Allergies and OES

We are on a wait list for a "Sheepadoodle" which we are supposed to get in June 2010. We have a wonderful Goldendoodle who is 5 years old. My 26 yr old daughter is a severe asthmatic with allergies. I am contemplating removing my name from teh Sheepadoodle list and seeking out the "real deal" - a purebred OES. My question is: How do people with allergies tolerate OES? I have read they are "85% hypoallergenic". Do they shed much? Are there any allergy sufferers out there who tolerate OES?

Your prompt reply will be greatly appreciated and HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!! :D
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My brother is a severe asthmatic and the OES does not bother him at all. I have many families that have an OES from me that have severe dog allergies and are okay with the OES. What I strongly recommend and what I tell anyone that contacts me for a puppy who has allergies is for your them to visit a breeder of OES and see how they feel. I have had only one person who came for a test visit who left sneezing and stuffy, everyone else was fine. As for shedding, they have hair vs fur so there will be hair in the brush when you brush them and the occasional "tumbleweed" if your OES is in full coat.
I'd get off that list unless it's just a free puppy. Don't spend any money on a trendy mix. If you're just breeding an OES to a poodle, you really don't know what you're going to get. There's no guarantee what traits will end up in each puppy. Really, you could be allergic to one puppy in the litter but not another depending on the background of the parents. I would not put a lot of faith in anyone breeding and selling mixed dogs. Despite what they tell you, a sheepadoodle is not a breed and they don't have many generations to have any sort of consistency in their breedings.

If I were in your place, I'd meet with an OES breeder (or a poodle breeder) and just see how being around the dogs affected me. You're going to have a much better chance dealing with an established breed than the crap shoot of a mix.
a poodle has hypo-allergenic qualities; mix that poodle with a sheepdog and you have ZERO guarantee that the litter will inherit that quality. Trying to mix dogs for "desirable" traits like that is like trying to do the same with people: if you had a blond man and a brunette woman having kids together; will you get children that all have blond hair? Of course you won't. There's alot of false information out there about "designer doodle" mixes; its a great way for less than responsible people to make easy money. You may want to consider getting a pure breed dog with hypo-allergenic qualities if that is a serious concern for you.

Regarding sheepdogs and allergies: my best friend suffers severely from dog allergies. She's usually hospitalized once or twice a year for some allergic reaction or another (pollen here is bad as well; its REALLY bad for her). When we got Tonks and Luna, my friends allergies reacted. She'd be over 3-4 times a week, and play with the pups while she was visiting. We learned pretty quickly that a benedryl helped, and if she played with the pups that she should NOT to rub her face or touch her eyes. However, as time went on, she just stopped being allergic. Around the 6 month age, we noticed that she no longer took Benedryl when she was here, and the dogs could kiss her face and she could play with them with no problems. We've even wondered if maybe when she was allergic, was there more environmental things at play; had the dogs rolled in the yard and brought pollen in with them, that sort of thing.

Here's a thought; why not try getting in touch with your local OES rescue? Meet with some of their sheepdogs; maybe even see if you qualify to foster one. That way you'd have a dog in your home and could see if your daughter has a reaction.

And lastly; Sheepdog coats are pretty high maintanence, as can be poodle coats. WHY would you mix those two and ask for even more grief?!? :wink:

Happy Holidays!!! :lol:
I read an interview with the guy who was supposed to have come up with the idea for labradoodles. It was for a blind lady who's new husband was allergic to dogs. They wanted dog with the lab temperment and poodle hypoallergenic trait.

He said it is pot luck what you get with the pups and that of the 4 original pups he bred, when they tested them only 1 was hypoallergenic. He also mentioned that depending on inheritance many of them still shed too, so you may get a non hypoallergenic dog who sheds hair.

He was upset that he had started the trend as people believe that all doodles are hypoallergenic and this is absolutely not the case.
Mim wrote:
I read an interview with the guy who was supposed to have come up with the idea for labradoodles. It was for a blind lady who's new husband was allergic to dogs. They wanted dog with the lab temperment and poodle hypoallergenic trait.

He said it is pot luck what you get with the pups and that of the 4 original pups he bred, when they tested them only 1 was hypoallergenic. He also mentioned that depending on inheritance many of them still shed too, so you may get a non hypoallergenic dog who sheds hair.

He was upset that he had started the trend as people believe that all doodles are hypoallergenic and this is absolutely not the case.


The Australian Labradoodle is also not just a Lab and a Poodle; at least it isn't at this point. The Australian Labradoodle currently consists of 6 different breeds in its origin. The Confirmed and Approved Parent Breeds of the Australian Labradoodle are the Standard Poodle Labrador Retriever, Irish Water Spaniel, Curly Coat Retriever, American Cocker Spaniel and English Cocker Spaniel. The Australian Labradoodle Club is breeding with the goal of creating a purebred dog in mind, and to that end is working towards multi-generational Labradoodles. They now breed Labradoodles of this 6-breed background to one another; they don't breed Poodles to Labs. The American Labradoodle in comparison is just a Lab mixed with ANY Poodle, Standard, Toy or Miniature, and these dogs are considered to be hybrids, or to put it less politely, mutts. Unless you breed them and want to charge alot; then you call them "designer dogs". :wink:
I have really bad allergies and asthma. I went thru the allergy pin prick tests in October. I'm allergic to around 20 different types of things. I have an Oes and it does not bother me at all. I can brush him and bathe him and have not had any allergic reactions to him

Lisa and Frankie
No dog is technically hypo allergenic. OES seem to irritate allergies less or not at all in a lot of people and as mentioned I would not consider a healthy oes a shedding dog.

I have asthma and am allergic to EVERYTHING, animals, dust, plants etc, and my oes do not bother me. Newborn puppies drive my allergies nuts though. That's due the all the licking the mums do to clean them etc... after a week or two they don't bother me as much.
JG, your daughter needs to be tested for allergies to see what, exactly, she reacts to so it can be avoided.

I have tested positive for 27 different things - grasses, weeds, tres, fungi, mold and dust. I am not allergic to cat or dogs. Allergy shots work very well for me, though I have to restart them every 10 years.

I also groom my dogs and cats, without any issues.
Darth Snuggle wrote:
Mim wrote:
I read an interview with the guy who was supposed to have come up with the idea for labradoodles. It was for a blind lady who's new husband was allergic to dogs. They wanted dog with the lab temperment and poodle hypoallergenic trait.

He said it is pot luck what you get with the pups and that of the 4 original pups he bred, when they tested them only 1 was hypoallergenic. He also mentioned that depending on inheritance many of them still shed too, so you may get a non hypoallergenic dog who sheds hair.

He was upset that he had started the trend as people believe that all doodles are hypoallergenic and this is absolutely not the case.


The Australian Labradoodle is also not just a Lab and a Poodle; at least it isn't at this point. The Australian Labradoodle currently consists of 6 different breeds in its origin. The Confirmed and Approved Parent Breeds of the Australian Labradoodle are the Standard Poodle Labrador Retriever, Irish Water Spaniel, Curly Coat Retriever, American Cocker Spaniel and English Cocker Spaniel. The Australian Labradoodle Club is breeding with the goal of creating a purebred dog in mind, and to that end is working towards multi-generational Labradoodles. They now breed Labradoodles of this 6-breed background to one another; they don't breed Poodles to Labs. The American Labradoodle in comparison is just a Lab mixed with ANY Poodle, Standard, Toy or Miniature, and these dogs are considered to be hybrids, or to put it less politely, mutts. Unless you breed them and want to charge alot; then you call them "designer dogs". :wink:


Probably now. But originally they were lab/poodle then poodles back into labradoodles.

This is a link to the Aust. Labradoodle Association's version of the history

http://www.laa.org.au/ala-lab/history.htm
weird; the Australian Labradoodle Club says differently:

http://www.australianlabradoodleclub.us/about/about.htm
Darth Snuggle wrote:
weird; the Australian Labradoodle Club says differently:

http://www.australianlabradoodleclub.us/about/about.htm


With all the backlash towards the doodle trend, a spot of revisionism probably seemed like a good idea :wink:

Frankly, a serious effort to produce a genuinely new breed (not just perennial crosses so you can charge extra for the cute name :wink: ) for the use as service dogs I could respect. But I wouldn't want doodle in the name :lol: :lol:

And what Willowsprite said about hypoallergenic dogs. No such breed, but some breeds do appear to produce more individual dogs that more of the people who are allergic to dogs react less to. It still comes down to the individual dog, so fostering for rescue, however much needed (!! :D ) doesn't do anyone much good as a test of the breed as a whole - you still have to see if the person is OK with a specific dog. Which means ADOPTING from rescue is a definite possibility. Unless they want a puppy. Then go with a reputable breeder and see if that person is amendable to working with them to making sure the girl can tolerate the puppy.

There are people who are allergic to OES, including a local breeder 8O . She works around it, but I imagine most people would prefer to live with a dog who doesn't adversely affect them in any way.

Kristine
I could be wrong but I believe most people allergic to "dogs" are actually allergic to dander. Again, not sure but I think dander is from fur, not hair. OES do not shed because they ahve hair and thus should be less allergetic to those with allergies. But agian, not completely positve. May be something I will research when I get some free time.
Ashley wrote:
I could be wrong but I believe most people allergic to "dogs" are actually allergic to dander. Again, not sure but I think dander is from fur, not hair. OES do not shed because they ahve hair and thus should be less allergetic to those with allergies. But agian, not completely positve. May be something I will research when I get some free time.


Actually people are usually allergic to dander and saliva. Dander is dried/dead skin. The reason breeds who shed less are not as allergenic is because less skin is usually flying around attached to hair follicles, however I've seen some poodles, and oes, with pretty dry skin that would definitely set off allergies for those allergic to dogs.
For me it's the saliva, which is why when a dog is in labor and licking herself a lot, or once pups are born and mum is licking them constantly, my allergies go nuts.

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000814.htm
Also some people arent allergic to dogs at all. They just appear to be as they're actually allergic to dust and hariy critters who lie around on the ground are often pretty dusty. :wink:
Darth Snuggle wrote:
weird; the Australian Labradoodle Club says differently:

http://www.australianlabradoodleclub.us/about/about.htm


Well I guess we've just proved out point.

When you get a designer (multi pedigree) dog you dont really know what you're getting. :D
Mim wrote:
Darth Snuggle wrote:
weird; the Australian Labradoodle Club says differently:

http://www.australianlabradoodleclub.us/about/about.htm


Well I guess we've just proved out point.

When you get a designer (multi pedigree) dog you dont really know what you're getting. :D


What are you guys looking at? Both of those say virtually the same thing-- there's no major disagreement. Breed started out as a lab/poodle cross until the 80s when people started bringing in more breeds to create the modern Australian Labradoodle.

I think the smartest thing that they could have done was just give the breed a different name. It's misleading to people that think any Lab+ any Poodle= hypoallergenic wonder dog.
You're right they say nearly the same thing and you're right most people think they're getting a lab/poodle cross and that they are low allergy.

And most of the labradoodles I've met here are simple lab/poodle crosses because someone got a lab and a poodle together. I'm amazed that the half dozen or so at our park all cost in the vicinity of $2000 for effectively BYB dogs. They're nice dogs mostly but 8O

I have to say I've never actually met one of the doodles with all the other breeds thrown in. I'd like to though.
My sister was in the hosiptal yesterday because of the dogs I wouldn't get one with out being around one for a day or two. Lots of dogs end up in shelters because of people with allergies (among other things) but I have heard many a dog being in a shelter because someone is allergic.

Both my Dad and sister are messed up because of the dogs.
:cry: next year they will be in a kennel for Xmas :cry: :cry: I felt so bad. She had a cold but it put her over the edge.
Oh that's bad news.
Maybe she could take antihistamines when at your place to reduce the allergies. Having the dogs at a kennel will help but there are still plenty of allergens in the house long after they're gone.
I hope your sister is lots better now.
I brought the dogs home and she was drugged to the gills. I felt so bad for her. I love having the dogs with me but I cannot have my family sick. Just want people to realize it is different for everyone. Just because it says hypoallergenic isn't necessary true for all. I know I am like two weeks later I have been on vacation for 13 days :lol:
We have two very allergic/asthmatic children, and our 6 month old OES does not bother them. Before we made the decision, we went and visited a breeder and spent quite a bit of time with her puppies. We also went to a dog show, but that wasn't a great idea as there were so many other, very allergenic dogs around. I do think you need to have your daughter spend some time with some OES. And just as an aside, I am hardly allergic to any dogs, but my friend has two labradoodles and I am horribly allergic to one of them. Go figure.
Kate
I think that you should see if your daughter could go and 'hang out' with the breeder and the dogs for a few hours. That way she may have a better indication as to if she would be able to handle having a Sheepadoodle. You can never be 100% sure.

Our vet and groomer have all come to the same conclusion that they believe that our Old English Sheepdog mix is with a standard poodle. Yes, they believe that our new addition to our family...Quigley, is a Sheepadoodle.

Why I bring this up, is that if he truly is a Shhepadoodle and that people are allergic to the dander, then Quigley would be an 'allergey' dog, based on the fact that when the sun is just right, he looks like pig-pen with dust flying off his coat. We have been keeping them short so I think that helps with the shedding and dander.

I have had severe allergies and asthma for over 25 years and have yet to have a problem with our full-bred OES Maggie and our mix Quigley. I guess it just depends on your triggers.
It wouldn't even have to be a breeder as sometimes they are a distance away. I'm sure if you have an OES owner close they would be happy to have you visit, them visit you, or meet at a neutral spot.
Please do NOT even think about sheepadoodles. We did exactly that because of allergies and we lost our baby, Winston, at eleven months as he could no longer walk. Little did we know, he was in pain from birth and slowly lost his cartilage in his elbows. all his bones were the wrong shape. No-one could fix him; not even Fitzpatrick Referrals!! Anyone messing with pure breds should be shot. These breeders do not care about either breed and are messing with nature - just to make money.
Please do NOT even think about sheepadoodles. We did exactly that because of allergies and we lost our baby, Winston, at eleven months as he could no longer walk. Little did we know, he was in pain from birth and slowly lost his cartilage in his elbows. all his bones were the wrong shape. No-one could fix him; not even Fitzpatrick Referrals!! Anyone messing with pure breds should be shot. These breeders do not care about either breed and are messing with nature - just to make money.
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