Asthma Patients and Puppy Love
In recent weeks, hypoallergenic dogs have gotten quite a bit of attention due to comments made by President-elect Barack Obama. Apparently, Obama promised his daughters they could get a dog when they moved into the White House, but since daughter Malia has asthma, he mentioned they'd need to go the hypoallergenic route.
However, this has brought to light a slew of skepticism over whether or not certain dogs actually are better for people with allergies. Newsday, for example, recently ran an article saying Obama might want to consider a goldfish because hypoallergenic dogs don't exist.
Say It Ain't So Hypo...allergenic Dog
Over ten years before the recent Obama-fueled craze, the New York Times ran a pretty thorough piece that basically said that the idea of safe breeds is just wishful thinking and that while some patients can coexist with specific dogs, it's inaccurate to assume every patient will respond similarly to a specific breed.
As many as three dozen breeds are said to be hypoallergenic, but much of that seems based on rumors that aren't really true (i.e. the dog doesn't shed). Nevertheless, there's a list of all rumored dogs on the ever-reliable Wikipedia for those who are interested.
Despite the skepticism, evidence does suggest that certain breeds do work for certain people. No dog is 100% hypoallergenic, but the American Kennel Club (AKC) suggests 11 breeds for people with allergies to consider. Since everyone responds differently to each breed, it could just be a matter of finding the right match between allergy patient and man's best friend.
It May Be Hypoallergenic, But is It Cute?
Obviously, finding the right match should be the major concern for people looking for hypoallergenic dogs, but adorableness will undoubtedly play a factor since few people want a dog that isn't cute.
Many of the "rumor dogs," such as the Affenpinscher and the Havanese are cute, but I'm going to just concentrate on the AKC 11.
When looking at these breeds, the one thing that jumps out at you is how odd looking half of them are.
The Bedlington Terrier is definitely a strange one, and judging by photos seems to often resemble some sort of sheep-lemur-dog hybrid. However, it apparently comes in multiple colors, which children should enjoy.
The Portuguese Water Dog would be pretty conventional looking, if not for occasionally having different colored chest hair or an oddly shaved back half. Meanwhile, Kerry Blue Terriers and Schnauzers are united together as dogs that rock intense facial hair.
And oddly both the Xoloitzcuintli and the Chinese Crested resemble Chihuahuas, albeit an enlarged version and a rock star glam type, respectively.
Despite the odd styles, several of the AKC-suggested breeds do look normal, and some even bring the adorable.
The Irish Water Spaniel has a similar look to the Poodle, which is overrated, but nice looking. And while I wouldn't say it's the cutest dog on the block, the Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier does have a nice look to it.
The Bichon Frise is pretty darn cute, and has the ability to grow a fro, which is, of course, a major plus. Maltese are very similar looking, and although they can't grow fros, make up for it by being even cuddlier.