Doodles are hypoallergenic, right?
Many people are drawn towards Goldendoodles, Bernedoodles, and other doodles because they’ve heard that the doodle hybrids are “hypoallergenic”. Since many people suffer from dog allergies, the allure of having a dog without the allergies sounds like cool water to a parched mouth. Our daughter’s dog allergies was one of the reasons that drew us towards Goldendoodles and Bernedoodles. However, many Goldendoodle and Bernedoodle breeders are over leveraging this concept, claiming that their dogs are “100% hypoallergenic”. Let’s unpack this idea of Doodles being hypoallergenic, and where the truth might lie.
First, let’s talk about what causes allergic reactions to dogs in the first place. These reactions are caused by proteins that the dogs secrete, which ends up in the animal’s dander, or dead skin cells. When someone with a dog allergy encounters this dander, their immune system reacts to these proteins. This leads to the scratchy skin, watering eyes, and other less-than-desirable experiences. While dog dander is commonly encountered in fur, it also catches a ride in the dog’s feces, urine, and saliva (hint: remember this for later).
Since a lot of a dog’s dander is experienced through it’s fur, dogs that shed less - and its significantly less for Goldendoodles and Bernedoodles - tend to dramatically reduce the exposure to dog dander. This can cause people to call doodles “hypoallergenic”; people who couldn’t be in the same room as a dog, can now freely pet a doodle with an unbridled heart.
However, the allure of an “allergy-free doodle” may be only myth.
This is because dog dander also exists in their saliva, poop, and urine (let’s hope that you encounter the saliva through a dog’s lick, more than getting the other two on your skin). Since these also contain dog dander, they can still lead to an allergic reaction, even though the dog might be low shedding. For instance, our daughter has reacted to petting some dogs, and reacted to the saliva of other dogs. In light of this, we don’t claim any of our Goldendoodles and Bernedoodles are hypoallergenic, because there’s more to canine allergies than just fur exposure. There also are significant differences between individual dogs - and doodles - who might have the same shedding profile. Again, our daughter would react differently to different dog’s salivas.
So if someone is thinking about getting a Goldendoodle or Bernedoodle puppy from us, there are a few different ways to explore whether they would be a good fit. It’s important to us for people to find a puppy that could make all of their dog-snuggling dreams come true, and want to do what we can to ensure it’s a good fit.
If you are curious about our Bernedoodle and Goldendoodle puppies, come on our High Desert Doodle Voyage, and check out our approach to Goldendoodle and Bernedoodle health-testing.
Thank you for being here!
Erin and Jay