pit bulls and human allergies

[dina]

a friend contacted me interested in adopting a pit and wanted to know if they are 'hypoallergenic' while i'm not sure any dog is, i know some breeds are certainly better than others. anyone have any experience with allergies and living with a pitty? she also asked if they shed - i think it's pretty sweet that my pibbles hardly shed at all - that's got to be an attribute for people with allergies

i love when friends contact me via fb interested in the breed and adopting. nothing has come to fruition so far, but i'm working on it

[jkhafre]

I am actually allergic to dogs! When I had Menkaura, I took a ton of medication so I could breathe, I refused to allow a stuffy nose stop me from having animals. Since Jackson has been here, my breathing is actually okay, he sheds way less than my Rottie did. I swear, I would sweep my floors twice a day and there was always enough fur to make another Rottie each time, it was crazy.

Some friends of mine have a standard poodle and they got her because one of them is super allergic to dog fur but something about the poodles fur does not bother the allergies for some reason?

[Kathy]

I refused to allow a stuffy nose stop me from having animals.

I love the way you think Jacinda!!

[Julia9802]

I have allergies to long haired dogs; Rotties & GSD's specifically. Boxers & Pitties have short coats and not much undercoat, this makes for less shedding, and less of an allergic reaction.

While they are not a hypo-allergenic dog, they are pretty darn close.

[meg]

Pit bulls can be better than a thick coated breed for folks with allergies, but they are certainly NOT hypoallergenic. My husband is allergic to dogs (and cats, and everything else on the planet, literally). Ruby came home as a foster dog and as an experiment. She didn't bother his asthma enough to give him an asthma attack, but she did give him HUGE hives/welts on his bare arms when he played with her. That reaction got better over time, and now he just gets occasionally itchy. I told him that hives weren't life threatening, so we were good to go! Ed takes daily allergy meds, and was on immuno-injections for years as well...

My husband's brother is allergic to dogs as well, and after a while of hnaging out with Ruby, she makes him stuffy and makes his eyes water - HOWEVER! he doesn't take any allergy meds, even though he loves to cuddle Ruby AND he knows that the allergy meds will STOP the reaction. Did I mention my brother-in-law can be a dumbass?

[KatieB]

Originally Posted by Julia9802

While they are not a hypo-allergenic dog, they are pretty darn close.

I have to disagree - my friend is allergic to most dogs. She adores Draego but within 30 seconds of touching him, she is broken out into hives all over her arms and face. They go away after a couple of hours though, so it's not too bad.

[meg]

Originally Posted by KatieB

I have to disagree - my friend is allergic to most dogs. She adores Draego but within 30 seconds of touching him, she is broken out into hives all over her arms and face. They go away after a couple of hours though, so it's not too bad.

Katie - Ruby's hive-giving ability was greatly reduced after she went raw... just something to think about!

[JennR]

Originally Posted by jkhafre

I am actually allergic to dogs! When I had Menkaura, I took a ton of medication so I could breathe, I refused to allow a stuffy nose stop me from having animals. Since Jackson has been here, my breathing is actually okay, he sheds way less than my Rottie did. I swear, I would sweep my floors twice a day and there was always enough fur to make another Rottie each time, it was crazy.

I know what you mean, Jacinda! I vacuum twice a day with Roxy! I find Roxy hair everywhere!! Stella barely sheds at all, though.

[JennR]

Originally Posted by KatieB

I have to disagree - my friend is allergic to most dogs. She adores Draego but within 30 seconds of touching him, she is broken out into hives all over her arms and face. They go away after a couple of hours though, so it's not too bad.

Yeah, I have two friends who are allergic exclusively to short-haired dogs like pibbles. Roxy doesn't bother their allergies at all, but they'll get red bumps almost immediately when they pet Stella. And Stella is on raw...

It really just depends on what kind of allergies one has.

[jenny]

Poodles, bichons, and some mostly smaller breeds are hypo-allergenic. Difference is they have HAIR and not FUR. Usually the pups that you have to get groomed - their hair grows like ours. I grew up with all ankle biters as my brother has major allergies. He was over a few weeks ago and Jenny sneezed IN HIS eye - needless to say his eye looked like it was bleeding. Terrible!

[sybil]

My husband is allergic...but the allergies have gotten better over time and continued exposure. My Dobe shed way worse than Monty and Zoe put together!
Maybe your friend could babysit for a weekend and see what happens?

[colleenstr]

Wheaton terriers, poodles and some non shedding dogs are what many people go for that have allergies... everyone is different.. I think its trial and error with people..

[meg]

It really is trial and error - my friends bought a cockapoo, in part because they were told he would be hypoallergenic. Yeah, right. The first few times Ed had him on his lap, he had a nasty allergy attack. Repeated exposure has made it better, but still...

[steph]

I have to agree with Jenn - it depends on the allergies. I'm not allergic to dogs but when we first got geisha I would get a red, itchy rash when she licked me. She was a pittie mix and I never had it happen with any other breed of dog. Eventually it got better but after she passed and I wasn't around pitties for a while it started again when we got monkey and he licked me. Now I don't react at all since I take all the puppy loving I can get.