How to Treat and Reduce Your Allergies to Dogs

If you know or suspect that you are allergic to dogs, there are many things you can do to treat and reduce your allergies to dogs.

When people say they are allergic to dogs, they mean they are allergic to dog dander.

Dog dander is old skin cells that the dog sheds.

Dander sits in the dogs fur until it is washed out. There is no such thing as a non-allergic dog.

I found out I was allergic to dogs about a year ago and have searched for ways to reduce and treat my allergic reactions to them.

I have a few tips that work and would like to share them with you.

The best way to reduce your allergies to dogs is to avoid them.

Don't own a dog and pet dogs that people are walking.

Stay away from dog bark parks.

If you are visiting the home of someone who owns a dog, politely ask them to put the dog somewhere else (outside, another room, etc.) while you are there and explain that you have allergies.

If you are around a dog or an area with a dog, wash your hands often and do not touch your face.

You will be able to get most, if not all of the pet dander off your hands when you wash them.

Avoid touching your face because you may have pet dander on your hand.

You do not want that in your eyes, nose, mouth or ears. That is enough to start off an allergic reaction.

After being around a dog, you should wash your clothes in hot water to clean off any pet dander that may have rubbed onto your clothes.

Use a laundry detergent like Allergen Wash Laundry Detergent (see the picture to the right) to remove most allergens from your clothes.

You can still have an allergic reaction to dogs after you are away from the dog if your clothes are carrying dander from a dog.

If you own a dog, vacuum as often as possible. Between the hairs and dander that the dog sheds and the dirt that they bring in from outside on their paws, you will need to vacuum often to get rid of most of the dander, fur and dirt.

I vacuum a floor of my house each day (we live in a townhouse with three floors) to remove as much dander and fur as I can. Each day, my Dyson Animal Vacuum gets filled with dirt, fur and dander!

Another great tip: get a really good vacuum cleaner that cleans deep down like the Dyson Animal. My Allergist and ENT recommended that I get the Dyson Animal Vacuum to help me with my allergies. They said that it is great at picking up pet dander.

Pet dander and oils build up on dogs fur over time. To help remove some of the dander and oil, have your dog washed weekly with a good dog shampoo.

Use a towel designated for your dog and clean. After you clean Fido, clean the towel separate from your clothes in hot water.

Have your dog brushed regularly to help rid it of extra fur and pet dander that could aggravate your allergies.

We spend a large amount of time in our lives asleep. If your dog sleeps in your room, you could wake up in the morning with a stuffy nose and a cough. Keep the dog out of the bedroom at nighttime. Close the door and don't let them in.

If you own a dog and you suffer from allergies to dogs, you could try getting allergy shots. I got my first (and only) dog after my husband and I got married.

I was wondering why my allergies were flaring up, so I went to an Allergist to get tested and found out that I was allergic to dogs (among other things) and she recommended that I get allergy shots.

I go into the clinic once a week to get my allergy shots. I have been doing this for almost a year and can see some improvement.

When you get allergy shots, you get a small dose of your most prevalent allergens injected into the back of your arm. Over time, your body builds up a resistance to the allergen and you have considerable less allergy symptoms to the injected allergens.