Good Pet for My Son? & Our Family?

[Donnadoodle]

I was blessed late in life with a beautiful bouncing boy. He's now 2 1/2 years old and we had to get rid of my other babies, "the cats" awhile back becasue Devin is allergic to cats ... and we saw a noticible improvements with the cats out of the house ... of course this broke our hearts as we loved the kitties.

So now I'm looking for some type of pet for our allergy ridden boy ... he loves all animals that he comes into contact with and I know that his life would be more full with an animal companion to bond with.

I've heard rumors that Labradoodles don't cause allergy problems. Can anyone confirm this?

Also, just wondering if these would be good dogs for a young child to grow up with ... good friendly family dog

And lastly, how easy are they to train? I've heard horror stories of people unable to get their dogs to use the outside facilities ... ripping up shoes ... bitting chair legs ... etc. What's the scoop on these pups?

Thank you for your time.

Donna

[tuffystar]

Many of the dogs here will destuff their toys and some get in trouble chewing things they should not but we had very little trouble with Tia (at least not as much as we had with other dogs). These dogs are very smart and lovable. People can have allergies to these dogs but not as many. Your best bet would be a F1b. That is a labradoodle bred back to a poodle. Many here will share with you tons of information on this subject. In the mean time do some searches on this site for allergies, training and such. Good luck and welcome.

[Doodlesville]

Hi and Welcome!!!

Doodles are all just wonderful loving family pets, they are being utilized for service and therapy and are wonderful ,even tempered and easily trained,
2 1/2yrs old is a bit young in my opinion for a puppy unless you can be there to supervise 24/7 whenever the pup is interacting with your son,
ALL pups play rough biting jumping scratching , you must train the pup to learn how to interact properly , and your child as well could injure the puppy accidentally,

The best choice is a F1B Labradoodle ,,they are the most likely to be non shedding and allergy friendly
however NO breeder can guarantee you a allergy friendly dog, these are afterall hybrids, it depends per pup ,,where the genes fall in each individual puppy per litter,, just because you are not allergic to one doodle does not mean you wont be to another
you also need to consider what would happen to the pup if your son were allergic, rehoming a dog for something that could have been avoided is heart breaking for all concerned especially the pup

has your son been tested, one can be allergic to cats and not dogs,
also if he has been tested is he allergic to dander or saliva?

I hope this helps some,,, some breeders will tell you anything just to sell you a dog, you really need to do research and get your child tested if you have not already

Hi Donna:

Doodles can be good for people with allergies but it depends on the person and the severity of the allergies. The best type of doodle to get would be the F1B (they have more poodle in them so better for those with allergies). I am not sure where you are located but the annual Doodle romps around the US are in Apr. maybe you could find one in your area to see if your boy is allergic to doodles. If he has no reaction great. If he does you could still look for a F1B breeder in your area that would let you come to the house and meet just one pup that has been bathed and kept seperate from the rest of the dogs and animals to see if your son is allergic. If you can't come to the breeder's house (some do not allow due to diseases being spread to the pups accidentally) then maybe the breeder could meet you in a central location.

As for chewing etc....puppies will be puppies. My motto is a tired doodle is a good doodle. If you give your dog lots of exercise and make sure they are under constant supervision when they are puppies to correct unwanted behavior you should be fine. Maya never really chewed anything but toys as a pup but she was watched constantly and when she attempted to munch on something not appropiate she was corrected and given something appropiate to chew.

As for potty training....again diligence on your part is what is going to train the puppy fastest. Doodles are a pretty smart breed so they catch on quick. Maya had accidents in the house but once I learned her signals there were no more accidents.

Good luck in your search. I know for me there is no other dog that I would want besides a doodle!

[Doodlesville]

a person can be allergic to one doodle and NOT another
it depends on how the genes fall per puppy,,, different in each pup in every litter sometimes!!!!

Originally Posted by Doodlesville

WHAT,,,????
a person can be allergic to one doodle and NOT another
it depends on how the genes fall per puppy,,, different in each pup in every litter sometimes!!!!

Donna:

Please read my post in its entirety as people being allergic to one doodle and not another is covered in the next few sentences after what is quoted. (Stated more clearly....If your son does have a reaction after being at the doodle romp try to find a place where he will be one on one with only the dog/puppy you wish to bring into your home).

Thanks
Heather

[lmtoth2]

Hi Donna-

We got Dexter (F1B labradoodle) because of my husband's allergies - he's fairly allergic to dogs/cats and has not had any reactions. We added Kirby (F1 Irish Setter/Poodle mix) and my husband is also 100% fine with Kirby. We've had both dogs around people with allergies and they have all been fine.

However you can never be certain with the extent of your son's allergies. I would definitely look at F1B doodles as the best chance of your son being ok. I also agree with Heather that I would try to get your son to meet other doodles to see how he reacts. It's never a guarantee because as Nancy said he could be allergic to one and not another, but it at least gives you a better idea.

With your son being young I would find a breeder who will work with you and try to find a more submissive puppy. Maybe look for a breeder who has children so the puppy would be exposed to them young. We don't have kids, but Dex and Kirby have done great playing with neighbors kids (even when they pull their tails)

Good luck.

[MaxandMe]

my son has severe allergies and asthma
i have bad allergies to most dogs and cats too

we have Max a f1 LD and PEANUT a f1 GD......now Peanut the goldendoodle is totally nonshedding
she is also naturally calm with small children to infants naturally

Max was a minimal to moderate shedder but stopped shedding at 1.5yrs old.........NEITHER doodle affected our allergies

only word of caution: when they blow puppy coat you need to sweep daily and vacuum 2 to 3 times a week
and if it gets bad then have dog groomed down to 1in to sto the temporary shedding of puppy coat

your best choice might be a f1b LD or the f1 to f1b GD

[Doodlesville]

It is so funny you should say that annemarie about him stopping shedding at 1.5yrs

I have had 2 F1 Labradoodles that shed worse then a lab for the first 2yrs of their lives then at 2yrs appx Nothing ,not a hair!!!
who figure, kinda like christmas with a doodle

by the way ,, are you off today?(annmarie)

[tuffystar]

Originally Posted by Doodlesville

It is so funny you should say that annemarie about him stopping shedding at 1.5yrs

I have had 2 F1 Labradoodles that shed worse then a lab for the first 2yrs of their lives then at 2yrs appx Nothing ,not a hair!!!
who figure, kinda like christmas with a doodle

by the way ,, are you off today?(annmarie)

Nancy you give me hope. Tia is almost 2 and sheds worse than our lab boarder collie mix! Just for information I want to ask a question of those that know. When a puppy blows their coat could the child be allergic to the new coat? I truly am not knowledgeable in this area, but I thought they out to know.

[Doodlesville]

there are things you can do for that shedding,, what food do you feed?
the vitamins i give reduce shedding even in my lab, the coats are so shiny and soft
https://www.nuvetlabs.com/order/default ... orid=48137
your dog at 2yrs should have its adult coat in,, blowing coat normally happens 2times per year in most breeds

a child could be allergic once the new adult coat comes in , just depends on alot of factors,
do you have allergy issues in your home?? any effect thus far?

[tuffystar]

Originally Posted by Doodlesville

there are things you can do for that shedding,, what food do you feed?
the vitamins i give reduce shedding even in my lab, the coats are so shiny and soft
https://www.nuvetlabs.com/order/default ... orid=48137
your dog at 2yrs should have its adult coat in,, blowing coat normally happens 2times per year in most breeds

a child could be allergic once the new adult coat comes in , just depends on alot of factors,
do you have allergy issues in your home?? any effect thus far?

I have allergies but not to dogs. Cats and the stuff the dogs bring in is what triggers my allergies.

I am starting flax oil and now I am going to look into vitamins. Thanks! Our house looks like black snow all of the time between Tia and Buddy shedding. They shed all of the time not twice a year. Tia is a F1 though. We are still looking for the best food for both dogs. Right now we are using a mid range diet food from petsmart.

Sorry I did not want to hijack this thread.

[Doodlesville]

what brand of food are you using?

[tuffystar]

IAMS weight control for Tia and Nature's Recipe for Buddy. PS maybe we should pm each other because this is not the subject of this post?

[dustt]

maybe a rescue??? - puppies can be pretty wild and I know we have to watch Hamish like a hawk with my 3 year old nephew - not that he would intentionally hurt him - he's just so excited to play with someone closer to his own size!! - Imagine going up to a pony that wanted to jump all over you!! - I imagine that's how it would feel if you were only 30" inches tall and 30#'s against a 50 # doodle!!! you could check the allergic reaction with the specific rescue dog before deciding - but as others have said - I think I'd wait until your son is perhaps a bit older - That being said I never met a group of dogs with sweeter temprements. They do have lots of energy and will eat the stray sock or toy here or there - but what lovers!!!!!! - I'm sure you'll find a good fit for your family and your son!! - Good Luck