I am getting a dog and am undecided between a miniature poodle or miniature schnauzer. I have asthma and cat allergies and have read both breeds are good for allergy sufferers. I have two children as well, they will be four and seven when I get the puppy. It will be my first dog and I am very keen to train and socalize properly. I work part-time and will have a dog walker on work days. I really need advice on the positives and negatives of each breed from dog owners. I have read miniature poodles can be very barky and sensitive but have heard they are also very calm and biddable. I don't know if Schnauzers are as good for people with allergies. Any information gratefully received

have you thort about getting one of them hairless dogs ? there lovely

they must get a little cold though!

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u can get em lil jumpas...nici on here has one, its well cute.
it has a lil hairdo ontop of its head haha. like a mohawk.

What about a labradoodle. I believe they were originally bread by a woman in America because of her husbands allergies. They don't shed, they're hypo-allergenic, intelligent and good with children. Quite expensive too though!

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We can judge the heart of a man by his treatment of animals

Yer for a designa cross bred heins 57 good point tho.

Bless them! Cute enough looking dogs but it's just another breed for the unscrupulous to make money out of. I know it's still a cross but they're even sticking other animals into the mix now.

Others you may want to consider...
Airedales are fairly versatile and good with children. Quite pricey on the hairdresser though because they have to been done by a pro because they get their hair plucked.

Schnauzers are a good choice because you can go from miniature to giant. They rarely have an odour but you'll have to pay for clipping. They're a versatile dog too and good with children.

If you like the idea of a poodle though and it's just what you have heard about barking and being sensitive, I wouldn't worry about that too much. It's not all poodles or they wouldn't be so popular. I bet for every single breed out there there will be someone who says "I wouldn't have one of those because...". If it's from decent stock and you treat it properly there's no reason for it to be worse than any other breed.

Personally though I think if it's your first dog and you're planning to train it yourself, I would avoid the dogs with 'muscles'. Fortunately the choice for asthma sufferers is for the most easy going types. For an easier first dog though of all of them I would go for the poodle or labradoodle. Or just about any other creation they are mixing the poodle with these days.

Another thing you may or may not be aware of but allergy inducing substances are not just found in a dogs hair but also in the skin scurf and its urine and saliva and all differ from one breed to another. Your children may also have the same sensitivities as you so whatever you decide on, I would see if you can get the three of you round one for some play time to see if it causes you any problems before you decide. It would be an awfull shame for you to find the dog of your dreams that didn't shed hair to find out you were allergic to its spit or if it 'went' in the garden your children suffered badly!

More often than not though it's the breeds with fine hair that cause the problems. I get it with cats and birds and can hardly breathe sometimes and get itchy spots round my neck and hands with some dogs but I manage perfectly ok with my sisters springer spaniel, my fathers Irish Setters and my last dog, a terrier crossed with about half a dozen other things. I've even heard of Bichon Frise and Cocker Spaniel being recommended for Asthma sufferers.

My best advice is to decide what breed you would like to have then find a breeder, tell them you're thinking of having one and get the three of you round there. You'll get to meet the adults. There's generally a lot of hair about the place and they're bound to want to lick you. You'll know within 5 minutes if you're going to cope or not.

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We can judge the heart of a man by his treatment of animals

If you go onto champdogs you can research allsorts of breeds - there's loads of owners/breeders on there with websites that you can visit to help get the info you need

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Jo, Nelly, Bhu and Molly
Some people talk alot.................and say nowt

I used to have a quite mild cat allergy but now we have two it seems to have diappeared!

Do you think it was a bit like man flu Alan

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Jo, Nelly, Bhu and Molly
Some people talk alot.................and say nowt