What is the smallest ALD you have seen?

[Diana Erhart]

My darling daughter, is in college and getting her own apartment next year.  She is talking about getting a small dog at some point after that.  We have a mini Australian Labradoodle with a wool coat at our home (24 pounds so maybe closer to a small medium?).  We got an ALD because my husband has severe allergies.  He had previously ended up in the ER with anaphalyctic shock.  We have not had any issues with our Charlie though.  

 

DD wants a small dog (under 10 pounds) when she gets one, but I know that it will end up spending alot of time at our house.  Has anyone ever seen or heard of an Australian Labradoodle that small?  I figure I need to start investigating this way ahead of the time she would actually want to get a dog.  Also, does anyone who has as severe of allergies as my husband have a pure-bred poodle or some other poodle mix that has worked for them?  Would he potentially not be allergic to the poodle since he is not allergic to the australian labradoodle?  Any experiences/advice/knowledge anyone would care to share is greatly appreciated!

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Jane's Murphy was relinquished to the DRC at 11 weeks of age, because although he does not shed, he caused such an extreme allergic asthma reaction in his owner that she had to hospitalized. He is a multigen ALD from a reputable breeder. And he is far from the only ALD we have rehomed because of allergies.

[Melissa & Porter]

I get allergy shots for cats, dogs, mold and dust.  It's not a symptom-fixing side effect-causing treatment.  It is  desensitizing you with small doses of what you are allergic to. (For people like your husband...verrrrry small doses to start.  And you are monitored for a reaction in the office.)

I paid a copay for the testing with a doctor and for my first visit with the shot-nurse.  My health insurance has covered everything else.  There are no side effects and IT WORKS. 

I do not understand why lots of allergy sufferers don't do this.  I can clean out a dusty closet without having streams of mucus coming out of my nose and severe wheezing. 

Maybe your husband could research this, if he hasn't already, to help be sure he is prepared for whatever dog you adopt.  I have an ALD, but we still went to dog training, the dog park and PetSmart, where all sorts of animal dander is floating in the air.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

You and Jackdoodle are on the same allergy treatment, lol. I've been told by his specialist and by a medical doctor that it works better for dogs than for humans, though. Supposedly, it only works over the long term for about one-third of all people who try it, so you're very lucky!

[Melissa & Porter]

Hmmm, well, I guess that is why tons of people don't do it.  But 33% isn't all that bad, and I suspect each person gets a partial hit on what they are allergic to rather than total success or total failure.

 

I had my first experience with shots as a kid.  Pollen and ragweed desensitization were a success and the allergies never came back.  Cats, mold, and dust, obviously since I am getting shots for them now, did come back over time.  But it was a slow build up over decades.  Definitely worth it.