[Nik]

Thinking of getting a pure bred red poodle but suffer from fur allergies and have never owned a fog before .. very anxious about it any help would be great fully received .. thank you

 

[PeggyTheParti]

Welcome, Nik! My husband is allergic to most dogs, I'm allergic to some dogs, and neither of us is allergic to our spoo Peggy.

That said, it's impossible to know with any sort of certainty how you'll react. You may be allergic to your puppy, but find your reaction diminishes as he or she matures. Or it could happen the other way, where you don't show any reaction at first, but develop symptoms with prolonged exposure or as your puppy reaches adulthood.

Some of our members have had luck with air purifiers. Regular bathing and grooming can also help, as can keeping your bedroom off limits. But with no guarantees, you'll want to go into it with a plan for how to proceed if your reaction proves intolerable.

Have you spent time with poodles, giving them lots of good scratches, getting a lick or two, etc?

 

[Nik]

Welcome, Nik! My husband is allergic to most dogs, I'm allergic to some dogs, and neither of us is allergic to our spoo Peggy.

That said, it's impossible to know with any sort of certainty how you'll react. You may be allergic to your puppy, but find your reaction diminishes as he or she matures. Or it could happen the other way, where you don't show any reaction at first, but develop symptoms with prolonged exposure or as your puppy reaches adulthood.

Some of our members have had luck with air purifiers. Regular bathing and grooming can also help, as can keeping your bedroom off limits. But with no guarantees, you'll want to go into it with a plan for how to proceed if your reaction proves intolerable.

Have you spent time with poodles, giving them lots of good scratches, getting a lick or two, etc?

Hi thank you so much for getting back to me, I’m just trying to get as much advice on this as possible, to be honest I am super anxious about taking a pup on without the worry of possibly being allergic to it. We are mainly doing this for our 15 year old daughter who struggles massively with anxiety as a kind of therapy dog .
I have never owned a dog before, have absolutely no idea on training etc (fortunately by brother has dogs so have got some help)
so all very scary.. lol
What colour poodle do you have?
We are looking at a pure bred red pedigree poodle
many thanks

 

[Skylar]

I have allergies too - but not to poodles. But that doesn't mean that you will be safe with a poodle.

As PeggyTheParti mentions it's important to get up close and personal with as many poodles as you can to see if you react.

Poodles come in three sizes - the smaller the poodle, the less allergens produced - so you might be fine with a toy poodle, but not a standard.

 

[that_poodle_noodle]

Welcome! 😊 I’m allergic to dog fur as well but have so far been absolutely fine with Noodle (although I have been taking a hay fever tablet once a day anyway because it’s been summer and that probably helps). Before you commit, maybe reach out to a breeder and see if they’d be happy to let you spend some time with the puppies first?

 

[PeggyTheParti]

While colour preferences are perfectly okay, temperament should be your #1 priority for a therapy dog.

Peggy is a black and white poodle aka a parti poodle, who seems to be turning blue as she approaches full maturity.

I think, given your goals and concerns, it might be helpful to connect with a good local trainer, who has experience selecting and training therapy dogs. Poodles are extremely sensitive and do best in a calm, confident household. Working with an expert will give you a better idea of what to expect and set you up for success.

 

[Nik]

I have allergies too - but not to poodles. But that doesn't mean that you will be safe with a poodle.

As PeggyTheParti mentions it's important to get up close and personal with as many poodles as you can to see if you react.

Poodles come in three sizes - the smaller the poodle, the less allergens produced - so you might be fine with a toy poodle, but not a standard.

Thank you so much for your advice really appreciate it , also can you advise on how difficult it is to train a poodle puppy? We are looking at a miniature pure bred red poodle .. many thanks

 

[Dianaleez]

I have a mini pure breed red poodle who's 11+ months old. Poodles are smart, but they're still dogs. Some are more difficult to work with than others. (That's true for children too but we seldom admit it.)

Since your daughter's 15 and the dog is for her, perhaps she could do some of the poodle research. Would she enjoy training a dog? Does she have the patience to house-train her puppy?
How motivated is she?

There are several good puppy threads here. I've learned a lot. Why don't you encourage your daughter to join our forum? We have other young members; she might enjoy talking with them.

 

[Dechi]

I’m allergic to anything with fur and my allergies trigger asthma, from very severe to mild depending on the animal. I am allergic to my toy poodles (I have two). I get skin reaction, itchy eyes, sneezing, runny nose and asthma.

With my toy poodle allergies,the asthma is under control, except in winter when all windows are closed. Which is why I’m having an air exchanger installed. I have no carpets. My dogs don’t go upstairs where I sleep. I also bought a commercial air purifier recently.

Knowing if you’ll have any allergies and how severe they will be is impossible before getting the dog. Which is why I always make sure I can have a trial period for 2-3 weeks and return the dog to the breeder if need be. It’s very hard to do, but easier than rehoming a dog after a year or two. In my case, it takes 2-3 weeks to know if I can tolerate a dog or not. When the new dog comes in the house, I usually have symptoms within a day or two and then it either stays the same or diminishes or it increases as the days go by.

So yes, it can be done, as long as you have a good plan. My pulmonary problems due to allergies are moderate to severe, so maybe it will be a lot easier for you.

I wish you the best.

 

[Nik]

I’m allergic to anything with fur and my allergies trigger asthma, from very severe to mild depending on the animal. I am allergic to my toy poodles (I have two). I get skin reaction, itchy eyes, sneezing, runny nose and asthma.

With my toy poodle allergies,the asthma is under control, except in winter when all windows are closed. Which is why I’m having an air exchanger installed. I have no carpets. My dogs don’t go upstairs where I sleep. I also bought a commercial air purifier recently.

Knowing if you’ll have any allergies and how severe they will be is impossible before getting the dog. Which is why I always make sure I can have a trial period for 2-3 weeks and return the dog to the breeder if need be. It’s very hard to do, but easier than rehoming a dog after a year or two. In my case, it takes 2-3 weeks to know if I can tolerate a dog or not. When the new dog comes in the house, I usually have symptoms within a day or two and then it either stays the same or diminishes or it increases as the days go by.

So yes, it can be done, as long as you have a good plan. My pulmonary problems due to allergies are moderate to severe, so maybe it will be a lot easier for you.

I wish you the best.

Good morning
Thank you so much for your reply , you’ve all been so kind and helpful on here , as you know this is a huge commitment for us both emotionally and financially so want to get it right
I don’t take any treatment for my asthma as it is absolutely fine unless I come into contact with dogs or cats, although the only dogs I really see are either collies or cockers so all dogs that moult a lot . But as you say I won’t truly know until the dog is in my home 24/7
I am going to see if I can find someone locally who has a poodle to see if I can spend time with it and see how I react , I’m also going to contact the breeder of the pups we are going to see to see if she would let me visit a few times before definitely taking one on, I think that’s an excellent idea about having the pup on a trial period and I will ask the breeder about this too ,
Also with your pure bred red pup did you find the pup easy to train and do they have a good temperament? We have never owned a dog before so very anxious about everything. Lol
Thank you

 

[Nik]

I have a mini pure breed red poodle who's 11+ months old. Poodles are smart, but they're still dogs. Some are more difficult to work with than others. (That's true for children too but we seldom admit it.)

Since your daughter's 15 and the dog is for her, perhaps she could do some of the poodle research. Would she enjoy training a dog? Does she have the patience to house-train her puppy?
How motivated is she?

There are several good puppy threads here. I've learned a lot. Why don't you encourage your daughter to join our forum? We have other young members; she might enjoy talking with them.

Thank you so much for your reply , my daughter wants this more than anything in the world and I know would love it but we have no clue on how difficult it is to train a pup or even how long it takes , Ive been speaking to many people about this to try and get as much advice as possible. Also does your poodle have a good temperament, as not sure if the colour affects this? Was it difficult to train ?
thank you

 

[PeggyTheParti]

Your poodle's temperament will be largely genetic. Have you met the dam and sire? Proper early socialization is also very important, especially for a therapy dog prospect. This is definitely something you'll want to speak with the breeder about if you haven't already. Do they regularly place their dogs in therapy homes?

Ideally you'd like some temperament testing done prior to your selection, either to narrow down your choice or to choose your pup for you.

 

[fjm]

You've had lots of good advice on allergic reactions. Coat colour does not really affect temperament - that comes from the parents and early influences, which is another good reason for meeting the pup's mother and father, and asking if you can contact owners of any of their previous offspring.

Poodles are usually highly intelligent and very focussed on their humans. I think you would find Dr ian Dunbar's e-books "Before you get your puppy" https://www.dogstardaily.com/files/BEFORE You Get Your Puppy.pdf and "After you get your puppy" https://www.dogstardaily.com/files/downloads/AFTER_You_Get_Your_Puppy.pdf very useful. I also second the idea of getting in touch with an experienced trainer of service dogs for advice before choosing a puppy. much better to take a little time at this stage than to risk having to return or rehome a puppy you have come to love because the allergies are unbearable, or it is too nervous to help your daughter's anxieties.

eta - Snap, PtP - typing as you posted!

 

[Rose n Poos]

Hi and Welcome!

I understand your desire for a specific color, and for temperament suited to a therapy dog. It sounds like you may have already out a deposit on a pup, or are very close to doing so.

I may have missed it, but I don't think I've seen any mention of this pups sire and dam having been health tested for issues known to affect the different varieties.

This won't help with allergies, but will give some advantage in knowing that any poodle you bring into your home will be as healthy as possible for the years ahead of life within your family.

Here's some links and the tests to ask the breeder for results:

Health Testing Criteria - Parents Are Tested Not Puppies - Additional Testing

Health Related Publications - Versatility In Poodles, Inc.

Versatility In Poodles, Inc.

vipoodle.org

Miniature Minimum Testing Criteria
prcd Progressive Retinal Atrophy (PRA) DNA testing from an approved laboratory
Eye clearance by the Companion Animal Eye Registry (CAER)
Hip Dysplasia evaluation from an approved agency
Patellar Luxation OFA evaluation

OFA Lookup - by kennel name or dog name or registry number - Orthopedic Foundation for Animals

https://www.ofa.org/look-up-a-dog

 

[Dechi]

I am going to see if I can find someone locally who has a poodle to see if I can spend time with it and see how I react , I’m also going to contact the breeder of the pups we are going to see to see if she would let me visit a few times before definitely taking one on, I think that’s an excellent idea about having the pup on a trial period and I will ask the breeder about this too ,

That’s a good start. But remember, even within the same breed and/or litter, you can react differently to different individuals. But that should give you an idea. In my case, spending a few hours with a dog would not be an accurate test. Everyone is different.

Also with your pure bred red pup did you find the pup easy to train and do they have a good temperament? We have never owned a dog before so very anxious about everything. Lol

Color is not an indicator of temperament. The parent’s temperament and the quality of the breeder are what matters (social environment and stimulation). My apricot poodle has a poor temperament, he has generalized anxiety and agoraphobia. In his case he was probably born this way and the environment wasn’t appropriate to help with his development.

You can do a puppy test at six weeks that will give you a very good idea of temperament. I’ve done it and it was very reliable. In fact, my best dog in life was chosen with this test. It needs to be done at six weeks; tell the breeder in advance you will need a few minutes in a separate room to do the test. For a pet, you’d want mostly 3 and 4.

Puppy Aptitude Test

 

[For Want of Poodle]

Agree with all of the above, especially the idea of finding a dog from an experienced breeder that will choose matches based on temperment. And also agree on the unimportance of colour. Red is a fading colour so it is quite possible you may get a red pup and end up with an apricot by age 3 , although not all will fade. A breeder with red pups in a litter might also have other colours, apricots, creams in that same litter. If its a litter of say 6, and there are only 2 reds, and the breeder says that the cream pup is ideal for therapy/anxiety work and of the red pups, one is quite sensitive and the other is too headstrong for a first time owner?? You would be foolish imo to insist on the red, though maybe you could be lucky and a red pup may appear that is ideal for your purposes. Better to choose a breeder you can trust and make colour a secondary or tertiary attribute to avoid disappointment.
There is a lot of variation in temperament in a litter, we had two dogs from a single litter and they were very different in personality and even size and appearance- just like human siblings can be very different. One of them would have been great for a first time home or even therapy work, he loved trips to the nursing home and was calm and very stable, the other definitely not, she was a handful and a half, full of zip and brains.
As for allergies... i am mildly allergic to my poodle, very allergic to other dogs. Mine sleeps with me, so i manage allergies by washing her frequently-every 1 to 2 weeks-, washing linen frequently, and living in a carpet free house. I am mildly allergic to her saliva as well, very allergic to other dogs saliva. Another dog from a less hypoallergenic breed, i could only have it if it never entered bedrooms and, again, was frequently washed and brushed out and i had leather upholstered furniture I could wipe down, no rugs..

 

[Dianaleez]

If your daughter wants a red puppy, then by all means try for one from a good breeder. Health concerns are the most important since we come to love our dogs and want them to be well.

Our little red guy has a great temperament. He came from the breeder's living room and had always been around people. But we've also had success with barn-raised dogs. I think that it's the breeder's attitude toward the dogs that matters. Does she socialize them?

Odds are that your puppy will bond closely with your daughter; poodles are real emotional barometers. Your daughter will need to take her dog to puppy classes where he can be socialized. They'll both enjoy that. Petco and PetSmart often have free classes (preCOVID).

 

[Raven's Mom]

I would just like to interject that poodle puppies are very smart but that does not necessarily equal easy, a fact that I learned the hard way. If you are a first time dog owner, be prepared for a very high energy super intelligent dog. I had collies prior to poodles and although I can’t imagine not having a poodle now, my collies were easier in some ways.

 

[Raindrops]

I have a 1.5 yr old black miniature poodle. He has a perfect temperament for me, though he might be a bit too high energy and excitable for others. Poodles are easy to train in that they have a drive to learn, to play with you, and a moderate drive to please. But they can also be extremely difficult as puppies. They are very smart and learn how to get their way. They are a bit stubborn and often don't care what you want if their desires seem more fun. You have to make what you want the most fun option for them. Many can be extraordinarily mouthy as puppies.

As far as allergies go, it will depend on the person. My boyfriend is allergic to dogs but less allergic to poodles than he is to most dogs. We do not let Misha in the bedroom, keep the bedroom door closed, and I also try to bathe him every week to keep allergens down. We also do not wear our "bed pajamas" out of the bedroom to keep dander from getting in. It has been more manageable. I would expect to have some level of allergies, but also that they might be manageable. If you don't have any allergies to the dog, that's great, but it may not happen.

As others have said, your pup's health and temperament will depend largely on whether it comes from a top quality breeder that completes all recommended health testing and if the pups are raised and socialized well. Red poodles are extremely trendy, so I would be extra cautious choosing a breeder to be sure they are truly breeding quality dogs. Looking for titles on the parent dogs in conformation, obedience, agility etc. help to demonstrate temperament and trainability.