Abstract
BACKGROUND: Despite the public interest in hypoallergenic dogs, few scientific, including epidemiological studies have attempted to evaluate claims of hypoallergenicity. This study was designed to determine whether dog breeds reported as hypoallergenic correspond to lower dog allergen in the home versus nonhypoallergenic dogs. METHODS: A web search was conducted to identify breeds cited as hypoallergenic. Four separate classification schemes using combinations of purebred and mixed breed dogs were used to compare the levels of Canis familiaris 1 in dust samples collected from homes with hypoallergenic versus nonhypoallergenic dogs from an established birth cohort. RESULTS: No classification scheme showed that the level of dog allergen in homes with hypoallergenic dogs differed from other homes. CONCLUSION: Dog-allergic individuals should have access to scientifically valid information on the level of allergen shedding of different breeds of dogs.