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398059 tn?1447945633

dogs/pets

I wish we could have dogs.  Both my son and I have allergies now.

Many folks on this forum seem to cherish their dogs, (cats too.)  I would say that for many of us it seems they are a very important aspect of life.

I remember when I was about six years old, we had a female german sherpard "candy," a toy manchester terrier "duchess," two white mice "ralph and rondha," two wild rabbits "peter and paul," two gold fish "mobie and salley," and a cat "speckles."  We  all lived in fairy small house in the city.  I had five siblings and both parents living with all these pets.

It was wonderful.
13 Responses
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233622 tn?1279334905
We have Pomeranians and if you are allergic you want to stay away from this breed.

They are ADORABLE but hairy!

LA
Helpful - 0
359574 tn?1328360424
I'm also allergic to dogs.  We gave up our firstborn child, a cocker spaniel, because of it.  Oddly, I found out by accident cats are OK with me.  My son married a crazy woman who kept acquiring cats.  When her childhood cat Nelly came to live in the house with them and the other three rowdy cats, she got picked on and started behaving badly.  She came to our house for a vacation and she's now been mine longer than she was ever my former dil's.  I tell people I got her in the divorce.  She hates all other cats passionately, and she'll throw herself at the storm door if she sees one outside.  She doesn't mind dogs at all, except for black ones.  Weird.  She's almost 10 now.  She's a strictly indoors lap cat.  And desk cat--that one really irks my dh because he works at home.

Holly
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
I AM A NEWFOUNDLAND LOVER. I HAVE HAD 4.

MY FIRST ALLIE WAS A GRUMPY GIRL,BUT SHE WAS MY GIRL,NO ONE EVER GOT NEAR ME WHEN I WAS SICK.ON AUGUST 1ST,2002 WE AWOKE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT TO A HOUSE FIRE,OUR MANUFACTURED HOME CAUGHT ON FIRE DO TO A ELECTRICAL PROBLEM.

ALL 4 OF THE KIDS WERE OUT BUT MY YOUNGEST, 7 AT THE TIME WENT BACK INTO THE BURNING HOME,SHE WASN'T A WAKE,MY BELOVED ALLIE,BROKE LOOSE FROM MY HUSBAND,SHE ACTUALLY DRUG HIM TO THE GROUND AND WENT INTO THE BURNING STRUCTION,NATURALLY I FOLLOWED HERE,SHE RAN THROUGH THE BURNING FLAMES,TO THIS DAY I CAN STILL SEE HER EYES THROUGH THE FLAMES,I FOLLOWED HER, SHE WOULD STOP ABOUT 3 FEET IN FRONT OF ME AND WHEN I WOULD GO TO GRAB HER SHE'D MOVE ANOTHER 3 FEET.

THANK GOD I FOLLOWED THAT DOG,MY 7 YEAR OLD WENT BACK INTO THE HOME,I FINALLY TRIPPED OVER HER,THROUGH ALL THE SMOKE AND FLAMES,WHEN I FINALLY WAS ABLE TO PICK MY DAUGHTER UP,THATS WHEN ALLIE CAME TO ME.SHE WILL FOREVER BE MY HERO.SAD TO SAY WE HAD TO PUT HER TO SLEEP DO TO BRAIN CANCER.HER COLLAR HANGS ON MY GARDEN GATE.SHE LOVED TO JUMP THE FENCE AND EAT THE GREEN TOMATOE'S,CORN,YELLOW SQUASH AND MY STRAWBERRIES.

MY MALE NEWFIE CASH WAS HUGE 260 POUNDS OF BIG BABY,WHEN I STARTED REALLY GETTING WITH THE MS,HE GOT WAY OVER PROTECTIVE AND WOULDN'T LET ANYONE NEAR ME AND HE WOULD ATTACK ALLIE AND BELLE.PLUS HE STARTED GETTING NASTY WITH THE KIDS,SO I FOUND HIM A GOOD HOME THROUGH A NEWFIE RESCUE.

BELLE IS MY WHITE AND BLACK NEWFIE,I RESCUED HER AT 5 WEEKS,SHE WAS TERRIBLY ABUSED.SHE'S A GREAT COMPANION,SHES A LITTLE SKITISH AT TIMES.I ENJOY WALKING WITH HER WHEN I CAN,SHE STAYS RIGHT BESIDE MY RIGHT LEG.

ABBY IS A RESCUE WE GOT HER AT 3 MONTHS,SHE 9 MONTHS OLD AND OH,THAT PUP,I HAVE THREATENED HER THAT SHE WAS GONNA BE A POUND HOUND IF SHE DOESN'T QUIT.SHE WILL POUNCE ME,SHE'S PUSHING 150 EASILY.IF I BEND OVER SHE WILL BUTT ME WITH HERE HEAD AND KNOCK ME OVER.SHE WILL TAKE A FLYING LEAP AND LAND ON TOP OF MY LAP.SHE HAS A CHILD LIKE PERSONALITY AND DOESN'T REALIZE SHE'S NOT A LAP DOG.

I LOVE THIS BREED FOR THEIR PERSONALITIES,NOT THE FUR,OH THEY SHED.THEY ARE DEFINATELY GENTLE GIANTS.THEY HAVE BEEN GREAT FOR ME AS IN A THERAPUTIC WAY.I WAS NOT THRILLED WHEN THE KIDS GOT ME THE PUP.SHE WAS ABUSED AND NEEDED LOTS OF TENDER LOVIN CARE.

GROWING UP WE ALWAYS HAD DOGS AND A FEW CATS.I THINK WE HAD HAMSTERS.BIRDS AND FISH.

THERES A FEW DOGS THAT DON'T SHED.ANIMALS ARE THERAPUTIC REGARDLESS IF ITS DOGS,CATS,BIRDS OR WHAT NOT.THEY GIVE US A REASON TO MOVE AND THEY EXCEPT US FOR WHO WE ARE.

T-LYNN
Helpful - 0
393986 tn?1303825975
I would like to share a dogs perspective on being rescued.  This is my dog Runes webpage on dogster.  The address is http://www.dogster.com/dogs/713969.  I have been neglecting my writing duties but this is a really great place for dog lovers.  There is Catster.com for cat lovers, my daughter has our cat Loki on there.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
I just wanted to say that I have been touched by all of the stories about your pets.

Ada,  With therapy and meds, I am praying that you will soon be able to walk with your dogs.  The paths you took sound so beautiful and peaceful.

Rena, I was in tears with the story about your dad and Brutus.  Those memories will forever be an important part of your and your dad's lives.

everyone else...it is so wonderful to have pets in our lives, isn't it??

Elaine
Helpful - 0
382218 tn?1341181487
I have two black standard poodles.  They are wonderful dogs.  I did not grow up with pets (other than brief periods with budgie birds and a guinea pig).  Now I cannot imagine life with my dogs around.  Along with my spouse, they have been my primary companions for the past 7 months!  

We don't have allergies but decided on poodles because they don't shed (no mess).  These may be a very good option for you.  They come in 3 sizes; are very sociable; highly intelligent and trainable (although we don't yet have them fetching Coors Light from the fridge; one of my husband's initial goals).  I think poodles get a bad rap from the silly dog show hair cut.  Ours look more like little black bears with a big fluffy coat.  And I am not exaggerating, we literally get stopped on the street all the time by pedestrians AND drivers who pull over asking to pet them.  Twice we have had tourists ask to have their picture taken with them!  I thought this was so funny.

You could try fostering one from the SPCA, or Poodle Rescue if there is one near you, and see how you and your son react to this breed.

I hope your allergies don't have to get in the way of bringing a furry friend into your home.

db1

Helpful - 0
335728 tn?1331414412
I had severe allergies growing up and all I ever had was a Gerbil named Coco...while Coco was my pet and I loved him it was hard to walk him and I didn't fit very well on his running wheel.

When I turned 16 my Mom and Dad said that if I could find a dog that I wasn't allergic to I could have it!  So needless to say I scoured the newspaper for that perfect little puppy I had dreamed of all my life!  

I finally found an ad for Cockapoo!  Just what I wanted!  So I asked Dad if we could go look at the puppies and he begrudgingly agreed.  You see, Dad grew up in a family that never had pets, they felt that animals were not meant to be pets, they were meant to live in the barn and give milk etc. so Dad never learned how to love animals and didn't know ANYTHING about them and always said, "what the he** do we need a damn dog for?

So we head off to the house where the puppies were and I will remember this until the day I die.  I picked out an all black puppy with a white crest on his chest and I handed him to Dad for "inspection".  I didn't really know anything about dogs either but a little more than Dad did.  Dad had really large hands and I laid this tiny puppy in his huge hand the puppy was dwarfed!  I can picture Dad as clear as glass, holding up that pup much like someone examining a diamond in the light, turning him back and forth saying uh huh...looks good...yep looks healthy, all the while I am holding my breath not just to keep from bursting out laughing at Dad's "inspection" of this poor little dog but in anticipation of him saying OK!   Well he did say OK and we brought home the little dog who promptly curled up in Mom's lap (he knew who the real caregiver was going to be!) and I named him Brutus.  I was taking Shakespeare at the time and it turned out that he 'wanted' to fill that name in that he tried to take on any dog that was at least twice his size!

When I was 20, my parents decided to sell the house and move to BC to retire and guess where my puppy went?  With Dad of course and they loved each other dearly until the day Brutus had to be put to sleep and it broke Dad's heart.  He had Brutus cremated and he spread his ashes near the ocean where they used to walk every day.  Dad never walked that path again...it was too painful without his dear friend Brutus.

Rena
Helpful - 0
393986 tn?1303825975
My dogs are rescue's that I did.  My baby Rune lived in a pickup for three months and one day his mean owner opened the door and he came running to me.  I took him to the vet immediately, he was all bones and fur and my vet told me I had to keep him or he would probably die. It was touch and go with him for awhile, he had seizures from the malnourishment.  But.....

The one thing he seemed to enjoy was walking.  So we walked and walked.  We both loved it very much.  He trusted me completely.  We would walk the banks of the creek, up cemetary hill, out in the corn fields.  It never mattered where we went, he would stick by my side.  I would hurry home from work so I could walk him, walking with Rune was always my winding down from a busy day, my stress reliever, my doggie-mommy time.

His brother, Bear joined us almost a year ago, the same man who had Rune had Bear.  But this time, Bear was left in a horse trailer for weeks, not a pickup.  We had some pretty nasty weather and we were having a flood when I took Bear.  So now I had two dogs to walk and I felt like I was in doggie heaven!!!  We would have so much fun, it was like having two little kids in the house!!  All Bear ever wants is lots of cuddle time, he thinks he should be a lap dog but that would be very cute having a 90+lb lap dog!  His latest thing is trying to find a girlfriend so he can make pups!!!

My dog's previous owner is now sitting in jail, where he belongs on the charges of felony theft, animal cruelty, and flight to avoid prosecution.  I am happy with that result.  The thing I get so upset about is not being able to go on those walks like we use to but I am remaining hopeful that it can one day go back to that.  The joys of walking a dog!!!

It was not I who rescued a dog, it was them that rescued me.
Helpful - 0
429700 tn?1308007823
I'm thinking about getting a Maltese.  I hear they are really smart dogs and hypo-allergenic.  My husband, however, doesn't like pets.  Hopefully I can convince him that they are easily trained.  

Michael--I think it would be wonderful to have a dog.  Maybe you can find someone with this breed (or a Poodle or Bichon Frise or Chinese Crested) and try being around them for a while!!!!!  It may be worth a try.

Deb
Helpful - 0
420469 tn?1217647363
I too would look into the "hypoallergenic" dogs.

Here is a link about "hypoallergenic" dogs and the some of the breeds that are considered hypoallergenic!

http://dogs.about.com/od/dogbreeds/a/hypoallergenic.htm

Hopefully you can find a way to make things work for you. My pets are my salvation (2 cats and a Newfie).


Christine
(un-dx)
Helpful - 0
393986 tn?1303825975
How about getting a Chinese Crested?  They are pretty much bald and as I used to say, they are so ugly their cute.  I will look into some of the hypo-allergenic dogs and see what all I can find.
Helpful - 0
222135 tn?1236488221
Have you considerred one of the breeds that have hair, rather than fur? They are great for people with allergies. Some of those breeds are poodles, bichon frise, and maltese. Since they have hair and not fur, they do not have dander, which is what causes pet allergies.

Just a thought. I'm an Irish setter girl myself!

Penn
Helpful - 0
398059 tn?1447945633
I am hoping you all will take time to talk about your pets, past and presents.  I especially hope that Ada will talk about her times, joys and whishes for walking with her cherished ones.
Helpful - 0
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