Anyone see the article on CNN about Labradoodles?

[Doug and Beth]

They seem to say in the article that it's a gimmick about non shedding or non allergen according to a new study.

 

I tried to paste the link but it's not allowing me

[Doug and Beth]

You may now file hypoallergenic dogs under Things That Are Too Good to Be True. That's the conclusion of a new study by Henry Ford Hospital researchers, which finds that homes with so-called hypoallergenic dogs don't have lower household levels of allergens than those with other breeds. 

Hypoallergenic dogs, which include purebreds like poodles and Portuguese water dogs, along with increasingly popular mixed breeds like labradoodles (the offspring of a Labrador retriever and a poodle), are thought to shed less fur and to produce less of the stuff that triggers allergies, such as dander and saliva. The price tag for these allergy-free pooches usually tops $2,000, but the new study suggests your money may be misspent if you're buying them in hopes of avoiding allergy attacks.

"We found no scientific basis to the claim hypoallergenic dogs have less allergen," said Christine Cole Johnson, chair of Henry Ford Hospital's department of public health sciences and senior author of the study, in a statement.

Read more: http://healthland.time.com/2011/07/08/the-myth-of-the-hypoallergeni...

 

 

Although some previous research has suggested that exposure to dogs during infancy may help prevent children's development of allergies later, "the idea that you can buy a certain breed of dog and think it will cause less allergy problems for a person already dog-allergic is not borne out by our study," Johnson said.

For the study, researchers collected dust samples from the carpets and floors of baby's rooms in 173 homes one month after a newborn arrived home. Each home had only one dog; 60 breeds were involved in the study, 11 of which were hypoallergenic. Johnson and her team tested for the primary dog allergen, Can f 1.

In comparing homes with dogs that were bred to be hypoallergenic to those with other mixed-breed and purebred dogs, the researchers found no significant difference in allergen levels among them. In fact, in homes where parents said the dog was not allowed in the baby's room, allergen levels from hypoallergenic breeds were actually slightly higher than from non-hypoallergenic counterparts; perhaps parents were more apt to bend the rules if they believed their dog was hypoallergenic.

MORE: Why You Shouldn't Snuggle with Your Pooch in Bed

Despite the study's findings, labradoodle-breeder Gail Widman says she has seen many pet-allergic clients take her puppies home with good results. Recently, a family who said their 10-year-old daughter was allergic to dogs found that she had no reaction when exposed on four separate occasions to a labradoodle; they happily went home with a puppy. Widman says another client from Seattle, who had extreme dog allergies, also purchased a labradoodle puppy; he broke out in welts whenever the puppy licked him, but said the dog didn't trigger breathing problems like other breeds did. He later reported to Widman that his allergic reactions to the dog decreased over time.

"It makes an extreme difference for people with allergies," says Widman, founder and president of the Australian Labradoodle Club of America and owner of the Whispering Winds kennel, where she breeds the dogs. In her experience, Widman says, her breed produces less dander than other types of dogs.

The Henry Ford study's authors acknowledge that their study had a few limitations: it did not record how long dogs spent in babies' bedrooms, and its sample size was too small to come to firm conclusions about specific breeds.

MORE: Study: Living With Pets May Protect Infants From Allergies

But ultimately, early exposure to a pet — hypoallergenic or not — may not be a bad thing, if as some studies suggest, exposure in infancy helps safeguard some babies from future pet allergies. For adults who already have full-blown allergies, though, relying on the hypoallergenic label may be no guarantee.

Read more: http://healthland.time.com/2011/07/08/the-myth-of-the-hypoallergeni...

[Adina P]

Well it's true...labradoodles come in a big variety and they aren't all non-shedding.  But the allergen potential depends on the person and what type of allergy they have.  I know someone who breaks out even with poodles....

[Lisa, Daisy & Dexter]

Well this is old news however....Daisy does not shed and I am NOT allergic to her. I am however allergic to every other dog I have come in contact with - granddogs, boxer and boxer/beagle mix, neighbors mutt, Australlian Cattle Dogs. I have always tolerated poodles but not fond of just poodles.

For whatever reason Daisy is perfect for me.

[Jennifer,Chloe & Myla]

I'm allergic to both cats and dogs-Extremely to my cat but he's 13 and no getting rid of him now (not that I would ever) I was not always like this I always had cats and my parents had dogs. I'm fine with my 2 mini goldendoodles so who knows. I thought it was their skin and not the hair that causes reaction along with saliva?

[Adina P]

Allergies are allergies to specific proteins.  It's not typically 'hair' that people are allergic to on dogs but the protein in dander/saliva.  Dogs show shed also shed more dander with their hair.  But I'm not sure why saliva of poodles, for instance, doesn't bother more people.  Allergies are weird and so it's very individual that's why nobody can make a blanket statement about an animal being "hypoallergenic" because it's more than shedding for the most part.

[Ginny Nightingale]

Go to the link uder the article in Doug and Beth's entry and scroll down to read the comments--lots of labradoodle and poodle owners commented that they have NO allergic reaction to their dogs but can't be in the room with other breeds without a reaction--

[Adina P]

Yes and we have a lot of those people on DK too.  I think the point is that the mere fact that a poodle is in the mix of a mixed breed is NOT a guarantee of anything.  When most people hear of "labradoodle" they think lab-poodle cross --- which clearly on its own is far from a consistently non-shedding mix.  But some F1 labradoodles don't shed, lots of higher gen labradoodle don't shed, but even non-shedding dogs can cause an allergic reaction. Most articles on labradoodles are overly generalized and lump all together incorrectly anyway.  But as a general idea it is a myth that simply buying a ----oodle will ensure a person with dog allergies will not have a reaction.

[Jen, Lachlan, and Declan]

You know, I really hope I don't offend anyone by saying this but ... I was kinda glad to see that article. We love our doods to pieces but the hype about them being 100% non-shedding and hypoallergenic, I believe, really hurts a lot of dogs. Sure, they're generally non or low shedding and generally have enough poodle in them to keep the allergens to a minimum, but we're dealing with genetics. With Labradoodles and Goldendoodles it's a given that some puppies will take more after the Labrador or Golden parent coat-and-dander-wise. 

There's a "breeder" here locally who's breeding F1b Goldendoodles, but not breeding back to the Poodle. She's crossing F1's back to Goldens - and still advertising as non-shedding and hypoallergenic. Sure, a certain percentage of those puppies won't shed ... but a certain percentage will ... and I find myself wondering what happens to those youngsters when the shedding starts, how many of them end up at our local humane society or passed to another home because of the shedding? Lachlan comes from this breeder. Looks like he's going to shed a bit, probably not a lot, but I expected at least some when I bought him and I'm okay with that.

Even if he doesn't shed at all, his coat requires a tremendous amount of care if I don't want to shave him. I've found I spend a lot of time when I'm out in public with him educating people about that. Most people really don't understand that these guys don't just naturally stay cute and fluffy and huggable - there's a lot of brushing and bathing involved, a lot of work, to keep them that way. I don't mind that, but again I expected it.

For the sake of these guys that we love, as with any breed, I think education is critical. I feel that I have a responsibility to be honest with people so that, if they do decide they want a doodle, they have realistic expectations for their new puppy. Perhaps that'll be one more puppy who gets to be the wonderful friend and companion we know it can be.

Okay, I'll jump back off my soapbox now ... *sheepish grin*

[Deanna & Desi & Cori]

Well said!

[Kathy, Harley & Roxie]

Jump back up there sister ;-)  Totally agree that education is key.  Any time a dog becomes "popular"  it can bring out the worst in breeding and the advertisement is anything but honest.

[Adrianne Matzkin]

I am standing next to you on your soapbox!

The Doodle Rescue Collective and IDOG can tell you what happens to those who bought in to the non shedding and hypoallergenic myth - they are dumped in shelters or they ask for help in rehoming their doodle! I can't speak for the number of doodles that IDOG adopts out but the DRC has adopted out almost 450 doodles in less than 2 years.

So many see us walking with our doodles and think they 'come this way' - groomed and trained! When I ask if they have the time to do classes and daily training, of course, the answer is no and my reply is 'then a doodle is not for you'. I do tick people off but I don't care. My concern is their potential doodle and not their feelings.

[Jane, Guinness and Murphy]

I'm joining you on the soapbox.  My Murphy was surrendered to the DRC because the original owner had a severe allergic reaction to him.....and he's an ALD who has yet to shed a single hair.  This was devastating to her and her family and very disruptive to Murphy.