CANINE ALLERGIES & ALLERGIES IN GENERAL
YOUR DOG CAN HAVE ALLERGIES TOO.....

Are you aware that dogs, like people, can have allergies too?  Not only airborne allergies but allergies to food as well.  Itching of the skin is the most common symptom of a dog with allergies.  Dogs can also cough, sneeze, wheeze and at times their eyes and nose can develop a discharge.   Some allergies can cause vomiting and diarrhea.
Approx. 20% of dogs in the United States suffer from allergies, whether it is atopic dermatitis, flea allergy, inhalant allergy, contact allergy or bacterial allergy.
Atopic dermatitis is a skin disease of dogs that is caused by the dog's immune system.  Their system is hypersensitive to common substances in the environment such as dust mites or molds.

Signs of Atopic dermatitis usually appear within the first two years of a dog's life.  Should you notice that your dog continually licks its coat, chews excessively on its paws, hindquarters or abdomen, it is possible that your dog is showing signs of this disease.  Especially if you do not see fleas on your dog.  Check to see if the ears are reddened and hot to the touch.
One of the hidden signs of Atopic dermatitis is in the armpits, groin, or between the toes of the paws. There could also be saliva staining.  In light colored dogs, it appears as a red-brown staining.  In chronic skin cases, mostly in the abdomen, may change color from a pinkish to an angry red or black mottling.  Goldendoodles can have sensitive skin and come down with skin allergies.  We recommend feeding a Low residue food when and if this should occur.

Flea allergies, Food allergies and parasitic infestations may mimic the symptoms of atopic dermatitis making it difficult to diagnose.  Once fleas, food and parasitic infestations are ruled out then you can have your dog's skin tested for dust mites, pollens and molds.
Many dogs are allergic to fleas.  Many dogs are allergic to flea saliva.  Consistent use of flea control can help remedy this problem.  Sometimes using "Mitaban" or  "Permectin II" in a dip can help if your dog has had contact with bird mites or lice.  Such parasites are difficult to see or find and dogs can pick the mites up in your yard.
Just like humans, dogs can be allergic to pollens....tree, grass and weed.  It doesn't matter what breed of dog you have, all dogs can have allergies.

For more information regarding allergies, you may click on the links below or type in "ALLERGIES" in the search text box shown below.   There are literally thousands of pages of great information regarding allergies on both dogs and humans.  If you are seeking a canine and you are an allergy sufferer,  we do suggest that you speak with your allergist or your dermatologist prior to purchasing any canine.  Breeds that have low shedding work best for allergy sufferers.   Common sense must be exercised when you are a canine owner & suffer from allergies.
About Allergies
Canine Food Allergies
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In October 2004, an article came out through WEBMD  written by Star Lawrence regarding low shedding hybrids.  While we were glad to have assisted her with her article,  she didn't quite get the story correct and there are some errors in what I actually said to her during the interview for the article.    CLICK HERE to find out how our beautiful Goldendoodles began.  We also just ran across a story written by Kenneth Miller regarding Labradoodles and Goldendoodles;   This article was discovered  in LIFE magazine.   No doubt,  the Poodle hybrids are taking off in popularity  on their own due to allergy issues and the shedding issues by those seeking a low shedding dog for their home and family,  but there isn't a breeder on this planet that can guarantee any dog, of any breed,  as a non-shedding...hypoallergenic dog and that will work out for all  allergy sufferers.   I personally am an  allergy sufferer.   I have asthma and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disorder.   As I get older,  my allergies and condition have  gotten  worse.   At the same time,  I also have learned over the years,  things to do and NOT to do where animals are concerned so that I can own any type of dog regardless of their coat or the amount of shedding their coat may have.   Common sense must come into play when someone suffers from allergies but who desires to own a dog.   Not everyone can afford to purchase a low shedding dog from a breeder and some may not want to pay anything for a dog in general...but some breeds,  to include purebreds,  can be located at shelters or human societies for a minimum fee if price is an issue.   There are some purebred dogs such as Lhasa Apso,  Miniature Schnauzers and Poodles who work out well for those with shedding and allergy issues.  Other hybrids such as the Schnapso, LhasaPoo,  Yorkie Poo and many other Poodle hybrids would be considered low shedding and low dander dogs. 

I always warn people to get those red flags flying when they come across a breeder touting words such as "hypo-allergenic",  "non-shedding",  "rare"  or "Miniature Goldendoodles or Labradoodles.   Breeders are NOT allergist.......nor are they genetic specialists or scientific experts. 
Breeders who back-breed their doodle dogs and then claim they are never going to shed and are now hypo-allergenic are using the terms as a sales tactic only.   In 2006,  I personally contacted a handful of Genetic Laboratories and inquired about submitting strands of Goldendoodle hairs so that they could be tested.  I was very much interested in knowing if the Goldendoodle hair strands were "non-shedding" or "hypoallergenic".  I was matter of factly told by all Laboratories that no such test was available, at the time I inquired.   So, it amazes me that if a canine scientific expert could NOT conduct a test that would provide evidence of Goldendoodle or Labradoodle coat hair as being "non shedding" or "hypoallergenic"....where were the breeders proclaiming this notion getting their information  from?    Because of the tremendous amount of  information placed on  doodle breeders' websites and inside of their advertisements  regarding  sizes for the Goldendoodle, allergy issues and  shedding issues,  I personally decided to put out as much information about such issues so that those on a doodle quest would know what the facts were and are.    I have come across many  Goldendoodle breeder sites, over the years,  who claim their inbred  (back-crossed, backbred, linebred and so on)  "doodles" are now "hypo-allergenic" and "non-shedding" creations that are going to definitely work out for everyone.   Unfortunately,  there are too many people in the market for a Goldendoodle who will believe everything that a breeder puts out.    All dogs have dander........but some have less than others.  All dogs shed, but some dogs shed more or less than others.   All Poodle hybrids have a low shedding, shaggy  coat if the other parent dog is a soft coated dog.   Owning a smaller dog does NOT  mean less hair,  less dander and less shedding.    If you suffer from allergies and you desire to add a canine to your family, you should  first consult with  your allergist and then consider owning either a low shedding purebred dog or  a Poodle hybrid if it is found that this type of dog would work out better for your family.   For those seeking a TOY or Miniature Poodle hybrid (and this means any Poodle hybrid that will stay 25 pounds or under) you may want to consider  the Lhasa-Poo,  Yorkie-Poo,   PomPoo,   Schnoodle,   Shar-Doodle,  Maltipoo,  Cockapoo, Schnapso or other such mixtures that are considered low dander and low allergen type dogs.    I am sure there are entirely plenty of other Poodle hybrid types out there or other mixes that are considered low shedding that are  available and  that would be considered "toy" or "Miniature" sized dogs.    Small Poodle hybrids  work out  very  well for allergy sufferers who have small living  quarters or limited  living space.   Because the Goldendoodle and Labradoodle can vary in size per any given litter,  not all Goldendoodles or Labradoodles would work out well  for someone with limited living space and size must be taken into consideration when desiring to own a dog of any kind.     I find it very interesting that some breeders tout they have created the "world's first EVER TRUE Miniature Goldendoodles" or other nonsense with regards to smaller Poodle hybrids.  We have been a breeder for 11+ years and we have seen our Poodle hybrids turn out to be a variety of sizes.  We have also witnessed our Poodle hybrid dogs as being very low shedding.  If you want to know more about the Goldendoodle dog, just visit more of our links.
About allergies in general Allergies in General.