Having a Chow Chow as a pet that looks like a smaller version of Lion can be very exciting and fun for you and your family. But, apart from that, there are many factors that you need to consider before you decide if Chow Chow is what you and your family needs. If you or anyone of your family member have allergies to animals, then it is very important to know if a Chow Chow is considered as hypoallergenic or not.
Are Chow Chows hypoallergenic? Chow Chows are not hypoallergenic dog breeds. They tend to have a thick coat that sheds seasonally, not daily. Although you may find their coat very smooth and silky, it requires regular grooming to maintain or to get rid of the danders stuck on their coat. You are more likely to experience some constant shedding once or twice a year but compare to other breeds their coat tends to be less oily.
If you are here to know whether a Chow Chow is hypoallergenic or not, doesn’t need to dictate if you can view/want to have fun. Unfortunately, this breed of dog doesn’t claim the title of hypoallergenic, in fact, there is no such thing as hypoallergenic dogs. Every dog shed sometimes some shed less while some more, that leaves danders.
However, there are some preventive measures that you can learn and take to decrease any possible allergy from getting triggered. If you want to learn more about your Chow Chow shedding, dandruff, and the other thing that may / can contribute to one’s allergies, here is what what you need to know –
Why is not Chow Chow hypoallergenic?
Before we learn why Chow Chow is not considered hypoallergenic let’s know what hypoallergenic stands for. Hypoallergenic means that the animal/pet that someone chooses to keep at his residency is not going to cause allergy to anyone around it. Mostly, it has been experienced that hypoallergenic dogs often shed little to nothing at all.
So, it really means that that hypoallergenic dog breed will not have as much as then those compare to other breeds that trigger allergy or cause any possible irritants for those who are allergy to dogs or other animals.
You may think that having a hypoallergenic dog at home has many advantages like you or the one with allergies, don’t need to take medication to keep it around, which makes it easy to maintain. But let me tell you something, there is no such thing or breed that is 100% hypoallergenic dog. Why?
Look, the two major causes that trigger allergies from pets is their danders and their saliva. Apart from that, many other causes trigger allergy from a pet like their hair, urine, and other things. But in the case of Chow Chow, it’s not their hair or their urine that can cause allergies. In Chow Chows, danders and saliva are going to be the two major irritants
Almost 10% of the United States population is allergic to animals. If there is somebody present in your home around who has allergies from animal especially dog, then it can be very difficult for you to control her / his allergy because most of the dog breed shed and leave danders behind that can trigger one’s allergy.
However, in the case of Chow Chow, due to its long hair, they tend to shed seasonally but fortunately not daily. Chow Chow has a thick coat with long hair which is the major problem for the one who has an allergy from a dog. Bad grooming of Chow Chow can promote danders forming to fall out onto one’s clothes and over the couch. So, the main reason behind Chow Chow is not considered as a hypoallergenic dog is that they tend to have thick Coat that shed seasonally. They will also have danders that can cause major irritants. Danders is alone enough to bother one’s allergy.
So, in conclusion, so-called dog breeds that claim the title of hypoallergenic dogs are not entirely void of shedding and danders. Dogs breed that is considered as hypoallergenic only considered hypoallergenic due to not having the same reaction as dogs who shed frequently and tends to have the thick coat with longer hair
Talking about the types of coat, usually, two different types of coat are found in dogs breeds – a single coat or a double coat. Dogs that have double coat need to shed frequently because they will have more hair/fur that needs to lose in the summer season to stay cooler.
Without shedding their hair/fur, they can’t even survive in the summer season or can make them feel cool in those warm days.
In the case of Chow Chow, the same rule applies here too. Due to their thick coat with long hair, they need to shed more in the spring because of the warmer temperature.
Plus, it can be pretty much difficult for you to maintain a Chow Chow coat if you don’t have any experience with dog grooming. However, if you know how to deal with dog grooming, you can easily maintain their coat.
Chow Chow is not considered hypoallergenic because of its thick coat with longer hair that needs to shed more in the Early Spring/summer.
Chow Chow shed, how much?
Every single dog breed shed sometimes, some shed more while some shed less. Plus, some shed daily while some shed seasonally/occasionally. Anybody can notice its long hair by looking at their coat if they are going to shed more or less. So, Chow Chows do shed but not as much as you/one would think.
Chow Chow tends to have a thick coat which is definitely going to lose some hair when they will be scratching themselves against things or playing around. Everybody is aware that dog’s hairs grow continuously and it needs to replace the old ones in which old hair will subsequently fall out.
As the dog grows old, its coat becomes quite thinner due to constant shedding. This happens as new hair needs to grow in to replace the old ones, which is the normal simple cycle that needs to happen throughout his lifetime.
But when the dogs are young or at their early/growing stage, they tend to have very high energy running through their veins because of which you may find them rubbing themselves against things or licking themself to find the itch. When a dog rubs themselves or licks themselves, it helps them to keep their here and danders to more of a minimum.
So, Chow Chow is also going to shed as it is a part of their life cycle process and its coat needs to make room for new hair growth. However, if you experience your Chow Chow shedding daily then there is definitely something wrong with your buddy like excessive shedding. Excessive shedding is one of the common health problems that you can find in dogs.
Excessive shedding can also be life-threatening for your dog if not treated early. A few minor things that contribute to increased shedding of their fur/hair are poor diet, bad grooming, or your buddy is suffering from allergies. But coming to the point as I told you earlier, they only shed seasonally. You should always look for excessive shedding in your Chow Chow.
But, in the summer or spring season, your Chow Chow is going to shed most. Apart from that if you live in a place where the temperature is always high, then you might expect to see some frequent shedding going on, on your dog’s coat than he or she should have.
Here’s what contributes to people’s allergies
Lots of things are present in animals that can contribute to people allergy but here, we will only discuss two of the major causes that come from Chow Chow that can trigger one’s allergies. According to the surveys and research, two of the biggest things that have triggered most of the United States’ people’s allergies are their danders and saliva.
In this case, Chow Chow tend to develop thick coat Which means it will have more danders allergens then Saliva allergens. Usually, danders come out from a dog coat when they scratch themselves or rub themselves against somethings to itch itself. When they do such things, it promotes the spreading of small particles into the air and onto the floor which are known as danders that have the potential to Trigger people’s Allergy.
Most people suffer from allergies to animals due to their over-sensitive immune systems And danders released from Chow Chow’s coat can easily contribute some problems to his / her allergy. Some people can also get affected only by their urine and saliva.
Tips to avoid allergy from being triggered by Chow Chow
After knowing that Chow Chows are not hypoallergenic, there are few tips for you and for families with an allergy to prevent too much-shedding and danders from getting spread around your house. Everybody wants to enjoy their life with their Chow Chows and want to prevent too much dandruff and shedding, that’s why here we are going to share some tips for you and your families.
Grooming
Maybe you don’t think that grooming is much as effective as it sounds but let me tell you something – proper grooming can make a huge difference in how one allergy reacts to Chow Chows. Effective and proper grooming can prevent too many dander from getting stuck around your house or onto your clothes
One of the most important factors of proper grooming that can make a huge difference is brushing their coat regularly. It is very-very-very important to brush their coat daily. Make sure you brush their coat every day, even during the non-shedding periods/season.
It is very necessary to get rid of those loose hairs or excessive fur that can get stuck on your cloth when you will be playing or handling your little buddy. Adding to that in the part of seasons when their hair needs to get replaced or changed, it is also very important to use a good De-shedding tool because the shedding is going to be much heavier than expected.
Here is the best slicker brush that can really help you out in brushing their coat effectively. This brush has been tested on thousands of dog breeds and let me tell, you will be amazed by seeing how much a little brush can make a difference.
Reviews are great in this brush and I will highly recommend you to invest in it as it is durable, reliable, easy to use and nice to hold. It can lessen your efforts and works and can give you long-lasting effects. 🙂
| Best Bristle Brush | Feature & Why to Buy | Check on Amazon |
Hertzko Self Cleaning Slicker/bristle Brush   | It can help in getting rid of any kind of mats without any pain. Your dog will feel great too. Amazon Choice and Best Rated Popular Brush. It’s a slicker brush that acts as a bristle brush too and can add a great finish. | View on Amazon |
In shedding season a Good de-shedding tool can help you very much and can make things easier for you. If you don’t have one, you can buy from Amazon Store or you can just use a simple brush to brush their coat, to get rid of those loose fur that is just waiting and sitting to be rubbed off on to your couch for the clothes
| Best De-shedding Tool | Feature & Why to Buy | Check on Amazon |
FURminator Undercoat Deshedding Tool   | It can help you in de-shedding their most loose hairs in minutes and lessen your efforts and work. | View on Amazon |
Make sure that you moisturize their skin too because dry skin can also promote shedding. Daily brushing their coat can help you prevent their skin from being dry. How? Whenever somebody brushes their coats, their skin releases natural oils over its body that indirectly helps to prevent the skin from getting dry. Usually, no dry skin means less danders.
Chow Chow tends to have long hair, brushing their coat is the most important factor of grooming that is required. Make sure, that you brush their coat outside the house as it will stop the hair from getting spread all over the house and prevent it from getting collected inside.
Apart from that, it was also very smart if the person who is allergic to dogs is not around when the brushing of your dog will be done.
Make sure that you make your dog’s grooming experience painless and fun because most of the dogs hate being groomed. Most of the time, it has been seen that inexperienced dog owners brush their dog’s coat against the direction of the hair growth if you also tend to do so, let me tell you that it is wrong. Brushing their coat against the direction of the hair growth can make your dog feel pain. So, you must brush their coat with the direction their hair grows and also keep in mind to set a fixed schedule to make things better.
Bathing
This is also one of the most important factors that can help you prevent any allergies from getting triggered. Most of the people misconceptions that bathing there Chow Chow too often can prevent too much danders from shedding or getting stuck around your house corners or on your clothes.
But the truth is this is not the case, it’s the opposite. You should know that bathing your dog too much can make its skin look unnatural and dry. Dry skin means more danders. Bathing your Chow Chow once or twice a week can cause more danders forming on their dry skin.
Bath them, when you feel it is necessary. From our end, it will be recommended to bath them only once a month or every 6 weeks. In case, if you are bathing them once or twice a week or twice a month, you should control or change the bathing schedule.
From my experience, I have seen that most of the dogs don’t even like getting their feet on the water or getting a bath and also, it can make them behave incorporative and feel unhappy too. I would recommend you to limit their bath once every month as it will make everyone happy.
However, if your Chow Chow lifestyle is surrounded by more outside activities and you feel that your dog need a bath due to your Chow Chow’s paws getting into something smelly or getting dirty outside, then it is OK to bath them but make sure that you do it in the right way by which I mean using proper shampoo or conditioner.
If you think that bathing them with warm water or cold water is going to make any difference in their skin then it’s not because it is not going to moisturize their skin. When you bath a dog it leaves their skin dry, so it is very advisable to use proper and natural conditioners and shampoo that can help them to moisturize the skin during bath.
Some people may find that natural shampoos and conditioners are expensive than others but believe me it is going to worth it for your dog’s skin and coat
| Shampoo | Best For | Why To Buy | Check on Amazon |
Earthbath Shed Control Shampoo   | Aggressive Shedder | It can Remove Dirts and Dead/Loose Hairs From Your Dog Skin. It also Smells Nice. Best Rated. | View on Amazon |
Healthy Breeds Herbal Shampoo for Dry Itchy Skin   | For Long Haired Dog Breed | It works best for Long Haired Dogs and Prevents Dryness. It can relieve Your Dog From any Kind of Itch. 5 Star Rating | View on Amazon |
Oster Oatmeal Essentials Shed Control Dog Shampoo   | Perfect For Any Dog Breed That Shed | It smells good. It can kill itchiness and can also reduce the amount of shedding. Amazon Choice & 4.7 rated. | View on Amazon |
When you will be bathing your dog, it is not very important to keep the person who is allergic away, as their hairs and the danders would be floating around them in the water and it is not going to cause or trigger any reaction to that person. However, it is recommended to not allow the person who is allergy with the dog doing the actual bathing
Washing your hand after petting your Chow Chow.
Everybody knows that it’s a very good and healthy habit to wash their hands when they leave the bathroom but you know it is very advisable and recommended to wash your hand after you are done petting you are Chow Chow.
It is recommended to wash your hand after each playtime with your dog, as it can improve your / once allergic reaction to animals/dogs.
Whenever somebody pets their dog and doesn’t wash their hand after petting them or playing with them, unconsciously they touch their head, nose, eyes, hair, mouth your face and get those intense closer to the place where it shouldn’t be.
Whenever somebody pets their dog, lots of small particles like dirt, danders or other things can get stuck on the clothes or on your hands/palm. It can create huge problems if not heightened. Not washing your hand after petting your dog can increase the chances of allergies to get triggered by those irritants.
So, make sure after petting your dogs, you always wash your hand with a good hand wash so that you can prevent these irritants from getting spread all over you and causing you any possible allergy reaction from getting triggered
We are not saying that you shouldn’t play with your dog or spend some quality time with your Chow Chow but ignoring a proper hand wash after spending time can cause you a huge problem in the future as it can promote allergic reactions or worsen ongoing problems in you or your family member.
It will be very smart if you wash your hand as it is the best thing that you can do to prevent any allergic reactions from being triggered. Ignoring a proper hand wash can also make you feel itch around your hand and body and you might where to take a quick shower to get itch-free
Containing the hair
Just as stated earlier, your Chow Chow shredded hair can get spread every corner of your house, you can even find it on the couch, on your bed, or even on your dress. No no, it’s not the end you can also find it on the floor, in the bathroom and even in food sometimes. Yeah, you heard it right, so it will be recommended if you just contain their hair at a spot as it can help stop allergies from getting triggered.
From our viewpoint, the best place to contain their hair would be the place where your Chow Chow is going to sleep at night because it has been seen that lots of shedding take place when a dog sleeps, due to their whole body getting pressed or rubbed against something. It will also be recommended if you train them where to find their bed when they want to sleep.
The best place to keep all the loose hairs/furs that have been shed all over the night is their own bed. You must train them to associate that spot with sleep as it can help you very much in containing that shredded hair in one spot at night.
Associating them with that spot with sleep can let them know where to take a nap when they feel sleepy. It will make them aware that it is their sleep space.
Containing those hairs can make the cleaning very easy for you as all the hairs are going to contain on that particular spot daily and in this way, you can keep other places clean and allergy-free.
Medications
This is the first that comes in a person’s mind when you find that your favorite breed of dog is not hypoallergenic. In terms of medication, you are very fortunate if you have allergies to an animal as you can easily find dozens of medication out in the public stores that can help you lessen the problem that can be caused by General pet saliva, danders, urine, and here
Dozens of medications and over-the-counter antihistamines are present that you can find at your local Walgreens or Walmart. You can just easily visit and purchase those antihistamines by walking into the allergic aisle. Some of the common antihistamines that you may find at your local Walgreens or Walmart store – over the counter are Claritin, Zyrtec, Allegra, Benadryl, and many others.
| (Some Common Over The Counter Antihistamines) |
| Loratadine |
| Fexofenadine |
| Diphenhydramine |
| Brompheniramine |
| Chlorpheniramine |
| Cetirizine |
This common antihistamine can come in various forms like liquid, nasal sprays, gels, and even in the form of eye drops. Do you know histamines are the major problem and cause that creates problems for the people who are allergic to animals? Using antihistamine can block those histamines and stop them from causing these problems.
If you are one of them who experiences a sense of becoming immune to those antihistamine then let me tell you – it’s not true because this is not the case. The main reason for that experience can be not taking your medications regularly which is essential for blocking those problems.
If you really want to block those histamines by which I mean problems and maintain a healthy immune system, you must consider taking antihistamines daily. For you, the best way could be by setting a reminder to take your medications regularly as it can help you to keep your Immune system healthy and become less irritated
Bedroom off-limit
Have you watched the movie in which a girl sleeps with their buddy into the bed? If you have, And if you find it very cute, then Let me aware you that it is the major cause that contributes to the problem of being allergic. A dog will always shed either in their own bed or on your bed.
If you sleep with them in your bed, then you should know that they are going to rub their back whenever they will feel itch on their body and even scratch themselves in your bed to get rid of it, which can leave danders right into your bed, where you will be putting your face and hand unconsciously – allowing those irritants to get right into your nose and eyes that can make you feel Miserable
If you want to prevent this kind of situations then you can just simply make some bedroom off-limit rules. Teaching your dog to stay off your bed and making them aware that it’s not a doggy place. It is recommended that you close the bedroom door as it will give the notion to your dog that it’s not the place where we can be roaming around.
Dogs that are less likely to trigger allergies
- Shih Tzu
- Giants Schnauzer
- Poodle
- Maltese Terrier
- Portuguese water dog
- Hounds
- Whoodle
94% of pet owners say their animal pal makes them smile more than once a day. In 2007, I realized that I was made for saving Animals. My father is a Vet, and I think every pet deserves one. I started this blog, “InPetCare”, in 2019 with my father to enlighten a wider audience.