Share on Pinterest For many people with allergies, owning a dog or cat can be difficult. Even visiting friends or relatives who are pet owners can be extremely challenging. Pet dander can be a severe trigger for allergy symptoms. If you’re allergic to pet dander, you may have watery eyes, sneezing, wheezing, or even hives. The Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America reports that as many as 30 percent of Americans have some kind of pet allergy. They also note that it’s more common to be allergic to cats than dogs. However, people with pet allergies can successfully become pet owners if they take a few precautions. One of these precautions is to choose a dog breed that’s mostly, if not completely, allergen-free. “Hypoallergenic breeds” gained attention in 2009 when the First Family adopted a Portuguese water dog. But are any dog breeds completely hypoallergenic? The science indicates that how a person reacts to canine dander depends on the individual circumstances and not on any particular breed.

Choose a suitable breed There isn’t a breed of dog that is 100 percent hypoallergenic. There are breeds that have what the American Kennel Club (AKC) calls a “predictable, non-shedding coat.” These breeds tend to be more suitable for people with allergies because they don’t shed. As a result, they create less skin dander. The dander is the main element in the dog’s hair that causes people to have allergy symptoms. The breeds the AKC suggests for people with allergies include: Afghan hound

American hairless terrier

Bedlington terrier

Bichon frise

Chinese crested

Coton de tulear

Schnauzer (giant, standard, miniature)

Irish water spaniel

Kerry blue terrier

Lagotto romagnolo

Maltese

Peruvian Inca orchid (hairless)

Poodle

Portuguese water dog

Soft coated wheaten terrier

Spanish water dog

Xoloitzcuintli It’s important to avoid so-called “designer dogs” when you’re researching dog breeds. These dogs are usually poodles mixed with other breeds. The coats of these hybrid breeds are less predictable than those of pure breeds. Also, it’s unclear whether there’s any significant difference in the levels of allergen produced by any of the breeds listed above.

Be wary of claims It’s easy to be confused by conflicting information about allergy-free breeds. Some sources may overstate claims of allergy-free breeds. Again, no breed of dog is completely allergy-free. Also, depending on the source, there’s a wide variety in the breeds noted as being allergy-friendly. There’s a great deal of evidence that shows clear differences in dander and allergen levels from one animal to another (dogs and cats, for example). However, no one has ever been able to determine clear differences between the breeds of any one animal. The list provided by the American Kennel Club includes breeds with non-shedding coats, which produce less dander. However, they all still produce some dander, and no study has proven whether the dander of one breed is less allergenic than another. Individual dogs may have more or less dander and be more or less allergenic, depending on their genes or other factors. But a dog’s breed isn’t a reliable indicator of how allergic a person may be to any given dog.