Dogs that don’t shed and cause allergies sound like the perfect pets ! We’ve put together a list of 48 dogs, arranged by size classification, that have hypoallergenic properties. Do note that some of these breeds come in a variety of sizes.
If you are looking for a strict hypoallergenic dog, do make sure that the breed of dog is not mixed with anything else that might not have the same properties. See below for the section on Designer dogs.
Note: all dogs do produce dander. Dander is basically the dead skin cells and can cause allergic reactions to varying degrees. Some dogs produce less dander than others, and hence are considered less likely to effect your allergies.
1 – Tiny Hypoallergenic Dogs
- Norfolk Terrier
These guys are around 10 inches / 25 cm at the shoulder and weigh about 10 lbs / 4.5 kg full grown. They are the littlest (and maybe the best) of our hypoallergenic dogs !
30 – Small Hypoallergenic Dogs
- Yorkshire Terrier
- Poodle
- Xoloitzcuintle
- Brussels Griffon
- West Highland White Terrier
- Lakeland Terrier
- Irish Terrier
- Miniature Bull Terrier
- Coton De Tulear
- Welsh Terrier
- Miniature Schnauzer
- Wire Fox Terrier
- Shih Tzu
- Border Terrier
- Havanese
- Chinese Crested
- Scottish Terrier
- Airedale Terrier
- Cesky Terrier
- Cairn Terrier
- Australian Silky Terrier
- Bichon Frise
- Lowchen
- Bedlington Terrier
- Italian Greyhound
- Dandie Dinmont Terrier
- Norwich Terrier
- Maltese Dog
- Sealyham Terrier
- Australian Terrier
As you can see there are many terriers in this section. Xoloitzcuintle is a Mexican hairless dog and comes in toy, small and standard sizes.
15 Medium Hypoallergenic Dogs
- Irish Water Spaniel
- Portuguese Water Dog
- Samoyed
- Kerry Blue Terrier
- Spanish Water Dog
- Lagotto Romagnolo
- Wirehaired Pointing Griffon
- Puli,Pulik
- Tibetan Terrier
- Polish Lowland Sheepdog
- Basenji
- Barbet
- Bergamasco
- Standard Schnauzer
- Peruvian Inca Orchid
The Irish Water Spaniel is quite a rare dog, it’s one of the oldest of the spaniels. There is an Irish Water Spaniel Dog Club, which is also one of the oldest in the world, check them out here : http://iwsc.ie/
2 Large Hypoallergenic Dogs
- Afghan Hound
- Bouvier des Flanders
Afghans are known for their long flowing locks and their run which is so graceful.
If we are missing any dogs from the list do let us know !
Are mixed breeds Hypoallergenic?
We get asked all the time if it’s possible that some of the recent popular breeds like:
- Cavapoos is a dog crossbreed bred from a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel and a Poodle. They are also known as a Cavadoodle or Cavoodle.
- Cavachons is a dog crossbreed bred from a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel and a Bichon Frise.
- Cockapoo is a dog crossbreed bred from a Cocker Spaniel and a Poodle.
- Goldendoodle is a dog crossbreed bred from a Golden Retriever and a Poodle
- Sheepadoodle is a dog crossbreed bred from a Old English Sheepdog and a Poodle
- Cavamalt s a dog crossbreed bred from a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel and a Maltese. They are also known as a Maltalier.
are hypoallergenic. Technically Poodles and Bichon Frise dogs are (see the list above) and Cavalier King Charles Spaniels and Cocker Spaniels are not. Generally Cavapoos, Cavachons and Cockapoos are considered hypoallergenic dogs, but in the strictest sense they are not. You may find puppies that are 75% poodle, e.g. a purebred poodle crossed with a Cavapoo, will can shed less, but there is no guarantee that they won’t shed or cause allergies. It’s down to genetics and to be hypoallergenic your dog would need to inherit these traits from one or both parents.
Taking care of these designer breeds
One thing to note about these designer breeds and their coats, if it’s silky, like that of a spaniel, or curly, like that of a poodle, you will need take care of them accordingly. Spaniels need regular brushing to avoid tangled hair, and poodles also need to be brushed more to avoid mats. There are also appropriate brushes for these different types of coats.
These dogs do need a lot of grooming, and at least weekly intensive grooming sessions. Some owners factor in a professional grooming session in their monthly dog budget.
Breeding designer dogs
Health tests for the sire and dam are important before breeding any dog. This will help check for known issues with potential offspring. For example Cavaliers are prone to heart disease, luxating (dislocating / moving) patellas, hip dysplasia, cataracts and syringomyelia (fluid in the spinal cord). Poodles are prone to hip dysplasia, epilepsy, progressive retinal atrophy, Addison’s disease, etc. Malteses are prone to many of the above as well as collapsed tracheas, liver shunts, colitis, and hydrocephalus (build up of fluid in the brain). We are not mentioning these to frighten people, but to highlight there are many potential issues to be aware of.