What Is A Hypoallergenic Dog?

Let’s define the word hypoallergenic. According to dictionary, hypoallergenic means that it’s designed to reduce or minimize the possibility of an allergic response. As I had explained before, the cause of allergic reactions to dogs is due to the protein found in the saliva, dander (dead skin flakes), or urine of animal NOT the fur.

Regardless how many times this has been said, some owners aren’t convinced that their allergy reaction is not through fur. One of the possible causes of their allergy reactions to the dog’s fur is when the dog runs in the park and brings pollen and weed allergens back to the owners.

With that said, no dog, be it purebred or mixed purebred (designer dog), is truly hypoallergenic. To claim that they are hypoallergenic is to say that the dog has the ability to minimize their saliva production, sebaceous skin gland secretion, or amount of urine elimination.

If It Isn’t A Hypoallergenic Dog Then What?

In my opinion, shed-less or low allergen dog would be a better choice of word to describe dogs with “shed-free” coat. Unfortunately these words are rarely used to search for dogs with those types of coat or lack of (hairless).

Note: In my ebooks, you’ll notice that I use low allergen to describe these dogs. The listed small breed dogs are graded in terms of low, medium, and high allergen produced.

All Dogs Shed…Differently

Another misconception often heard is that hypoallergenic dogs are also shed-free. Keep in mind that all dogs shed; the difference is the way, frequency, and amount they shed their fur. Some single-coated dogs, Poodles for example, shed relatively less and the excess furs are clung or rested onto the coat—which reduces airborne dog allergens. Double coated dogs shed excessive amounts of fur especially during peak shedding seasons—within four to six weeks in late spring and early fall. If your dogs live in a tropical climate, be prepared to see shedding season all year round.

So No Dogs For Allergy Sufferers?

Of course, there is still hope. There are ways to minimize allergens as I listed here. However, it would be much more manageable to get dogs that have comparatively “shed-free” coat (or coatless) especially those breeds with soft, silky, or curly single coats such as Kerry Blues, Portuguese Water Dogs, Poodles to new a few.

If you are looking for a “hypoallergenic dog” but don’t want to fork up hefty sum that designer dogs command, here are twelve purebred small dogs that will suit your fancy.

List of Hypoallergenic Purebred Small Dogs

• American Hairless Terrier (miniature and toy)
• Bedlington Terrier
• Bichon Frise
• Chihuahua (long and smooth coated)
• Chinese Crested Dog (hairless)
• Coton de Tulear
• Italian Greyhound
• Maltese
• Mexican Hairless (toy)
• Miniature Schnauzer
• Poodle (miniature and toy)
• Puli

Most of the dogs mentioned above, besides the hairless breeds (AHT, Chinese Crested, Mexican Hairless), short smooth-coated dogs (Chihuahua and IG) and Puli, require daily grooming to keep allergens at bay.

Long story short, and also to spare myself the agony of reliving those tragic moments, I made the decision to euthanize Rovy after seeing him went through 10 minutes of unconscious breathing.

I’ve had many dogs all my life, but never once I have three dogs died within six months period. Just when old wounds are about to heal, here comes another blow. Honestly, with fourteen (dog) grieving experiences I still haven’t turn pro in dealing them.

I thought really hard about posting Rovy’s death because I don’t want to turn this blog into some kind of an “obituary” site. However, I can’t separate my dogs from this blog. They were the ones who inspired me to restart this site (formally known as small-dogs-breed-lovers.com).

So you might ask, what is the fate of this blog?

I admit, I lost track but I never lose my main focus. As I said earlier, I’m going to continue to blog, if not more fervid as before, but just not so soon. I need to make some adjustments in my personal and business life, but the core structure of this blog will somehow remain the same.

I’d like to apologize for not responding to the recent comments. Do understand that you are not being ignored; it’s just that I haven’t got the mood to reply. I’m very sorry! Also, I like to thank those who wrote me emails, consoling and supporting me.

With Zody quietly cheering me at my side, I’m sure to get back on my feet soon.

Although this was rather expected due to his on-and-off frailty since this past January, I wasn’t ready for him to leave me before his 18th birthday. I had plans to do a special birthday party theme to celebrate his 18 wonderful years with me.

His frailty began to worsen two weeks ago but he never let it affected his daily routine, patrolling the house checking everything in its rightful place, slowly but surely. It was emotionally challenging to watch Snowball strolled around the house on his weak and skinny hind legs. He did, however, show some signs of improvement (better appetite and mentally alertness) just three days prior to. Sadly, that lasted only two days, and then everything gradually went downhill the night before.

Despite his difficulty to articulate any sound, due to his rapid breathing, Snowball “asked” me to stay close to him. Of course, I did even if he didn’t ask me to. During his last five hours, we talked—telepathically. When we both said what we needed to say to each other, Snowball finally took his last four or five gasps and left.

I’m glad he died at home on his own accord, spare me the idea of euthanasia. It also gave Zody and Rovy an opportunity to say goodbye to their father. I was hoping that would lessen their grieving process but it didn’t work that well for Rovy. When I came home after dropping Snowball off at the animal hospital for the following week cremation, Rovy rushed to sniff at the empty carrier bag searching fanatically for him. I wasn’t in the mood to “coax” him out of his grief, so to speak, so I left it at that. The following two mornings were extremely painful, emotionally speaking. Rovy would let out long and sorrowful howls whenever I was out of sight, making our (Zody and myself) grieving process even more excruciating.

As much as I wanted to pretend not to hear the howls, I knew the immediate way to work out his grievance was to have a heart-to-heart talk with him in spite of my own vulnerability. Paradoxically, it helped me in some ways. It got me to re-examine my priorities in life and face those not properly healed wounds (partly ignorance, partly avoidance) that have accumulated over the years.

When you have unresolved issues lingering, it’s almost impossible to write passionately, effectively, and coherently if I may add. Those plasters I’d placed over the wounds and on top over one another need to be removed—either now or never. To help me with this process, which I’d been putting it off for over a year, I’m using The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron. It’s a twelve-weeks program, this is not to say I’ll stop posting until I’m completely unblocked. I’ll still blog but not 2 to 3 posts per week…for now. I don’t know exactly how fast I’ll recover and when will the next doggie post be. All I ask of you readers is to be patient with me as I sort things out.

Whatever the outcome of this program, I’ll still keep this blog updated. After all, it’s one of my precious blogs. If you like what you read here, find them helpful, great; part of my mission accomplished. However, it would help me (and others) enormously if you could spread your love for this blog more widely.

There’s no denying that I want some kind of cheers during this trying time—a journey which I don’t know where it will lead me until I’m aboard.

Any encouragement or comment is greatly appreciated, always!!!

• Type of litter box
• Absorbent materials
• Number of dogs using the litter box

I’ll briefly discuss all the above, and hopefully answer her question.

Type of Litter Box

In this case, I assume she’s not using ScoopFree litter box or any self-cleaning litter box.Conventional litter boxes (manual operated ) are far more inexpensive than automatic ones hence they require regular cleaning and changing of the litter or any suitable absorbent material.

Although with so many designs of conventional litter box available—from a simple plastic tray to a sophisticated “double-decked” box—their cleaning procedures are generally the same. Here are two models to illustrate my point.

Breeze Litter Box System: Basically, it has two trays. The pellets stay on the upper deck where it holds the poops while the urine pass through the pellets and down to the lower tray where a pad is placed. According to the manufacturer, the pellets need to change once a month and for the pad once a week…for one cat or dog!

Booda Dome Clean Step Litter Box: The two things that differentiate Booda from any typical “single-decked” litter box are the built-in mini stairs leading to the litter tray and the hood above it. Changing the litter will depend very much on the quality of the litter you use and the number of dogs using it. As to cleaning the box, it’s made with easy-to-clean plastic and even easier with their disposable liners.

The Absorbent Materials

Clay and pellet litters are the preferred choices when using in conjunction with litter box. Nevertheless, newspaper and pee pad are also used in replace to litters. Dogs are less meticulous than cats about the absorbent materials, however be sure to use the same material consistently.

Litter (Clay or Pellets): With advance technology, more manufacturers are making better litter as compare to yesteryears. Many claim that their litter won’t clump when come in contact with liquid. However, if you have two or more dogs using the same litter box, in no time the litter will clump within two to four days if not by the end of the week.

Pee Pads: Most pee pads are super absorbent and some even claim they’ve odor-blocking protection. Unlike disposable, some washable/reusable pee pads are made of better material which holds the urine without soaking through it and they won’t leave stains even if feces and urine are left to dry for many hours. You can easily wrap off the dry feces markings with any damp cloth and wash the pad in the washing machine when needed.

Newspapers: Though newspaper isn’t the best option for housetraining, nonetheless it does serve some functions when you ran out of litter or pads. Since they aren’t absorbable at all even you placed half an inch thick of newspapers in it, it’d be best to change them after every use.

The Number Of Dogs

When more dogs use the same litter box, naturally, it requires more scooping up of feces, changing of the litter or pee pads or newspapers, and cleaning of the litter box.

Some dogs won’t mind doing their business if the litter box is a little filthy but some fussy dogs, like mine, would not eliminate in it if it were not cleaned after each use.

Conclusion:

Whichever absorbent material you use, you’ll need to change depending on the usage. From personal experiences, I’d suggest using good quality reusable pee pad as it’s more economical and user friendly for dogs. Some dogs are compulsive digger (kicking pellets out of the box) and shredder (tearing disposable pad into pieces).

Whether you have one or many dogs, it’s best to keep the litter box clean always, as this will encourage positive reinforcement—continue using of the litter box. Besides, with regular cleaning it’ll somehow prolong the lifespan of the product and keep your house smelling clean always.

Do remember to check with the manufacturers, be it the box or absorbent material, the proper way to using the product.

What many don’t know about running with their dogs is that dogs, like us, need more complex carbohydrate (than usual) in their diet before going for endurance run.

There are some commercial dog foods that are designed for this purpose. But if you don’t want to buy another bag of kibbles or spend countless hours in the kitchen cooking for your dog, then this easy homemade macaroni and cheese is just superb for your dog.

Stove Top Macaroni and Cheese

Servings: Approximately 8 small-sized or 3 medium-sized dog meals.

Ingredients:

• 1 box of elbow macaroni
• 1 cup of non-dairy cheddar cheese shreds
• 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
• ¼ cup of non-fat milk
• ¼ cup of peas or diced celery
• ¼ cup of carrot, diced
• ¼ cup of ground chicken breast or any lean meat of your dog’s choice except pork
• Pinch of garlic powder to taste

Method:

1. Cook the macaroni as the box instructed, al dente. You might want to give the salt a miss when boiling the macaroni. Your dog will be very thirsty after the run, so don’t make him yelp for more water for every 10-minutes run!
2. Heat oil in a saucepan, sauté the ground chicken breast and vegetables for 3 minutes.
3. Add in the cheese and milk over medium heat unit it melts. Stir often.
4. Pour over the drained pasta and mix well.
5. Add a pinch of garlic powder and allow it to cool.
6. Serve what is needed for that day and refrigerate the leftovers.

Special notes:

For dogs who love to crunch on carrots and celeries, add them when the creamy sauce is about done.

Limit this meal to twice or thrice weekly if your dog is a beginner daily jogger. Most beginners don’t have the stamina to run for 30 minutes or more hence the stored carbohydrate will turn to fats very easily if not “used.”

Remember this is a supplement meal; it should not be replaced over his regular kibbles. You may want to reduce his daily kibbles intake whenever you feed him macaroni and cheese.

If your dog has large and/or floppy ears like Cocker Spaniels, Bassett Hounds, Dachshunds, Weimaraners; they bound to have some earwax buildup if they don’t get cleaned regularly which can lead to serious ear problems. While a little earwax is fine and helps protect the inner workings of his ears, excess earwax can indicate or lead to infection and should be treated without delay. This balance can be tricky because of the composition of dog’s ears. Rather than having one canal directly into the ear, dogs actually have two that form a right angle. While the first may be fresh and clean, the second can retain moisture and form wax.

And if you have medium- to long-haired dogs, they probably have ear hair growing around and in the canal. While it’s a built-in defense against infection, loose hair falling into the canal can actually cause infection itself and should be removed. You only required to pluck the hair once fortnightly or a little later. It is not as painful as you might think if done with correct tweezers. Do not use eyebrow tweezers, the sharp edges can hurt your dog’s ear as that area is very tender and may cause some bleeding if not careful.

Once you get the earwax and hair out of the way, what you left with are clean smelling ears and a very happy dog with 100% hearing ability!

Easy Steps To Clean Your Dog’s Ears

Do invest in a good pair of hair pulling tweezers which costs no more than $20. Besides it has multi-purposes. It can be used as ear swab (as I’ve shown you here), to remove ticks, grass seeds, ear hair, and smallish particles trapped in any part of the body. As for ear cleaning solution, Halo Herbal Ear Wash is my number one choice. Any decent ear powder will get the job done effectively. Personally, I don’t see any difference between the higher end and the ordinary ones, so don’t spend more than it’s necessary. Now you are ready to clean your dog’s ears like the professional groomers do and at a fraction of a cost.

Materials Needed:

• Ear powder
• Ear cleaning solution
• A pair of hair pulling tweezers (either a straight or curved ones)
• Cotton wool

Steps:

1. Apply some ear powder into your dog’s ear. This helps to absorb oil and facilitates plucking of hair in the ear.
2. Using a pair of hair pulling tweezers, pluck the hair around the opening of the ear until the ear canal can be seen visibly. This is for hygiene purpose and prevents ear dirt from adhering to the hair and breeding bacteria.
3. Drip a few drops of ear wash solution into your dog’s ear and gently massage the back (towards the base area) of the outer ear.
4. Place the cotton wool on the opening of the ear canal and hold it in place.
5. With your other available hand, tilt your dog’s head towards the cotton wool to drain out the solution and maybe some earwax.
6. While holding the cotton wool in place, gently massage (in circular motions) the opening of the ear canal.
7. Use the DIY cotton swab to clean the outer ear canal. You may have to do a few more DIY cotton swabs.

Another option is to drip the solution on the cotton wool and clean the ear as much as you can visibly see and reach. Be careful not to probe too deep and hurt you dog. This option will not do a thorough job especially if your dog has a lot of earwax buildup.

Furthermore, some cheap cotton swab have very little cotton wrapped around the rod and when it comes in contact with liquid, you can particularly see the rod underneath it. Imagine how your dog feel with you’re “scraping” his ear instead of wiping it? No wonder some dogs hate having their ears cleaned!

If you have been using cotton wool to clean your dog’s ears, you know you getting half the job done. No matter how dainty your finger is, you can’t clean those hard to reach areas. It’s never a thorough cleaning when your dog has excess earwax buildup. Before showing you how to get your dog’s ears sparkling clean, hairless, and odorless, let me show you how you can make your own cotton ear swab with just a pair of hair pulling tweezers (either a pair of straight or curved hair pullers shown on the right) and some cotton wool.

How To Make Your Own Cotton Ear Swab

Method:

1. Grab the cotton wool in the middle with the tweezers.
2. Press the cotton wool firmly around the tweezers.
3. Twirl the tweezers while holding the cotton wool firmly around the tweezers. The cotton wool should wind around the tip of the tweezers as you are doing it.
4. Eventually the cotton wool is wound tighter around the tweezers tip as you twirl the tweezers.
5. A tightly wound cotton wool around the tweezers tip. You can now use this similar to a cotton bud minus the trauma.

To test if your DIY cotton swab has sufficient cotton wool wrapped around it, dip it in water for a second. If you can see the tweezer through the cotton wool, that’s too little. Be generous with the cotton wool but you don’t want a DIY cotton swab that it’s too bulky to reach the outer ear canal.

It takes a couple of practices, and very soon you’ll become proficient at it just like I am or any professional groomer is.

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Letting your dog eat too many treats at the expense of proper meals would be like us eating granola bars all day long—removing the required nutrients (carbohydrate, protein, fats, vitamins, minerals) from our diet.

Even if the labels on the package clearly states that it is made from “real meat” or includes nutrients that are good for dogs, the proportions in which the ingredients are combined make them inappropriate for forming the bulk of your dog’s diet.

If this treat-pampering habit goes on, you’d be asking for many for health problems such as obesity, heart problem, indigestion, lethargy, constipation, and the list goes on.

Your dog love treats just like we crave for “sinful” foods. The same theory applies; do not over indulge your dog with too many treats. Keep his daily diet a good and balanced one. Such as kibbles with canned dog food or canned dog food with rice, or your homemade canine gourmet meals (my preferred choice). Try to incorporate vegetables and fruits into your dog’s diet, such as chicken and rice with boiled carrots and apple pie for dessert. For more cooking inspirations, check out my dog food recipes category.

Reserve treats for special occasions. Use them sparingly during training or occasional rewards for good behavior or as part of playtime or to entice your dog to eat should he gets finicky about his regular prepackaged meals.

Treating your dog gently with your LOVE and TIME will bring many health benefits.

If you have challenges getting your dog to eat his vegetables or have a family who hates eating leftovers, here is one recipe to the rescue.

Firstly, it is easy to prepare. Secondly, it’s economical—utilizes the typical leftover found in any average family’s fridge. Last but not least, it’s nutritious—gets your children and dog to eat their vegetables without fuss.

Servings: 4 veggie spaghetti fritters (depending the size of your egg ring)

Ingredients:

• 5 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil or canola oil
• 1½ cups leftover spaghetti
• 1 cup of frozen mixed vegetables
• 3 eggs
• ¼ cup of minced chicken or leftover meatballs, mashed (optional)

Note: If your dog is allergic to corn, you might want to use only carrots and peas. As for the leftover meatballs, make sure the ingredients used are safe for dogs’ consumption.

Method:

1. Combine the spaghetti, mixed vegetables, eggs, and minced chicken/meatball in a bowl.
2. Heat the oil in a small frying pan and place a metal egg ring in the pan.
3. Fill the ring three-quarters of the way to the top with the spaghetti mixture.
4. Fry for two to three minutes, or until the bottom half is golden brown.
5. Carefully remove the egg ring. The patty should just hold its shape.
6. Flip the patty and fry for another two minutes, or until it turns a lovely golden brown.
7. Drain on paper towels.
8. Let them cool before serving.

Egg Ring DIY: If you don’t have egg rings, you can make a mold out of an empty tuna tin. Wash the can thoroughly, remove paper wrapper if any, then remove the tops and bottoms of the can with a can opener.

Special notes: The beauty of this dish is that you can omit and replace ingredients as you please. So, feel free to add your favorite garnish (coriander, scallion, chilli) on a separate mixing bowl. In addition, you could serve the patties as they are or with any drippings of your choice. For me, I like it hot. I add a little wasabi into my Japanese mayonnaise dripping.

Most owners tend to overlook and allow their dog’s furry paws to grow incessantly until the next grooming session some time between two to four months later. It only takes 2 to 3 weeks to grow about half an inch, and that’s enough to cover the whole paw pad.

Think of it this way, would you be able to walk comfortably wearing a pair of shoes where the sole is made of cotton yarn—the material used on a mop head?

Very Important Note: Do not attempt to clip your dog if you have never handled a clipper before, let alone clipping your dog’s paws now—an area where most dogs do not like to be touched. Remember, home grooming is not without its risks especially for amateurs and if in doubt, always seek professional groomer’s help.

Clipper Blade Tips: The ideal blade size to use when clipping the paw is no.10 (1.5mm) or no.15 (1.2mm) either Andis or Oster. I use no.15 for this job because I like getting it as close to the skin. For clipper, I much prefer using Andis to Oster as it is lightweight, has “cooler” motor, and durable. As for blades, both are just as efficient as they can be.

Safety Tip: Should the blade get warm, stop clipping. Either change blade or take a break.

Steps To Clipping The Furry Paws

1. Place your dog on a non-slip table or workbench.
2. Lean your dog against your body with his face on the opposite direction of your clipper. Suppose you use your right hand to hold the clipper, your dog’s head will be on your left. So you will have your left forearm to restrain your dog should he be fidgeting.
3. To open up the paw pad, you have to hold the paw firmly with your forefinger and thumb, and gently apply downwards pressure on the sides to spread open the pads for a better clip.
4. Hold the clipper at an angle (as you would be holding a pencil) against the paw while clipping. Do not clip with the blade at a right vertical angle to the paw. The sharp teeth of the blade can punctuate holes into the skin.

Clipping And Scissoring The Furry Feet

• Reposition your dog (facing the clipper) when you want to trim the top and side of the paw, and between the toes. If your dog is not used to clipping, you may need some one to restrain your dog while trimming those areas.
• If you are not going for a close clip, use a no.4 or no.5 blade or you could use a thinning shear instead of a clipper. The length of feathers on the feet should not be shorter than a quarter of an inch and trim no higher up to the first joint. For illustrations on how to use thinning shear to trim the feet, here’s the site.
• Top and side of the paw: Place your thumb a few inches away from the top of the toes and the rest of your fingers below the pastern. Clip it against the hair growth.
• Between the paw: Place your thumb a little above and between the webbed (apply gentle pressure to spread open the toes to allow the clipper entry) and the rest of your fingers around the paw pad and pastern areas. Use only the side of the blade to clip the fur. Do the same for the other two webbed.
• Use a small blunt-tipped scissors and trim the hairs that extend beyond the outline of the foot. What you want is a tidy appearance and a rounded outline of the foot.

I won’t deny it is a tough job clipping furry paws especially if you are new to clipping moving things! It does take a lot of practice and patience. If there is any consolation, I started out working on human heads! I still find it easier to shave heads than to clip dogs who aren’t used to being touched.