On Sat, 17 Jan 1998, Theresa McJunkin wrote:
>I have a friend with 4 poodles who says poodles do not cause the dog hair
>allergies that all other breeds cause because their "wool" is different
>somehow and also they don't shed - a great thing, if it'll be an indoor
>pet.  The trade-off is they require a little more grooming.

My family used to breed poodles...I personally love the breed, and am
one of their strongest defenders against the common misperception of
a properly-bred poodle being a 'frou-frou' dog...

That said, I hasten to add that while poodles CAN be good for SOME
people with allergies, perhaps even MOST people with allergies, there
is never a 100 percent guarantee....while poodles don't shed fur,
they, like all dogs, DO have 'dander', basically old skin cells which
flake off, and some people with allergies find they're allergic to the
dander rather than the fur...

Sometimes people's allergies are really to the shampoos and other
grooming aids used on a dog's (not just poodle) fur

Other breeds which people with allergies may consider are the Bichon
Frise, wire-haired Fox Terrier, Irish Water Spaniel (has a coat
similar to a poodle's), and the Mexican Hairless Chihuahua...

Also, keep in mind a SMALL dog will shed less than a larger one, and
is also easier to bathe/groom...

As for poodles, if they are not show animals, there's no reason to
keep them in the labor-intensive show coats...our pets-only poodles
were kept in an easily-maintained 'zip cut' known as
'town-and-country', basically shaved with a set of clippers for the
length of their body and their tail (except the tip), and the legs,
tail tip and topknot 'scissored', e.g. they had some substance, but
were kept short and groomed...such a cut is easy for even the owner to
maintain, with just a good set of clippers and a good set of barber
shears...especially easy if the dog is a toy or small miniature
size...even an allergic person should be able to do a weekly or biweekly
'scissoring' of the topknot & legs, as the nature of the fur is such
that it tends to 'clump' together and doesn't float thru the air like
the shorthair breeds' does...


June  ;-)