Few appointments in the new Obama administration are as eagerly
awaited as the choice of first dog. Animal advocacy groups are lobbying
for a rescue pet. Meanwhile, the American Kennel Club has seized on the
fact that Malia Obama has allergies, suggesting that the first family
choose among several so-called “hypoallergenic” breeds like the Bichon Frise or the poodle.

Now allergy specialists are weighing in as well, noting that there
really is no such thing as a nonallergenic dog. People who are allergic
to dogs are reacting to the pet dander, not the pet hair. Dogs like
poodles, with coats that don’t shed, and hairless dogs will
typically produce less dander than other types of dogs, but they still
can produce enough dander to affect a highly allergic person.

Dr. Jonathan Field, director of the allergy and asthma clinic at New
York University’s Langone Medical Center/Bellevue, said he gets
questions all the time from parents who want dogs despite a
child’s allergies. “Pet allergies are not due to hair, but
are from pet dander — skin flakes — but also can be
reactions to saliva or urine,” Dr. Field said. “Before
investing in a dog, I suggest that parents have their child spend time
with an animal — if possible — to see how they react.”