Hypoallergenic Dog Breeds: Fact or Myth?
Content
Many people with dog allergies are looking for so-called hypoallergenic breeds. Hairless dogs or breeds with a specific coat texture are often not suitable for allergy sufferers either. The question is: do hypoallergenic dog breeds exist at all?
What does hypoallergenic actually mean?
The word part “hypo” comes from Ancient Greek and means “under”. “Allergen”, also Greek, stems from the adjective “allos” and means roughly “foreign”. The meaning of the noun stands for a substance that triggers a hypersensitivity reaction in the human immune system, i.e. what we know as an allergy.
In summary, hypoallergenic means suppressing the aforementioned allergic reaction or not triggering it at all.
Allergic to dogs, how does that happen?
A widespread misconception: The less hair a dog sheds, the lower the risk or severity of an allergy.
According to studies, however, only very few people with allergies are actually allergic to dog hair. In fact, there are at least seven different allergens in dogs. These allergens are called «Canis Familiaris» (abbreviated Can F) and are numbered accordingly.
- Can f 1 and 2: Proteins found in dog saliva
- Can f 3: A protein from blood
- Can f 4: Detected in both hair and skin scales of dogs
- Can f 5: A very specific allergen detectable only in intact males (in urine)
- Can f 6: found mainly in dog dander
- Can f 7: a very specific and relatively newly discovered allergen that can be found in skin particles from dogs
The first two Canis Familiaris allergens mentioned are the ones that are most widespread. Thus, the assumption that getting a hairless dog automatically means acquiring a hypoallergenic breed is incorrect. After all, dogs without fur also produce saliva.
Do hypoallergenic dogs actually exist?
The short answer: No. There is no dog in this world that does not carry at least one of the Can F allergens mentioned above.
The detailed answer: Some dog breeds have less Can F 4 due to their coat characteristics, or their saliva containing Can F 1 and 2 adheres less strongly to the environment. These representatives are indeed better suited for allergy sufferers, but only if the trigger is clearly identified.
Further information
Anyone who appears to react allergically to dogs but still wants to get one should undergo a specific allergy test beforehand. This is already offered by various general practitioners (general medicine); if it needs to be more professional, the dermatologist is the right contact person. The important thing here is to specifically ask to be tested for all possible Canis Familiaris allergens.
When selecting an allegedly or apparently hypoallergenic dog breed, it makes sense to come into contact with the dog as often as possible before getting it; then symptoms of the allergy may also appear. If these do not occur, the chances are better that your own immune system reacts compatibly to the dog.
Sometimes allergies only develop over time. For such cases or for those who want to counteract their allergy, desensitisation may be an option.