[sanibak]

I have had dogs my whole life and thought I could answer questions as the came up but I'm at a loss right now.

My 13 year old puppy passed away from kidney failure in December and I am now at the point where I feel up to considering a new dog to help fill the void(she was rarely more than 10 feet away from me except when I was at work/school).

My girlfriend and I are moving in together this summer and she has a mild/medium allergy to dogs. She basically sums it up best where if she pets a dog and touches her face at any point with washing her hands or if there is just a lot of fur floating around then issues with breathing and itching happen.

Right now I live with my parents and we currently still have 3 pembroke corgis there and she manages ok so long as the house is vacuumed daily and no dog hops on the bed or in her face.

I have been looking at getting an Australian Shepherd(regular or mini) as I am not a fan of the tiny dogs ( she has a shih tzu that is just too small for me to have as a personal pet).

But, as I do research that have basic grooming habits and a great personality...unfortunately I don't know what to base their average shedding on as I have only owned dogs that constantly shed or never shed. I look at it as an how an average person loses hair every day. Supposedly we lose a a few dozen a day just during the normal course of activities.

Is this a good breed to choose if I brush atleast twice a week or are there other suggestions for medium/large breed dogs that aren't poodles or terriers? I've looked through the lists of "hypo" dogs and most are too small or just not what I'm looking for and really hope to find THE dog for me in the next few weeks.

Thanks

[Lola2010]

Tibetan terriers are bigger than shih tzus but don't shed and have lots of character. They were bred as herding dogs for Tibet. Basically, dogs that need to be clipped don't shed. Poodles don't shed and can be quite rewarding pets and come in a variety of sizes. My beagle does shed a little but not much and you never get clumps of hair coming off just some smoot hairs. Also someone I know who is very allergic to dogs has a weimaraner as they don't exacerbate allergies - not sure if they shed or not but they don't shed fluff I think is basically the issue. Good luck and happy hunting

[StarfishSaving]

Aussies tend to shed heavily at times, and then not as much for the rest of the year. I would say that their level of shedding is average (except when they blow their coat.) As long as you're committed to regular (at least a few times a week) brushing, vacuuming, etc, I don't think you'd see a huge difference between that and the corgis. But is she living with the corgis? I know many people with allergies that can visit a home with dogs or cats, even for a full day, and they're fine, but they cannot live with them. She is fine living with the shih tzu?

What happens if you bring home this dog and it is more than she can take? It would be highly unfair to the dog to get it just to rehome it again, and it could be a health risk for your girlfriend. So for this reason, I urge you to take your time and to not make this decision without her input and feedback and let her be around dogs of that type prior to making the decision to bring one home. It's not going to be "your" dog- the two of you are going to be living together which really makes it her home and her dog, too. I do think that you would be surprised at how many medium-sized or larger dogs are "hypoallergenic" (though there's really no such thing. All dogs create dander, which is what people are allergic to, it's just that dogs that shed less tend to lose less dander.) Many terriers are as large as an Aussie, and if you're considering mini-aussies, which are really very tiny, then there are countless low-shedding dogs that are similar in size.

[sanibak]

thanks for the suggestions.

And I assure you that my girlfriend is part of every step when it comes to this decision. We have been talking about going to see a local breeder or even to see some at a rescue to see how she would react. It is the perfect situation where if she has a reaction it is easy to get her out and back under control but if there is no reaction then we can start seeing how the dog itself is as a breed.

There are not going to be any sudden steps made when purchasing a dog. I am just at a point where when I find one in particular I like then I do research to see if it will work or if the breed needs to be scratched off the list.

[puplove]

I don't blame you for choosing an Aussie they are beautiful dogs. However, I am not sure why you are ruling out poodles and terriers. A lot of people think poodles are "foo foo" dogs and I was once one of those people until I actually got one. ( a bit too long a story to tell you how I did end up with one ) I have had a Samoyed, Corgi,and a mixed hound in my life and now I have a Standard Poodle. I have to say that this dog is the funniest most entertaining smartest boy I have ever known and probably the most affectionate of all the dogs I have had as well.He loves all people and all other dogs. They are great hunters, swimmers and companion dogs. I do not trim him like a poodle and people stop me every time we walk to ask me what kind of dog he is and they are always amazed when I tell them purebred poodle. I have even had people stop while driving to ask me or yell from the car "beautiful dog" SO weird to me because I never in a million years would have expected that. You may have other reasons for not choosing one but I just thought I would "sell" you a little on them in case you do have some preconceived ideas like many people do about poodles.
Best of luck with finding your own special companion.

[sanibak]

Alrighty, as much as this decision may come from left field I have to say I am now leaning towards a xoloitzcuintli. I am still in the stages of research to see how they fit but the hairless would work perfectly for my GF and I still like the appearance.

Something odd I noticed while looking around at breeders is this person who seems to be selling the Xolo but not stating everything that is mixed.
Xoloitzcuintli Puppies for Sale: Mambo's #1

Or is it just me?

[puplove]

Now that is a far cry from an Aussi. I have never seen one of these dogs before. I think you would have to buy her/him a coat. He makes me cold just looking at the wee guy.

[StarfishSaving]

You would be foolish to find and purchase a puppy on puppyfind. Any "breeder" that sells on that website, particularly one that is willing to ship their puppies throughout the country, are basically either small scale puppy mills or negligent backyard breeders. A REAL breeder- you know, the kind that takes the time to do health testing, only breed top quality animals, raise them properly and that care enough about their stock to find and screen homes rather than just pawning them off like merchandise- would not be posting there.

Here are some resources.
Xolo Club of America Home Page (you can find breeders through the breed club)
Xoloitzcuintli Rescue League (yes, they are available via rescue!)

Breeders (the good kind, not the ones that believe you are a sucker just waiting to throw your money at them) and rescuers would be super happy to answer questions and provide information on the breed, help you figure out if they are a good fit for your lifestyle temperament and activity-wise, and direct you to a suitable match.

[puplove]

OHHH it is a Mexican hairless. Now I recognize it. I agree with Starfish ... stay away from the back yard breeders looking to make money. Sorry I didn't notice the website because I got carried away looking at the dog.

[icare]

My daughter is veeeeeery allergic to dogs and cats. [especially cats] but when she was little we had rough Collies, and your going to say NOOOOOO
but because the dander was so deep in the fur she could put her face into all their coats and lots of kisses no reaction,on the other side of the coin my Danes drove her crazy, so kiss kiss kiss then wash her hands and face and she was fine.Oh never brushed either dogs in the house and when she was home,and after brushing out that second coat of the Collies, sprayed them with a spray,don't recall the name it was along time ago,but when she came home all was well.She hived up so bad if she went to a dog show that after one, she didn't go any more[we were testing her response but the dander in the air was to much for her
Scottie