actualy, i have a pet poodle, and he's hypo allergenic, there are also many cat breeds thare non allergenic, to name a few: allerca GD, Ashera GD, and the Chakan cat.
Try just loon google for non allergenic pets. Hope this helps :o)
Being a Collie person I don't know much about other breeds of dog, except I do know that Bichon Frise are cute and don't shed. Perhaps the latter means they're non-allergenic. As far as cats go, I hear that Ragdoll cats are non-allergenic. Not only are they gorgeous with their long, soft hair, but when you hold them they hang in your arms like a ragdoll, hence the name. :-) They're also expensive as they're pretty rare. You can probably find out more about them online. Cheerz! Dorothy ;-)
I have a Maltese which is a cousin of the Bichon that Dorothy was talking about and both are hypo allergenic. The reason they are is because they have hair just like us, not 'fur' like most other dogs which means they produce dander and therefore allergens. Hope this helps you. I have a pic on my profile of my dog if you need a visual.
The maltese is my older daughter's favorite dog! We got a Wheaton terrier a few years ago and it was supposed to be non allergenic, but my husband and daughter were both affected and we had to give her back after 10 days. What about the saliva? I thought that must have been a factor.
As a Pet Speciatly retail store owner, we also provide dog grooming, whatever you do do not purchase a labradoodle or a goldendoodle or any mix or any kind as you CAN NOT guarantee that they are hypo allergenic. I was going to suggest the Wheaton Terrier but Barbara was unable to keep hers. My sister is very allergic to cats, dogs and horses to is very limited to time spent in my home (I have one cat, 2 jack russels and used to have a rough collie) she seems to be perfectly fine with the bunny that is lliving in her home!!! One of the ladies who works for me breeds Bashkur Curlies (hypo allergenic horses!!!)
My friend has a "Havanese" dog that I believe is hypo-allergenic and is absolutely non shedding. She is a lovely non-yappy small dog. Not a 'foo-foo' dog at all. Looks really great in her 'puppy-cut'. Check them out on the net.
There really isn't any "hypoallergenic" dog breed. Some dogs do not have true undercoat and therefore don't drop as much hair as a double coated breed. Often these breeds are clipped which also aids the person that is allergic to the coat. All produce dander, which is the sloughing of skin cells. This is what most allergic people have poor response to. Some people are allergic to the proteins in the saliva and cannot be licked by a dog or touch the coat as the dog has spread it's saliva onto itself during self grooming. Most dogs that have coat like the poodle, portuguese water dog, soft coated wheaton, maltese, shih tzu etc require high maintenance grooming to keep them from matting. If you are allergic you cannot hope to provide that grooming as it needs to be done more often than monthly by a pro groomer for the health of the dog. Some breeds seem to be okay for those with mild forms of allergies but there are no guarantees. I agree that buying one of the doodle crosses, or any of the other "designer" breeds is not going to help as there is no way to know in an 8 week old puppy what you are getting coat wise. There are products that are touted to keep the dander trapped to the skin thereby reducing the amount of allergen for those that suffer. I don't know how well they work but I doubt they are really good for the dog in question. The same goes for cats. There are allergy shots but I understand that they are not a lot of fun and have to be repeated regularly. My husband and I are life members of the CKC having bred, trained and shown dogs for over 30 years. We were regularily approached by people in your situation as one of the two breeds we bred were often touted as "hypoallergenic". I wish I could tell you differently as I cannot imagine life without my dogs and cats but I believe that honesty is best for both the animal and the allergy prone person.
That may be but you can't generalize about a breed. Also, according to the Portuguese Water Dog Club of Canada's website, they require extensive grooming including a brushout to the skin 3 - 4 times a week. They are also high energy dogs that require a lot of exercise and preferably a job to do. Porties were bred to retrieve all day from the boats - not for the average person but for highly active people. Now that the Obama's have stated this is their chosen breed, a lot of unscrupulous breeders will crop up.