The Hypoallergenic Obama Dog Myth Brought to You By…The Kennel Club
OK, so he decided not to adopt a rescue dog. Even the dog’s breeder has conceded it’s not a rescue dog, despite some poorly executed spin which amounts to nothing more than a contrived attempt to convince people that it’s ’sort of’ a rescue dog. OK, his family, his choice, no probs, forgivable. But let’s draw a line through this BUNKUM of the hypo-allergenic dog shall we?
Oh joy, today we have learned that the Kennel Club has experienced a 125% increase in demand for information on the Portuguese Water Dog on the back of US president Obama’s decision to go back on his pledge to adopt a mutt and, instead, take delivery of a ‘gift’ dog, very much of ‘pedigree’ status.
How would shelters be celebrating today if THEY were the beneficiaries of a 125% increase in demand. But alas, no. The president said one thing, did another. He’s a politician and he’s perfectly entitled to choose any dog he likes, but let’s cut to the chase – this was a MASSIVE opportunity missed.
It’s now established, Obama’s dog choice HAS had an effect. If he’d kept true to his pledge to adopt from a shelter, how many needy dogs could benefit from the ‘Obama bounce’? Instead a tremendously rare dog with a very limited gene pool is now the toast of the town – a dog that will not be found in any rescue centre and a dog which, despite claims to the contrary is NOT hypo-allergenic.
Not everyone is to know that – but one source who’d you’d think would get it right would be the Kennel Club.
Caroline Kisko, Kennel Club Communications Director, said: “The publicity surrounding the Obama family’s new dog means that we have experienced a huge increase in the number of enquiries about the breed. This is understandable seeing as it is such an endearing looking dog but we are concerned that some people may be less informed about whether it would suit their lifestyle than the Obama’s were.
“The Obamas clearly did a lot of careful research before deciding that the Portuguese Water Dog was for them. The breed standard describes it as a smart, resilient and optimistic breed and its coat is hypo allergenic, meaning it will not aggravate their daughter’s allergies, so it seems to be the perfect fit for the family.
Hypo allergenic eh?
”All dogs and all cats have saliva and skin, so theoretically, there is no such thing as a nonallergenic cat or dog.” ~ Dr. William J. Davis, a professor of clinical pediatrics and director of allergy and immunology at Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center in Manhattan
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“Unfortunately, there really is no such thing as a hypoallergenic dog,” Dr. Jonathan Field, emeritus director of the pediatric allergy and asthma clinic at New York University/Bellevue Medical Center in New York City.
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“The studies have not supported that there’s any type of hypoallergenic dog,” ~ Dr. Wanda Phipatanakul, chair of the Indoor Allergen Committee for the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology (AAAAI).
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“All cats and dogs are allergenic (allergy-causing) to people who are allergic to animals.” ~ Humane Society of United States
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“Essentially, for a dog to be truly hypoallergenic, it would have to be tongue-less as well as hairless,” ~ Dr. John Dean, head of the division of allergy at B.C. Children’s Hospital
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The fact that this myth has been widely spread by the media means many people will be attracted to this breed, in particular, on the basis that it won’t aggravate an allergy could cause a LOT of heartache (and possible rehomings, GENUINE rehomings) down the line. That the Kennel Club, who are supposed to know about dogs are playing a role in adding to the myth, well that’s just beyond the pale.
There is no such thing as a ‘hypo allergenic dog’ no such thing as ‘hypoallergenic dog fur’. Please, if you are allergic to dogs don’t make the mistake of assuming there are breeds for whom you will suffer no problems. Do your research, speak to shelters, ask to spend time with individual dogs who may be suitable and whatever you do, don’t buy in to the myth of the hypo allergenic dog, it simply does not exist.
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Nice article, seems like in their haste to jump on the bandwagon, the Kennel Club did not think things through before they sent their press release out.
They claim to be the lead on matters canine in the UK, so you really would think they would know about dogs?
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These “so called experts” can say what they want about allergies but being someone who lived with dogs most of my life and also being a person with allergies I can positively say some breeds give me allergies and some do not effect me. Any dog that sheds a lot like a golden retriever or a cat, I sneeze and wheezes when near it . But I can live with a bichon or a poodle and not even know the dog is around. So perhaps no dog is totally allergy free there are definite differences in how my body reacts to them .
I adopted a rescued puppy mill pup and it took me nearly two years to get her. So non shed puppies are in high demand at the shelters. It is the older dogs that do not get adopted. Many of them also do not come problem free, some of them are very timid. While I won’t give up my darling pup, perhaps such a puppy isn’t what I’d recommend for a busy family with children. My pup attached itself only to me. While I think no one should buy from a pet store a good breeder might be the place to go if you want to know what you are getting. I also remember being a kid and wanting a puppy not a dog but a puppy , so I think it is wonderful Malia and Sasha got their puppy and I think we should all cool it and remember back to when we were kids and wanted a puppy. Whats is important is that these girls get what they want and are happy.
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Pamela Reply:
May 9th, 2009 at 12:32 pm
Very good response Viv! I also have a grandson who is allergic to pet hair. NOT something you want to find out when you breed and show shelties! Even worse, he desperately wanted a cat. He was given a Rex cat, not my cup of tea, but he has NEVER had a reaction with this cat, and of course it sleeps in his bed! I have friends who breed/show bichon’s and they have a daughter who is allergic, but she doesn’t seem to have a problem with the bichon’s.
So, while there may be no actual non-hypoallergenic dogs/cats, there ARE those breeds that are much less allergy causing than others.
So, people, don’t be so quick with your “nay’s” against the Whitehouse pooch, and give a “thumb’s up” that Bo has fitted in and the girls are happy with him.
Another thing, why get so het-up about what type of pooch they chose? Did YOU ask anyone when you got your pet? Not every-one wants an unknown quantity from a shelter.
The ONLY reason I can see why the Obamas tried to say their pup was a rescue, was because of all the horrible PETA/HSUS clones who filled the comment sections of papers with their hate filled remarks, including death threats, against another politition, and the breeder of his german shepherd dog.
PETA draws a lot of loonies out of the woodwork with their over the top rhetoric…..including the absolute rubbish they espouse “that for every purebred purchased, a shelter dog dies.”
The MAIN reason shelter dogs die is because they end up in a kill shelter, put there by very irresponsible owners!!!!!
Personally, I feel the Obamas were very responsible in the way they chose their puppy. Pity the knockers didn’t follow in their footsteps!
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Though allergic to pet allergens, my wife wants a dog. I thought this would be a bad idea until we heard about someone else who had a severe cat allergy and was able to have a cat in the house when they got a liquid ioniser. Has anyone else tried one of these?
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Obama turned his back on his chance to speak for and set an example of adopting ONE dog out of thousands to choose from – Busy Body old Kennedy just had to stick his nose into it. That made up Obama’s mind. The Obamas didn’t visit shelters, did not stand up for the crucial need for adoptions or mention the millions of dogs killed each year in the Killing Facilities, called shelters. How many Obamas does it take to select a suitable dog from thousands offered. ?? Clearly he is not an animal person, knows nothing about dogs (and obviously never wanted to – has never had a companion animal – How disgusting. He has betrayed shelter dogs, and animal advocates will not forget it.
Now his idiot followers will be sporting Water Dogs, and about those allergies…..Bunk! Politics as usual…..homeless dogs will suffer.
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