Dander, which is attached to the dog’s hair, is the main reason that people suffer from allergic reactions to dogs. However; there are dogs that have consistent and predictable coats that produce less dander, therefore reducing the risk of a reaction. As well as selecting one of these dogs, certain changes to your lifestyle should also make a dramatic difference in helping to ease the symptoms for allergy sufferers.

The most important way to reduce an allergy reaction is to pick a hypoallergenic breed. These dogs produce less dander and are therefore less likely to cause a reaction. Dogs that are recognised as hypoallergenic breeds include; Bedlington terriers, poodles, Irish water Spaniels, Kerry Blue terriers and Schnauzers, amongst many others.

Keeping your environment clean is also hugely important in reducing the risk of an allergic reaction. It is recommended that people make their bedrooms ‘dog free’ areas. This will limit the amount of exposure that the allergy sufferer will have with the dog. The next step would be to try and vacuum daily, or at least as often as possible. Go over hard floors with a mop and dust with a damp cloth.

Look at the fabrics that are being used in the home and consider changing them. Wood or tile floors are much easier to clean and less likely to hold dander than regular carpet. Also try to avoid fabric curtains, opting for blinds instead.

Lastly; grooming the dog is very important. By constant grooming with reducing allergies in mind it can really help to ease the reactions.

If you find that you start to suffer from sneezing, a runny or itchy nose, watery eyes, a sore throat or skin rashes when you’re around your dog, there’s a good chance that you have developed an intolerance to him. This can be confirmed by a visit to your GP, who can arrange for you to undergo test to determine the source of your allergy.

It’s unlikely that an owner will swap their pet for a breed that is allergy friendly, but there are several measures that you can take to minimise the onset of your symptoms.

First and foremost is cleanliness. Dog allergens will be found on furniture, walls, curtains and clothing, and can remain airborne for some time. Don’t allow your pet to sleep or play on any furniture that you will be using. Dander can gather here, and can cause a severe reaction. It’s essential to ensure that your house is cleaned regularly. Shampoo or steam clean your carpet every other month or so, and try to keep your floors vacuumed and your furniture and curtains clean. It may help to get your carpets and curtains cleaned by a professional carpet cleaning company. Washing your dog’s toys and bedding regularly can also help.

Be sure to wash your hands after grooming or playing with your dog. Taking allergy medication before playtime can help, as can changing your clothes afterwards.

A good quality HEPA air filter can help eliminate airborne dander, but only if you groom your dog on a regular basis. Bathing your dog once a week can help, but care must be taken to rinse him thoroughly, as shampoo that dries on his skin can cause worse dander.

Even if you adhere to a strict regime of cleanliness, you may still suffer. However, if you have an allergy but would still like to own a dog, there are several breeds that shed less skin than others, making them a better prospect.

Airedales

A medium to large breed, Airedales are playful and can adapt easily to either the garden or yard, making them ideal for an allergy sufferer who would not want their pet indoors all day long. Care must be taken with grooming, and it must be performed by a professional; their hair needs to be plucked. Failure to do so can lead to skin irritation, rashes and more dander.

Poodles

Poodles can be an excellent choice for allergy sufferers. As well as having a wide choice in the size of dog, they don’t shed and their coat can be clipped quite close to their skin. This makes bathing and grooming him less of a chore, as long as he does not have a ‘lion mane’.

Schnauzers

Like poodles, schnauzers come in a range of sizes and do not shed hair. Although his hair can be closely trimmed, you may wish to keep his trademark ‘beard’.

There are many other breeds that could be suitable for those with a dog allergy. Longer haired types include the shih-tzu, the Bolognese and the Spanish Haired water dog. If you don’t want to take any chances, there are several breeds available that do not have a coat; the American Hairless Terrier and the Hairless Khala are completely bald, as are the exotic Peruvian Inca Orchid and Xoloitzcuintli.

However severe your allergy, taking the proper steps can ensure you can indulge your love of dogs.

Last March, Crufts was bathed in loving attention from 160,000 dog loving visitors and attracted more than £14 million viewers to its BBC showing, but that was before the BBC showed its pedigree exposé, Pedigree Dogs Exposed in August 2008.

Since then, the Kennel Club has lost valuable sponsorship from both the RSPCA and the Dogs Trust amongst others and, following further arguments with the BBC where the Kennel Club refused to ban 14 ‘problem’ breeds from Crufts (namely the bulldog, Pekingese, mastiff, chow chow, the bloodhound, german shepherd, clumber spaniel, dogue de bordeaux, cavalier king charles, basset hound, neapolitan mastiff, shar pei, rhodesian ridgeback and the saint Bernard), it was dropped from the BBC schedule for the first time since 1966 in a move that some say was hypocritical as the BBC’s Eastenders later featured a Saint Bernard being used as a show dog and a stud dog.

Crufts 2009 is still to proceed, but will no doubt suffer from all the negative press received.

Last year’s Crufts Best in Show is Phil, show name Jafrak Philippe Olivier, a champion giant schnauzer and according to reports from the Times Online, this is one stud dog that remains completely unfazed by the hype.

Phil’s owner, Kevin Cullen, was quoted as saying:

“It’s been a great year for me and Phil, but an absolutely cataclysmic 12 months for Crufts. I’m certainly glad we won last year, before all this happened.”

When asking around, it seems that there is a bit of an urban myth about exactly what the prize-winning champion at Crufts can expect from his or her fame.  Kevin went on to add:

“We got £100 for winning, some worming products, and 1,200-pounds’ worth of dog food from Pedigree.”

Reportedly, the dreams of astronomical stud dog fees are also unfounded.  Phil’s stud dog fees remain at £900 – the same price as they were before the win and as Kevin stated:

“I can assure you me and Phil aren’t going to retire on that.”

Although stud dogs like Phil may remain unchanged by all the attention, the good news is that the documentary has brought some serious problems to the forefront of the public’s attention.  In its defence, the Kennel Club did say that they have been fighting these issues for years and that things cannot be changed overnight although suddenly, they did review their breeding standards.

By bringing these issues to the media’s attention as the BBC did, change may now happen but we do wonder if dropping Crufts from the schedule was the answer?