Hypoallergenic Dogs: What the Science Really Says

No dog breed has been shown to be hypoallergenic. Studies that measured the main dog allergen found it on so-called hypoallergenic breeds such as Poodles and Labradoodles, at higher levels in their coats than in other dogs, and no lower levels in the air of their homes. Low shedding comes from a few coat genes, but dog allergens come from skin flakes, saliva and urine, not the hair itself.

The short version

• No breed is proven hypoallergenic. Studies haven't found lower allergen levels in homes with so-called hypoallergenic dogs.
• The allergen isn't the hair. It's proteins from a dog's skin flakes, saliva and urine; hair collects and spreads them.
• Low shedding is real, and genetic. Furnishings and a gene called MC5R help explain why Poodles and many doodles shed less.
• Individual dogs vary more than breeds do, so the specific dog matters most.
• Talk to an allergist before choosing a dog if anyone in your home has dog allergies.

What "hypoallergenic" claims

Hypoallergenic is a label, not a scientific category. It's usually given to breeds and crosses with low-shedding coats, such as the Poodle, the Bichon Frisé and most doodles, on the strength of reports that some allergic people tolerate them better. Researchers have tested that idea by measuring the major dog allergen, a protein called Can f 1, on dogs and in their homes.

What the studies found

The 2012 study, by researchers at Utrecht University, compared Labradoodles, Poodles, Spanish Water Dogs and Airedale Terriers with Labrador Retrievers and a control group. The so-called hypoallergenic dogs carried more of the allergen in their hair and coat, not less. Floor dust in Labradoodle homes held less of it, but airborne levels didn't differ between breeds, and differences between breeds were small compared with the variation between dogs of the same breed. The authors concluded there's no evidence for classifying any breed as hypoallergenic.

The 2011 study took breeds cited online as hypoallergenic and compared allergen in dust from homes with those dogs and homes with other dogs. However the dogs were grouped, homes with "hypoallergenic" dogs didn't have lower allergen levels.

Why low shedding isn't low allergen

People with dog allergies aren't reacting to the hair itself. As the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America explains, the allergens are proteins found in a pet's dander (dead skin cells), saliva and urine. Hair collects dander and can also carry other allergens, such as dust mites and pollen.

A dog that drops less hair leaves less of it around the house, but its skin and saliva still carry allergens. That's consistent with what the 2012 study found: the low-shedding breeds didn't have less allergen on them, and the air in their homes held no less.

What the coat genes do explain

Shedding itself is genetic. A study of more than 1,000 dogs from 80 breeds found that variants in three genes, RSPO2 (furnishings), FGF5 (coat length) and KRT71 (curl), account for most coat types in purebred dogs. A 2016 study of more than 4,200 dogs linked shedding to RSPO2 and a second gene, MC5R, and found that minimal-shedding breeds such as the Poodle and the Bichon Frisé carry two copies of the furnishings variant.

So genes can tell you a lot about how much hair a dog is likely to leave on the sofa. They can't tell you how an allergic person will react to that dog. Our guides to the genetics of shedding and furnishings explain the coat genes in more detail.

Are doodles hypoallergenic?

Not reliably. The 2012 study included Labradoodles and found more of the main allergen in their hair and coat samples than in the comparison dogs, even though floor dust in their homes held less. A doodle's coat also depends on the genes it inherits: some doodles shed like their retriever parent, especially those without furnishings. Our guides to whether doodles shed, improper coats and the Goldendoodle explain the odds for each kind of litter.

If someone in your home has dog allergies

The Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America suggests steps like these. They're general guidance, so check with your own doctor:

• See an allergist, especially if allergies are moderate or severe. Allergy testing can show what you react to.
• Spend time with the specific dog before committing. Fostering first is one way to see whether you react.
• Keep the dog out of bedrooms and off fabric furniture.
• Use HEPA filters, in your vacuum and in an air cleaner.
• Wash your hands after touching the dog or its bedding, and have someone without allergies do the brushing, outdoors.
• Bathe the dog regularly, which may reduce airborne allergens.

Treatments, including allergy shots, are something to discuss with an allergist.

What a DNA test can and can't tell you

A DNA test can't tell you whether a dog will trigger someone's allergies. What it can do is predict coat traits linked to shedding. The PuppyGenes physical appearance section includes a shedding prediction based on MC5R and a furnishings prediction based on RSPO2, each with its own confidence, and both are context about the coat rather than an allergy result. You can see how they look in our public example reports.