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Hypoallergenic dogs / Hypoallergenic dog breeds are breeds of dogs that, for different reasons, might produce fewer reactions in people who suffer from allergies. If you are allergic to dogs, or have an allergic reaction to dogs, then you probably want to get yourself a Hypoallergenic Dog. I am alergic to dog hairs, which is why the only dog my allergies can tolerate is a hypoallergenic dog.

Hypoallergenic dogs are not 100% allergen-free. Hypoallergenic dog breeds secrete less irritating allergens than many other dog breeds. The significant allergen for most people is a protein found in saliva and dander which is produced by the dog’s sebaceous glands. Hypoallergenic breeds can sometimes need more care than other dog breeds since they are usually smaller and may require frequent grooming.

It should be noted that all dogs shed, and all dogs produce dander and saliva in some degree. There is no such thing as a dog that does not shed. Inhaling dog hair or dog dander, or being licked by a dog, can trigger an allergic reaction in a sensitive person.

Of the 80% of dogs in animal shelters that are not purebred, an unknown number are crosses with breeds believed to be hypoallergenic. Crossbred poodles may or may not be a hypoallergenic dog. In 1989, Wally Conron the originator of the Labradoodle (which was bred in hopes of producing a guide dog that was hypoallergenic), noted that although the first Poodle-Labrador Retriever breeding was a success, he stated “our next litter of ten labradoodles produced only three allergy-free puppies.” It was then concluded that hypoallergenic traits of crossbreed dogs are not as predictable as those from purebred dogs, and the cross bread dogs may shed or have unexpected/undesirable qualities from the dogs in which they are bread from.

List of Hypoallergenic Dog Breeds

There have been many different hypoallergenic dog breed lists that differ in regards to a dog being hypoallergenic or not. There has been no reputable scientific research verifying some breeds as hypoallergenic vs other breeds that are not hypoallergenic. Dr. Thomas A. Platts-Mills, head of the Asthma and Allergic Disease Center at the University of Virginia, explained that for unknown reasons, there are cases in which a specific dog (not dog breed) might not affect an allergic person (i.e. an allergic person may not have any allergic reaction to that breed of dog). Dr. Platts-Mills concluded: “We think there really are differences in protein production between dogs that may help one patient and not another”.

Below is a list of possible hypoallergenic dog breeds, along with reasons for limited allergens. This list is not from a reliable scientific resource, medical doctors, or veterinarians.