Allergies AND Breeder in NJ vicinity

[Ariadnes Thread]

Hi, we live in northern NJ, and are looking for a doodle breeder. My husband is both allergic to dogs, and a dog lover. Though his allergies have improved somewhat over the last decade, he is still sensitive enough for most dogs to be a problem for him. We've known about doodles for a few years, and have been reading as much as we can about them. I hear many stories of people with allergies living successfully (and medication free) with doodles. I'd love to find a good breeder in NJ or the surrounding states. I'd also love to hear from any of you who are living with both allergies and doodles, and how it has been for you.

Please send me a PM with specific breeder information.

Thanks!

[Jac]

Hi! Welcome to the forum!

I added a little note at the bottom of your post...we try to make sure that specific breeder information is send privately, so check your menu (above) and see if you have private message, if you do, click on it and you can read and respond to the message. You should also get an email about the private message. I will send you a PM about breeders in your area.

My husband has horrible Asthma and allergies to dogs, cats, most all animals. He uses inhalers and takes medication. He has had this problem since he was a child, he is now almost 60! So we know what it is like to suffer from allergies!

We were not certain whether or not he could be around Doodles but we were lucky! He lives with many of our Doodles and Poodles and loves on them daily without any negative reaction. I must caution you, however, that his sister is VERY allergic to our dog...but I think it is probably the dust they bring in and not the dogs...still, she can't be around them at all.

So, my point is that whether or not a Doodle will help with allergies, it just depends on the type of allergies that your family has.

What we did, when we wanted to find out, we drove to the breeder's home, rented a hotel room where they did not allow dogs and we stayed in the room over night to be sure that my husband was not allergic to anything in the room. The breeder gave the pupies a bath in fragrance free shampoo and brought them to us for a visit.

My husband snuggled with them and cuddled with them and got lots of puppy kisses and had no bad reaction! Still, we knew that he COULD get a reaction any time so we were aware of the possibility and ready to deal with that if it happened.

I believe that many times people think they are allergic to Doodles when they may be allergic to the shampoo used on the dog, or to the dander brought in from playmate dogs/cats, or from dust and pollen brought in on the dog's coat...so I suggest that if you get a Doodle, you brush it regularly and be aware of the dog's playtime so that you can judge the issue in all aspects.

Another thing to consider...how about getting a Poodle? I did not EVER want a Poodle...they were too prissy and foo-foo...but we learned that if you don't groom the Poodle, it looks very much like a Doodle! Many times people have asked me if we are selling our brown Labradoodle...but he is our standard Poodle! And, he has the most mellow, gentle, loving nature! He is very special...Here is his picture:

[attachment=1:3guthgyu]Chase.jpg[/attachment:3guthgyu]

[attachment=0:3guthgyu]Chase resized.jpg[/attachment:3guthgyu]

One of the worst things you can do (for your family and the dog) is to take a dog and bond with that dog and THEN find out that you can't live with the allergies...and you have to rehome him. That has happened to families that I know of.

So, if there is any way to test it out...I'd do it...or I'd look for a Poodle.

[Ariadnes Thread]

Hi, and thanks so much for your response. It's funny, I've always been poodle averse, too. I grew up across the street from two standard poodles, and though I could bond with an earthworm if I held it in my hand long enough, I could never warm to those dogs. Looking back on it, I think it had more to do with the owners than the dogs. They were just spoiled rotten, and it left me with an unfortunate prejudice. I'm getting over it, though We have always had dogs, despite my husbands allergies. Our dogs have had their own living space attached to our home, but accessible only through the basement and the back yard. It's been fine for the past 25 years as we've always had multiple dogs, plus, my husband and I both work from home. He has a woodshop with very good air scrubbers, so my husband actually spends a good part of his days with our dogs. We also have two outdoor loving daughters. So, although our dogs have never been able to come into the living quarters of our home, they've led very family-oriented lives. Where many people leave their dogs on their own during the day while they work, we're with our dogs all day, with lots of visits in the evening, and they're basically only on their own for about 7 or 8 hours overnight. However, we just lost our last dog in mid-December from old age. We've decided we'd really like to have a dog that can come inside, but who really likes being outside, since we spend so much time outdoors all year round. And so we've arrived at a poodle cross, heavy on the poodle. I should also say that most of our dogs have been labs, or had a lot of lab in them, and we LOVE their personalities. This is another reason we're leaning towards a doodle over a pure poodle. There are a lot of doodles in our area, so my husband will have a chance to see how he responds to them. I think, from what I've read, and from what you shared, that it will be important to visit the specific breeder we decide on, and see how my husband does with the parents of any puppy we might bring in to our home. It is a big decision, and I agree, I would never want to put either ourselves, a puppy, or the breeder, for that matter, through the process of re-homing a puppy we've fallen in love with. My daughters are 3 and 6. This wouldn't go over well at all! I would welcome any breeder recommendations of doodles and poodles, if you know any of the latter.

Please PM me with any information regarding breeders. Thanks! (And thanks for the advice about adding the PM bit )

[Ariadnes Thread]

Chase is beautiful, by the way! And you're right, without the frou frou clipping, he does look like a doodle

[Lucky Me]

Welcome!

It's funny, I've always been poodle averse, too.

So was I! Then I went to work in a grooming shop that was owned by a poodle breeder.
With 30 dogs, it didn't take long to figure out that they all had different personalities.
In no time at all I owned 2 of them!!
I have also owned Labs so when I discovered Doodles, it didn't take very long for me to talk my husband into one.
Someone correct me if I am wrong, but if you get a doodle with a poodley type coat (wool-fleece), I think that you will do better with the allergy thing.
I sold one pup to a gal with allergies and this type coat worked for her.
They truly are a VERY special dog!

[Jac]

Sounds like you know exactly what you are looking for! Good for you ... doing the research and having dogs in your life certainly makes the decision easier. I always get worried that we push the Doodles so much that people with allergies think that there is something magical. LOL Well, there is magic...but it is in the way these dogs grab our hearts and don't let go!
I am so very sorry that you recently lost your dog...it is a loss that hurts, deeply.
I forgot to give you the references! I'll PM you now as soon as I can put them together!

Judi...I like your story...I wondered why you are so experienced with Poodles! Yes, a wool coat might be best for allergies, although our F1 girls have never bothered Dave...even our Labby looking pups that shed! We have been so lucky.

Ariadne...my husband now says that there is nothing wrong with the Poodles, it is just Poodle owners who have problems! LOL Seems we are discovering the same things.

Okay, check your PMs...I will get some info to you in a few minutes.

[utchuckd]

I have allergies to which is why I went with a doodle. While I do have a little reaction to him, it's not that bad unless I get right down with him and love on him, and if I take a claritin a day I'm pretty much fine. Also if I were to give him more regular baths, and dust and sweep a little more I could prolly control it better (especially in this cold when we're cooped up all the time!). I think it comes down to reaction with indiviual dogs, so try it out and find one you love!

[MaxandMe]

my son has severed allergies and then asthma too
I have bad allergies as well.

Max is f1 Labradoodle the scruffy loooking kind and we do well w/his allergies only time it bothers me is in spring when he loses
his undercoat and will shed........OFF to the groomer for a best shot shampoo and coat king treatment and we're fine
and shedding is gone.

Peanut is a f1 Goldendoodle that doesn't shed but will lose undercoat in spring.......we get her shaved down

OH Max is 3.5yrs old and Peanut 3yrs now..........so we've had quite a bit of time to see about allergies.

i can ONLY take flonase ............i am fine with both dogs, my allergies are fine with them and i am soooooooo happy!!!
my son if totally fine too which makes it great as these are awesome dogs.

MY family was averse to std poodles........now after having doodles they ask when we might get a 3rd dog that's a poodle on the
smaller side I grew up with a std poodle that was NOT a Fru fru dog nor spoiled rotten he loved romping
outside with me and they just had him clipped down every so often.

now put me near a lab or german shepard...........and ohh my allergies go nuts.

[KingstonTodd]

Hi, and welcome. I dont know any NJ breeders, so no direct help in your doodle search. But, feel free to PM any of the breeders/moderators here to ask any specific questions, especialy once you narrow your search down to a few breeders. We may know them or of them, but just not know they are in the NJ area, since most of us know each other online.

About allergies, it really depend on what type (or generation) of doodle you get. Very generally, the higher the generation, the better they are for allergies but there is no guarantee. For example, we have 3 F1 (first generation) labradoodles. My best friend is allergic to one of them and not the other two. He is NOT allergic to his standard poodle or his inlaws first generation goldendoodle. So, in an F1, is rather random if you will have a reaction or not. We breed F1b's (a second generation labradoodle, made by labradoodle x poodle) and they are anecdotally better with individuals with allergies There is still no guarantee. We just recieved an email from a family that they are rehoming their doodle they got from us because the husband is allergic to the adult coat, while he had no reaction to the puppy coat and he spent hours testing that out before we agreed he could adopt the puppy. I can't comment on Australian Labradoodles on this issue, other than to say that their breeders say they are better for allergies, but I dont have any experience to pass on first hand. I understand peoples misconceptions about standard poodles, but they are a wonderful option for allergies if they not cut all froo froo. There does seem to be a difference in "poodle people" and "Doodle people" in terms of their owners personalities,

[Ariadnes Thread]

Thanks everyone, for your responses. If anyone has breeder recommendations in NJ, NY, Conn, or PA, please feel free to PM me with your suggestions.

I'm looking forward to learning as much as I can from this forum. You all are providing a wonderful service