichon Frisé
Bolognese (dog)
Cairn terrier
Coton de Tulear
German Shorthaired Pointer
Greyhound
Havanese
Irish Water Spaniel
Italian Greyhound
Kerry Blue Terrier
Lowchen
Lhasa Apso
Maltese
Poodles (all sizes)
Poodle hybrids
Portuguese Water Dog
Schnauzer (all sizes)
Shih Tzu
Soft-Coated Wheaten Terrier
Yorkshire Terrier
Whippet
Native American Indian Dog
Border TerrierHairless breeds
American Hairless Terrier
Chinese Crested (hairless)
Mexican Hairless Dog (Xoloitzcuintli)
Peruvian Hairless Dog© Televets 2007 Courtesy of Stan Rawlinson, Dog Behaviourist & Obedience Trainer, www.doglistener.co.uk
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