Advice to choose dog breed

[natalie Hatchling Find all posts View Profile Close natalie]

I would like so much to own a small dog but can't decide what breed to choose. My son is very allergic to cats and i am afraid that he can become allergic to dogs (he is fine with his friend schnautser and some other breeds). I like mini poodle and toy poodle but i read that they are very active dogs and like to bark a lot. Bichon is hard to house train. What is my option. We are very quiet family and live in the house with fenced backyard.Youngest child 9 years old.
Please give me some advice.

[SalemWitchChild Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close SalemWitchChild]

Dogs

You can check your local shelters first off. Tell them your needs. Of course it is likely that your son will be allergic to any dog. So be aware of that. If his allergies are not that sever he may get use to it after awhile. I had a friend in high school that was allergic to all animals. She got a dog and suffered for some time with her allergies. She now is allergy free :lol: Simply because she subjected herself to animal dander for so long that her system got use to it. Not to say that that will be the case with your son. Everyones system is different. I would not suggest it if his allergies are life threatening. I assume they are not since you say he's alright with his friends dog.

You may also want to look for dogs with short hair.
http://sy.adiho.com/ASA/Controller?a...=33&appid=9901

That link goes to a breed selector. It asks you questions and suggest breeds that match up with you. Good luck

[kerryclair Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close kerryclair]

How about a dog like a scottish terrier or a West Highland?
I agree though - go to a shelter and you may find a terrier mix that is perfect. Terriers are mostly non-allergenic because they do not shed. Although not totally non allergenic of course, but a lot of people with allergies can often tolerate them. Make sure FIRST though that your son can tolerate an animal - it woulo be unfair to get a dog and then have to give it up.

Let us know what you decide! No need to settle on purebred though, most mixed terriers sound like they would work for you!