The golden retriever's popularity would shoot up if the president chose one, and that would be a bad thing!
Everyone has an opinion on which breed the president should get. Representative Steve Kagen says that Obama should get a golden retriever and shave it.
The allergist turned Democratic congressman rightly points out that there is no such thing as a hypoallergenic dog. However, I think he’s wrong to make this joke: “There is a hypoallergenic dog. It’s called a cat.”
To be honest, I know more people who are allergic to cats than people who are allergic to dogs. If someone is allergic to dogs, well, there’s a chance they could also be allergic to cats.
Shaving might reduce allergens. Remember, though, that people aren’t really allergic to the hair. They are allergic to the dander and saliva. Goldens have very oily coats that seem to collect dander and saliva. That’s why they are usually not recommended for people with allergies.
However, it is a very bad thing to do for a golden retriever. I have had bad experiences with clipped goldens getting both hot spots and sunburn from clippings, and I’ve read that other skin conditions can be aggravated if a golden is clipped. Goldens are skin problem prone– part of it is diet and the other part of it is that they do really poorly in warm humid climates. They are designed for a cold, wet climate, and that oily thick coat protects their sensitive skin as well as keeping them warm and dry.
That’s why I suggest that goldens kept in hot climates should have access to wading pools with ice water in them. It is a far better alternative to shaving them. If you do so because you wanted a short-haired dog, the short-haired alternative to the golden exists. It is called Labrador.
So while a clipped golden might be nice for someone with allergies, it really isn’t the best alternative for a dog breed well-known for its sensitive skin.
Now, I also think the president should steer clear of the golden retriever. In fact, it has nothing to do with the fact that they are “hyperallergenic” breed. It has to do with the reality of the golden retriever’s situation. It is too popular. If this president picks this breed, the golden retriever’s popularity will shoot through the roof.
This is not a good thing. The breed is suffering from a variety of genetic disorders anad an aggression epidemic. It is also losing its desirable qualities, which were that it was a universally easily trained breed with very low aggression towards people and other dogs. As late as ten years ago, it was listed by Dr. Bruce Fogle as “tend[ing] to live the longest of all retrievers.”
What the golden needs is a popularity drop, like the chow chow and rough collie experienced. The chow chow’s surly temperament has been mellowed. Rough collies now exist that have intelligence and gentle temperaments. But when these breeds were extremely popular, both were well-known for their occasional aggression and “stupidity.” Today, both of these breeds have been largely rehabilitated.
And that’s what the golden retriever now needs. If Obama picks one, the golden will fall apart. It won’t fall apart as fast a the Portuguese water dog would, but it is in such a bad state right now that it definitely doesn’t need a popularity boost. The golden never could sustain itself at the Labrador’s current level of popularity. They simply do not have the gene pool. And I’m afraid if the golden got chosen that it could be as popular as the Labrador is right now, perhaps even surpassing it.
For the sake of the breed, Mr. President, don’t get a golden retriever.
For me, a normally-furred golden is a HYPER-allergenic dog. I usually will be wheezing and have a runny nose within an hour of being in the same house with a golden. And I’ve lived comfortably with hairy dogs like an aussie and a sheltie. Yes, I am more strongly allergic to more cats than I am to most dogs, but cats and goldens are pretty equivalent for me in terms of allergic reactions.
All I can think is that Kagen rose to the level of his incompetence in medicine and needed to move to a new place (Congress) so he could rise to the level of his imcompetence there, too.
Even a shaved one would have that effect on you. These are hairy, oily dogs that will aggravate your allergies. And goldendoodles very often inherit this characteristic.
Not very intelligent about allergies nor dogs, is he?
I believe it is a protein in the saliva of cats that causes the allergy. Siamese tend to have higher levels of this protein in their saliva. (It helps to rub the cat with a damp rag or anti-allergy stuff made for this purpose every couple of days.) Now we have a Maine Coon who trains my dogs to behave with cats and otherwise acts a lot doggier than most cats.
I think rabbits have may cause a cross-reaction to those with cat allergy (of the medical type, ha ha).
I’ve never met anything oiler than a Lab….
At least they are not getting a “Shichon.”