62: Are Doodles REALLY Hypoallergenic? The Science Behind Dog Allergies with Amanda Venturino

Are Doodles REALLY hypoallergenic, or is it just a myth? 🤔🐶
If you've heard that Goldendoodles, Labradoodles, and other Poodle mixes are perfect for allergy sufferers, you might be surprised by what the science actually says!

In this episode of The Doodle Pro® Podcast, dog scientist & ethical breeder Amanda Venturino (MSc in Immunology & Animal Science) breaks down the truth about Doodle coat genetics, dog allergens, and what hypoallergenic actually means.

✨ You’ll Learn: 

✅ What “hypoallergenic” REALLY means (and why it’s often misunderstood)
✅ The science behind dog allergies & the Can F1 protein
✅ Why some Doodles shed more than others (and how genetics plays a role)
✅ How to reduce allergens if you're allergic to your own dog!
✅ The most important questions to ask breeders if allergies are a concern

This episode was recorded in 2023 (for details, check out Where Did The Doodle Pro GO?! ). Since then, Amanda has welcomed two more litters, and her anticipated fall 2025 litter is planned with a puppy from the litter mentioned in this episode—pending the completion of final intensive health testing.

Additionally, GANA™ has transitioned from ribbons to bronze, silver, and gold badges. You can find more details on their website here.

🎧 [00:01:00] - Are Doodles really hypoallergenic? Breaking the myth
🎧 [00:05:00] - The science of allergies: What does “hypoallergenic” actually mean?
🎧 [00:10:00] - Doodle coat genetics: Why do some shed more than others?
🎧 [00:16:00] - Understanding F1, F1B, and different Doodle generations
🎧 [00:22:00] - Can allergy-friendly dogs really exist? What the research says
🎧 [00:30:00] - How bathing reduces allergens by 84%!
🎧 [00:35:00] - What needs more research? The missing science behind dog allergies
🎧 [00:37:00] - Final takeaways: What Doodle owners need to know

🐾 Resources & Links Mentioned:

🔹 Goldendoodle Association of North America (GANA™)
🔹 Amanda’s Website & Socials
🔹 Read Amanda’s research on The Functional Dog Collaborative
🔹 Follow The Doodle Pro® for more expert advice:
📸 Instagram: @thedoodlepro
🎧 More Episodes: The Doodle Pro Podcast

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#DoodleDogs #HypoallergenicDogs #Goldendoodle #Labradoodle #DogAllergies #DogGenetics #PoodleMix #TheDoodlePro

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Transcript

Are Doodles Really Hypoallergenic? The Truth About Dog Allergies & Shedding

🎙️ Guest: Animal Scientist & Breeder Amanda Venturino

Hosted by Corinne Gearhart, The Doodle Pro®

[INTRO: Are Doodles Really Hypoallergenic?]

Amanda Venturino: [00:00:00] And in this case, we're talking about Doodles or other dog breeds. If 80 percent of people are recorded as saying, "Hey, I don't have an allergic reaction to these dogs," there's something really interesting going on there. And I'm very interested in allergies from that perspective.

Many of our listeners know that I fell into working with Doodles, Poodles, and Poodle mixes because I have allergies to almost all animals, especially cats, but also dogs. In order to welcome dogs into my home and work with them, I needed to make sure I wasn’t having allergy symptoms. I discovered that I stayed healthy and allergy-free with Doodles and Poodle mixes.

In a recent episode, I had said, "Remember, there's no such thing as a hypoallergenic dog." I was trying to convey that just because one person doesn’t have an allergic reaction, there’s no guarantee another won’t.

At The Doodle Pro®, we love to be rooted in science—so what does the research actually tell us?

I was thrilled when an animal scientist friend challenged me on this topic and suggested we clarify what "hypoallergenic" really means. Some breeders claim Doodles are hypoallergenic, while others, including myself, have stated, "No dog is completely hypoallergenic."

So today, I am thrilled to welcome animal scientist and reputable Doodle breeder Amanda Venturino to discuss the truth behind Doodle allergies, shedding, and genetics.

[Who is Amanda Venturino? Expert Guest Introduction]

Corinne Gearhart: I am so excited to introduce Amanda Venturino. She is an animal scientist with three degrees in animal science:
✔ Bachelor’s degree from Cornell University
✔ Master’s in Reproduction and Neuroscience
✔ Master’s in Immunology, Infectious Diseases, and Vaccine Development from the University of Calgary

Amanda is also a reputable Goldendoodle breeder and Blue Ribbon-certified with GANA (Goldendoodle Association of North America).

Today, we’re diving deep into:
✅ What hypoallergenic really means
✅ The science behind dog allergens like Can F1
✅ Why some Doodles shed and others don’t
✅ How to reduce allergens if you’re allergic to your Doodle

[What Does “Hypoallergenic” Actually Mean?]

Amanda Venturino: Absolutely. I’m really excited to get this term straightened out because so many people misuse the word "hypoallergenic"—not just breeders, but also dog owners, trainers, and even allergists.

Corinne Gearhart: If we look at how the term is colloquially used, I’d say many people think hypoallergenic means "non-allergenic." That’s a huge misconception.

A hypoallergenic dog is not one that causes zero allergic reactions. Instead, it means less allergenic.

Can you explain this distinction further?

Amanda Venturino: Sure! The term hypoallergenic comes from two root words:

• Hypo = Less
• Allergenic = The ability to induce an allergic response

So, "hypoallergenic" means "less likely to cause an allergic reaction"—not "non-allergenic."

You’ll see the term hypoallergenic on baby bottles, shampoos, and linens, but it’s not a regulated or scientific term, which is why it gets misused all the time.

[The Science Behind Dog Allergies & Can F1 Proteins]

Corinne Gearhart: So when breeders market their Doodles as hypoallergenic, or when allergy sufferers assume they need a Poodle mix because of their allergies, there’s often some misunderstanding.

For listeners who love science, let’s get a little nerdy. Can you explain what makes an allergic reaction different from a typical immune response?

Amanda Venturino: Absolutely! In the human body, there are five different types of antibodies, and their job is to help the immune system recognize and fight invaders.

The most common antibody is IgG (Immunoglobulin G)—this is the typical immune response to bacteria, viruses, and fungi.

But then there’s IgE (Immunoglobulin E), which is responsible for allergic reactions.

When IgE is activated, it triggers histamine release, which causes classic allergy symptoms like:

• Redness & itchy eyes 👀
• Coughing & sneezing 🤧
• Runny nose
• In severe cases, asthma or difficulty breathing

So when someone is allergic to dogs, their immune system is overreacting to specific proteins—especially the Can F1 protein found in dog dander, saliva, and fur.

[Why Do Some Doodles Shed More Than Others? Coat Genetics Explained]

Corinne Gearhart: So, not all Doodles are the same when it comes to shedding. Some Doodle owners are shocked to find their dog still sheds! Can you explain why some Doodles shed more than others?

Amanda Venturino: Yes! Shedding is genetically controlled, and Doodles inherit their coats from both parent breeds.

There are four types of Doodle coats:
✔ Curly (Poodle-like, low-shedding)
✔ Wavy (Medium shedding)
✔ Straight (More shedding)
✔ Flat-Coated Doodles (Heavier shedding, more Retriever traits)

There are three key genes that control shedding:
1️⃣ Furnishings gene (F) – Determines facial hair & shedding level
2️⃣ Long coat gene (L) – Controls coat length
3️⃣ Shedding gene (S) – Determines how much fur a dog loses

A fully furnished, non-shedding Doodle should have:
✔ Two copies of the furnishings gene (FF)
✔ No copies of the shedding gene

[Final Thoughts: Are Doodles Truly Hypoallergenic?]

Corinne Gearhart: So the big takeaway is that Doodles can be hypoallergenic—but not 100% non-allergenic.

• Shedding and allergen levels vary between individual Doodles.
• The science on hypoallergenic dogs still needs more research.
• If you have severe allergies, you should test your reaction before getting a dog.

Amanda Venturino: Exactly! And if you already own a Doodle and have allergies, you can reduce allergens by:
✔ Bathing your Doodle weekly 🛁 (Reduces allergens by 84%!)
✔ Keeping their coat short ✂️
✔ Using a HEPA air purifier 🌬️

[🎧 Listen to the Full Podcast Episode]

Want the full scientific breakdown on hypoallergenic Doodles? Listen to my full interview with animal scientist Amanda Venturino now!

📢 🎙️ Listen Now on The Doodle Pro® Podcast!

📸 Follow us for more Doodle training & care tips:

• Instagram: @thedoodlepro
• Website: TheDoodlePro.com

I'll provide the full transcript in a simple format that you can easily copy and paste:

Are Doodles Hypoallergenic? The Science Behind Dog Allergies

Episode Summary: In this informative episode of The Doodle Pro Podcast, host Corinne Gearhart interviews animal scientist and reputable goldendoodle breeder Amanda Venturino about what "hypoallergenic" really means when it comes to doodles and other dog breeds. Amanda explains the science behind dog allergies, the genetics of doodle coats, and why some people with allergies can tolerate certain breeds better than others.

Keywords: doodles, hypoallergenic dogs, dog allergies, goldendoodles, doodle genetics, furnishings gene, shedding gene, canine allergens, animal science

Host: Corinne Gearhart, The Doodle Pro: And in this case we're talking about doodles or other dog breeds. If 80 percent of people are recorded as saying, "Hey, I don't have an allergic reaction to these dogs," there's something really interesting going on there. And I'm very interested in allergies from that perspective.

Host: Corinne Gearhart, The Doodle Pro: Many of our listeners know that I fell into working with doodles, poodles, and poodle mixes because I have allergies to almost all animals, especially cats, but also dogs. And in order to welcome dogs and work with them in my home, I was able to identify that I was still healthy and wasn't having allergy symptoms with doodles and poodle mixes.

Host: Corinne Gearhart, The Doodle Pro: In a recent episode, I had said, "Remember, there's no such thing as a hypoallergenic dog." Trying to convey just because one doesn't have an [00:01:00] allergic reaction like me, there's no guarantee. And just like everything here at the Doodle Pro, we like to be rooted in science and what does the research tell us?

Host: Corinne Gearhart, The Doodle Pro: And I was thrilled when I had an animal scientist friend challenge me on let's actually discuss what hypoallergenic means and are we being accurate when we describe it in that way, both when some breeders say that their doodles are hypoallergenic or when people say statements like I did, that no dog is completely hypoallergenic.

Host: Corinne Gearhart, The Doodle Pro: So I am thrilled to welcome animal scientist and reputable doodle breeder, Amanda Venturino.

Host: Corinne Gearhart, The Doodle Pro: Doodle breed dogs are easy to love, but can be challenging to parent. I'm doodle expert Corinne Gearhart, also known as the Doodle Pro, and I'm here to help doodle parents have a more fulfilling and rewarding experience with their doodles. No one has professionally worked with as many different doodle breeds [00:02:00] or has more experience with doodles than I have.

Host: Corinne Gearhart, The Doodle Pro: And I love to share my expertise in a fun, compassionate and nonjudgmental way. From my years of work and education in the pet care and dog training industry, I have an incredible network of skilled training, grooming and veterinary professionals to share their knowledge with you and give you the doodle specific answers you're looking for.

Host: Corinne Gearhart, The Doodle Pro: I hope you enjoy today's episode as I help you parent your doodle like a pro.

Host: Corinne Gearhart, The Doodle Pro: Amanda Venturino is an animal scientist with three degrees in animal science, bachelor's from Cornell, master's in reproduction and neuroscience and an MSC from the University of Calgary in immunology, infectious diseases and vaccine development.

Host: Corinne Gearhart, The Doodle Pro: And she's a reputable golden doodle breeder, and she is blue ribbon certified with GANA, the Golden Doodle Association of North America. [00:03:00] So I am thrilled to delve deeper into are doodles hypoallergenic? And what the heck does that mean? With our guest today, animal scientist and doodle breeder, Amanda Venturino.

Host: Corinne Gearhart, The Doodle Pro: Thank you so much for joining us, Amanda.

Amanda Venturino: Hi, Corinne. I am absolutely thrilled to be here. Thank you so much for having me today.

Host: Corinne Gearhart, The Doodle Pro: This is such a joy and I love when I have colleagues and people that I respect from different backgrounds who can challenge me and be like, hang on, what exactly do you mean by that? And then we have had some great conversations delving deeper and I just really wanted to share what I learned and what you've learned and doing even further research with our listeners and doodle enthusiasts.

Amanda Venturino: Absolutely. I'm so excited. So thank you so much.

Host: Corinne Gearhart, The Doodle Pro: Oh, it's my pleasure. I'm really excited to get this term straightened out because it is not just you. It is a lot of other people that misuse the term hypoallergenic. I have seen breeders, [00:04:00] dog owners, people who are not super fond of doodles use that as evidence. I've even heard allergists and immunologists misusing the term as well, and I would love to be able to straighten that out.

Host: Corinne Gearhart, The Doodle Pro: Wonderful. If we were to speak to how it's colloquially used that's a mouthful there. I would say that many people think hypoallergenic means non allergenic. And so in my episode, when I was describing no dog is completely non allergenic. You never know when they're bringing in pollen from outside or their saliva, et cetera. But let's talk about what it actually means, not our colloquial use of it. Can you talk a little bit about what does the actual term hypoallergenic mean?

Amanda Venturino: Sure. So the term hypoallergenic comes from two root words, hypo, meaning less and allergenic, meaning the ability to induce an allergic response.

Amanda Venturino: So the word in and of itself means [00:05:00] something that is less likely to be allergenic. Not non allergenic, which is like you said, how a lot of people misuse the term. You may see the term hypoallergenic on baby bottles and shampoo. For example it's also used on fabrics or sheets, linens. I've seen the term hypoallergenic all over the place, and it is not a regulated term, and it is not necessarily a scientific term, which is also why it is sometimes misused.

Host: Corinne Gearhart, The Doodle Pro: Yes, and just even misunderstood when breeders like say on their website or when they're promoting their litters that, their dogs are hypoallergenic or there'll be people that'll say, I need to get a doodle because I have allergies and because they've heard this kind of lore. Let's get a little nerdy for those who enjoy science a bit. What would you say is [00:06:00] different about an allergic reaction compared to a typical immune response to other pathogens?

Amanda Venturino: Sure. In the human body, there are five different types of antibodies and antibodies are a tag. It signals to your immune cells, Hey, this is something that doesn't belong here. I'm gonna mark it for you so you can come back and take over and eat that thing that's not supposed to be here. IgG is immunoglobulin G, and that is the most common antibody. That is your regular response to any foreign invaders, bacteria, viruses, fungi, anything like that.

Amanda Venturino: Then there's another one called GE, immunoglobulin E, which is responsible specifically for an allergic immune response or for parasites as well. It responds to parasites, which is very different. When IgE is activated, it induces your typical immune response. You have [00:07:00] histamine release, you get redness, itchy eyes, you're coughing, runny nose, that is the sign of an allergic reaction. Sometimes it is so severe, it induces asthma or difficulty breathing. And that's all responsible from IGE. So when somebody is having an immune response or somebody has, is sensitized or allergic to something, they're expressing.

Host: Corinne Gearhart, The Doodle Pro: And so having that basic understanding of what we're describing when we're talking about an allergic reaction, in your research, how many people are allergic to dogs? Tell me how I'm not alone.

Amanda Venturino: You are. You are not alone. It seems to be, and based on a couple of different papers, it depends on how they've surveyed people, but it's about 20 to 30 percent in the United States are considered to be allergic to dogs. [00:08:00]

Amanda Venturino: What's very interesting about that though, is 80 percent of people who claim to be allergic to dogs identify that hypoallergenic dog breeds do not induce an allergic response within them.

Host: Corinne Gearhart, The Doodle Pro: That's so interesting. And you found that there's not research that's like real data that's backing that it's really a lot more anecdotal that doodles are better for people like me.

Amanda Venturino: Yeah. And not just doodles, but what we refer to as hair breeds. There is a really amazing groomer that a long time ago wrote a book and decided to identify the different kinds of dogs we have regarding their fur at least. So dogs all have fur, but there are certain dogs that have fur and certain dogs that they identified as hair dogs.

Amanda Venturino: And those will be dogs that don't typically shed. So your doodles, your poodles, [00:09:00] Maltese, Yorkies, Havanese, South Puerto Rican Terriers, all of those breeds that anything that require that hair naturally grows really long, they need to go see a groomer in order to shave them down every once in a while. Those guys.

Host: Corinne Gearhart, The Doodle Pro: And I have hair, not a traditional dog coat, right? But my hair, when I brush it a little bit comes out in the brush, just the same as any of these dogs that we identify as non shedding it's that their hair needs to be cut just like mine. Otherwise it just keeps growing and growing versus just shedding and falling out without needing to be cut. Just because a little bit of hair comes off your dog when you're brushing them doesn't mean they're in a different category.

Amanda Venturino: This is true. Yeah. And we also know that there are some doodles that are going to shed a little bit more than other doodles. There are some that end up being heavy shutters and that is a product of the breeder and the pairing of the two dogs.

Host: Corinne Gearhart, The Doodle Pro: What you're sharing is so important for [00:10:00] our listeners who are looking for a doodle, trying to understand why they are actually allergic to a doodle and they thought they were hypoallergenic and for those who are, if you have one, you're going to get another. So when they're looking for their second doodle, so we can discuss why some doodles shed and more or less and why some don't.

Amanda Venturino: Sure. We've noticed that there are some doodles that are low shutters or heavier shutters. There is also a version of a doodle or a golden doodle called a flat coat, and those are the ones that have it's called an incorrect furnishing, and I'll get into that in a minute, but they tend to be heavy shutters. They have more of the retriever side to them than they do the poodle side. So there's four types of doodles. There's curly, wavy, straight and flat coated. So thinking about all four of those scientists to date have discovered that there are three genes that have been identified that are associated with the amount of [00:11:00] shedding that a dog will have.

Amanda Venturino: And there could be more that could be identified later. But for now there are three that we know of. The first one is furnishings. That's that fluff around the face, the eyebrows. So when you have at least one copy of furnishings, that is going to reduce shedding. Two copies is going to reduce it even more. So that's represented by an F. So FF is going to be furnishings. If it's an FI, then that means that eye is like an incorrect coat.

Amanda Venturino: That means that they just have one copy, but the one copy is helpful to still ensure that they won't shed. Once you have two eyes, so if the dog has two eyes, that's going to be that flat coat, the one that does shed heavily.

Amanda Venturino: The second gene is for long coat. Dogs that have a longer coat, all of the breeds that we mentioned previously, including doodles, tend to have a long coat. And the third one is a shedding gene. [00:12:00] So dogs that are homozygous, so they have two copies for the shedding gene, are heavy shedders. One copy or medium and no copies are low shutters. We know that dogs that are furnished tend to be low shutters regardless of whether or not they have that shedding gene though. So sometimes the furnishing gene overpowers the rest of them.

Host: Corinne Gearhart, The Doodle Pro: I think what you're sharing is just fascinating because a lot of breeders are now able to test for what genes the dogs that they're crossing are carrying. Are they able to test for all of those now? Things like Embark and stuff.

Amanda Venturino: Embark, Cochrane Genetics, and I believe Wisdom also tests for all three of those. And a good breeder is going to know those answers prior to eating a dog. If you are interested in getting a doodle, and you're talking to your breeder, and allergies are a concern for you, then that's something you should ask your breeder about. So you should ask them what those markers are for the [00:13:00] dam and the sire.

Host: Corinne Gearhart, The Doodle Pro: And if you really have somebody in your family who struggle with allergies, and this is a top priority to you, what is the ideal answer you're going to get of this is the profile of the litter that we're breeding.

Amanda Venturino: You want something that is fully furnished, does have one or you would want them to have both of the copies of the long coat. And you would also want them to have none of the copies for shedding.

Host: Corinne Gearhart, The Doodle Pro: Wonderful. That's very helpful.

Amanda Venturino: But I want people to also understand that's still not a guarantee that they're not going to have an allergic response. People who have significant dog allergies really should contact an allergist and talk to their doctor about that because there is no guarantee that any dog is going to work for you.

Amanda Venturino: Doodles are a little different. They are a mix. We recognize that they are a crossbreed and we need to also recognize they are hypoallergenic. But [00:14:00] we have to recognize that some people are still going to be allergic to dogs and are going to be allergic to some of those dog breeds.

Host: Corinne Gearhart, The Doodle Pro: Yes, this is not non allergenic, even with that genetic profile and that coat profile where and I had mentioned this in a previous episode. If you are allergic to pollen and your dog goes outside and rolls around in the grass, they're bringing that in. If you're allergic to dog saliva, no amount of furnishing and coat change is going to change that. If they give you a big lick on your face, you're still going to break out in those hives. So knowing your own allergy profile is really important. Doodles haven't been around purposefully that long, but in that time span, historically, in that short time, crossing generations was how people before these genetic tests were available. We're how breeders try to communicate and identify how much this [00:15:00] dog was going to shed and the propensity for giving you an allergic response. So when people have seen things like, oh, I need to make sure I have an F1B or they're a double doodle. So I should definitely not have allergies because they're a double doodle. That hasn't been as accurate as what people have hoped. Correct.

Amanda Venturino: That's correct. The most predictable generation is an F1. And that's something that a lot of people think is incorrect. I've heard from some people that they think F1 is the most unpredictable.

Host: Corinne Gearhart, The Doodle Pro: And let's define that for our listeners, what we mean, because you and I could chat in these codes, but just for.

Amanda Venturino: So when we talk about dogs being unpredictable, we're talking about not just personality, but we're also talking about coat type. Some people who detract from doodles would try to say that an F1 is the least predictable, but in fact, F1 is going to be the most predictable, and that's [00:16:00] because we pretty much know what the genetics are of a golden retriever. Even if we didn't do any genetic testing, we know that dog sheds, Gold Retrievers are not furnished. We know that poodles are furnished. For the most part, poodles have two copies of furnishings. Every once in a blue moon, I have seen a poodle come across with just one copy of furnishings.

Amanda Venturino: We also know that they have two copies of curl. And again, very seldom, I have found, I think, two poodles that only had one copy of the curl gene. So we know that when we breed a golden retriever to a poodle, we pretty much know exactly what's going to come out of that generation. And that's what we mean by F1 is that it's the first generation cross between these two breeds.

Host: Corinne Gearhart, The Doodle Pro: I'm sorry, I should specify that. No, we're talking shop here. I just want to make sure we're accessible to people who don't live this, as you and I do.

Amanda Venturino: I am so sorry, sometimes I forget. Yes. [00:17:00] So the F stands for filial, and that means the generation that you're breeding the dog from. So F1, F2, if there is a B in the name. That means that it was a back cross to one of the parent breeds and it could be either back crossed to the poodle or back crossed to the golden retriever. If you're unsure of which one your breeder has done, you should ask.

Host: Corinne Gearhart, The Doodle Pro: Most of the time it's crossed back to the poodle. But you do want to check when someone says F1B, you do want to confirm that's the cross going back unless you're wanting a more flat coated higher golden traits in your pup.

Amanda Venturino: Correct. Yep. And this information is consistent with other doodle breeds, not just golden retrievers. So you can take this genetic information and use it on other mixes. Labradoodles, Aussie doodles, a lot of the other doodle crosses.

Host: Corinne Gearhart, The Doodle Pro: And as a breeder in your participation with [00:18:00] the golden doodle association in North America, would you say that it is still uncommon to do this level of genetic testing for coat prediction or where would you say it falls? I don't see it as much as I would think when breeders are talking about their litters, but I'd love to know from your side, what you're seeing.

Amanda Venturino: Speaking for Ghana blue ribbon breeders, this is very common for them to have this level of genetic testing.

Host: Corinne Gearhart, The Doodle Pro: And that's a top tier like you guys are really invested.

Amanda Venturino: Yes, we're very invested. We're very conscientious of the pairings that we're making too, because we want dogs to be produced that are going to be most accessible to people and most desirable. So knowing those genetic traits is good for our own breeding programs, but also good for people that are shopping for a new puppy.

Host: Corinne Gearhart, The Doodle Pro: Yes. And when I chat about Amanda [00:19:00] doing this professionally and being so invested, she's done one litter. She's just had her second and with that level of intentionality and purpose, and I'm waiting until my dog's hips can be tested. Their eyes could be tested that they're old enough that we can have accurate test results on all of those.

Host: Corinne Gearhart, The Doodle Pro: I really respect Ghana's. Level of testing that they require to be certified as blue ribbon. And even if you're not looking for a golden doodle, it sets a nice bar as to how in depth the testing should be before we're creating new life from these pups and some of it might be a little bit different based on health conditions that are in a different line, like a old English sheepdog crossed with a poodle.

Host: Corinne Gearhart, The Doodle Pro: But it shows you what good planning for breeders and health testing can look like. [00:20:00]

Amanda Venturino: Absolutely. I did some research this past year and I looked at the top 25 most popular, purebred dog breed clubs from the AKC. And what I wanted to know was which breed clubs had similar requirements to Ghana in order to be a member. And what I found was that very few breed clubs out there exist where they require the amount of testing that Ghana does in order to just be a member of the club. They will say things like we recommend you do this, or you may choose to do this, but they don't specifically say in order to be a member, you have to do this.

Host: Corinne Gearhart, The Doodle Pro: One of the things I always love and chatting with Amanda and her being in this field is when people say just a statement, she's like, where's the data. What is the data say? Before we just throw some statements out. What is the science say? So I could chat with Amanda about all of [00:21:00] this all day, but if I'm disciplined and bring myself back to hypoallergenic can we talk a little bit about just the term? And how it's so misunderstood and what we could use instead that my people might be able to understand.

Amanda Venturino: I think using the term hypoallergenic is great because it's really showing less allergenic and it's subjective because we don't have this quantitative number to say when X number of people are not allergic to something, then we can use this term hypoallergenic. You can use the term though, if there's more than 50 percent that are not exhibiting an allergic response to this particular object. And in this case we're talking about doodles or other dog breeds. If 80 percent of people are Recorded as saying, Hey, I don't have an allergic reaction to these dogs.

Amanda Venturino: There's something really interesting [00:22:00] going on there. And I'm very interested in allergies from that perspective. I don't have allergies myself. Good, so I have never seen an allergist. There are a few things that I would like to ask allergists about. I would like to know more information about what an allergy test looks like. Where those allergens come from when you're doing a dog test, because the quality of the sample is likely going to matter. For example, in my research, I found that some commercial samples that are dog allergen can actually be contaminated with things like might allergen very allergic to mites or house mites and things like that. So that impact, though, response from that sample.

Host: Corinne Gearhart, The Doodle Pro: That makes a lot of sense, especially as different dog breeds can carry different allergen loads. We don't know when, you go to your allergist, what that looks like. Can you tell us a little bit more about how different breeds can have different allergen loads? [00:23:00]

Amanda Venturino: This is where things get really hairy and really pun intended. So this is where things get really interesting. Because if you were to say, I don't believe Amanda. I'm going to go do the research. You're going to find two papers that are going to say there's no such thing as hypoallergenic dogs, and they're going to come up with that reasoning. And the reason is because of the way in which they measured allergenicity of the dogs themselves and the quality and the quantity of what they're measuring in the dogs. So before we can talk about specific breeds, we got to talk about how they're being measured and what canine allergens are.

Host: Corinne Gearhart, The Doodle Pro: Yeah. Yeah.

Amanda Venturino: Cool. Right now, there are seven known canine allergens. They're called CAN F1 7, and that stands for Canis [00:24:00] familiaris, which is the species, the genus and species of the dog, and 1 7, the ones being identified. CAN F1 is the most prevalent. So what I found was that about 70 percent of people with dog allergies are allergic to can F one.

Host: Corinne Gearhart, The Doodle Pro: Oh,

Amanda Venturino: Different allergens exist in different places on the dog in some places. So can F one is secreted from hair, dander and saliva, but it is not in the skin. And oddly enough, it is not in the salivary gland. So I'm not really sure how it's in the saliva, but not in the gland, but that must, it might possibly be because of, dogs lick themselves, they touch them, touch other things. And so it could just be existing within the saliva in that way, but not secreted from those glands.

Amanda Venturino: So most of the studies that I've seen on [00:25:00] looking at dog allergens are looking specifically at can F1 load in the fur or the saliva. They're not looking at any of the other ones. And what was really interesting is that they found that the highest amount, the lowest amount of can F1 was in poodles and the lowest amount was in Labrador retrievers.

Host: Corinne Gearhart, The Doodle Pro: That's fascinating.

Amanda Venturino: And that to me just was like, I don't understand.

Host: Corinne Gearhart, The Doodle Pro: It's counter to what is popular experience. That's anecdotal.

Amanda Venturino: That poodles would have the least amount last high shutters are going to have the most amount. And it made me wonder, okay, why is that? because 80 percent of people are saying that they're not allergic to poodles, but there's more allergen load in the poodles. What exactly is going on here? And that's one of the questions [00:26:00] that needs to be understood a little bit more.

Host: Corinne Gearhart, The Doodle Pro: It's still outstanding and unanswered. Yeah.

Amanda Venturino: Yes. And I have a theory about this. So in my research, I wanted to understand is there a scientific term for hypoallergenic? And of course, I couldn't find anything, but I did find a paper on the term hyper allergenic.

Host: Corinne Gearhart, The Doodle Pro: Okay.

Amanda Venturino: So this particular publication noted that a hundred million people were allergic to birch pollen. And 90 percent of those people experienced an immunogenic response to a hyper allergenic form of the birch pollen.

Amanda Venturino: So this birch pollen was called BET V1 and there was version one of BET V1 and version two of BET V1. So 1. 1 is hyper allergenic, but 1. 2 was hypo allergenic. And [00:27:00] these are called isoforms. So it's a protein that has a similar structure, but a slightly different amino acid sequence. They are likely originating from the same gene or same group of genes.

Amanda Venturino: But this one version doesn't induce an immune response. And as I talked about earlier, what they were able to do is study the fact that this hypoallergenic version induced an IgG immune response and not an IgE immune response. So that's how they actually measured it. And that is indicative of not having an immune or an allergic reaction.

Host: Corinne Gearhart, The Doodle Pro: Oh.

Amanda Venturino: So it's my question. And what I'm curious about is whether those poodles and those hair breeds that we love so much, perhaps they have an isoform of can F one that is more of a hypo allergenic version versus what a lab might have. And [00:28:00] that might explain why they have a high load. People aren't as allergic to them.

Amanda Venturino: Because otherwise I would assume that people would be more allergic to poodles. But any other dog breed, they'd be like, oh, can't stand poodles, super allergic to them.

Host: Corinne Gearhart, The Doodle Pro: Yeah.

Amanda Venturino: But that doesn't seem to be the case.

Host: Corinne Gearhart, The Doodle Pro: Oh, all amanda, all of you animal scientists out there, Amanda's issuing you a challenge here to do some research and find this answer. Wonderful. I'll see in different doodle forums. People say, do you think my dog's really a doodle? Like they don't really, they look more like a lab or did they, did the breeder lie to me? And your explanation of just how the genetics work and they're actually groups for flat coated doodles. Because many of these people introduce their dog as a doodle and some be like, I think that's just the golden. and it can be in the same litter. There can be these different coats, just like in [00:29:00] all genetics. I've got one son, same genes. One son is bright red hair and blue eyed. And the other one is brown hair, brown eyed and tans. Unlike my redhead and I, same genes. It's like almost like my litter and how different they can come across.

Amanda Venturino: Absolutely. The litter that I have right now, beautiful, gorgeous puppies. I knew that going into this, it was a possibility that I would have three different coat types. So most of the puppies would end up being wavy, but there is a 25 percent chance that for each of those puppies to end up being curly or straight.

Host: Corinne Gearhart, The Doodle Pro: I feel like you're able to tell when there's a lot of furnishing, when they're pretty young, when you're looking for like those ripples on their forehead and the muzzle, but I'm not a breeder. What do you think?

Amanda Venturino: Sometimes they're, I'm looking at my puppies right now. I think they can pick out the ones that are straight coated.

Host: Corinne Gearhart, The Doodle Pro: Okay.

Amanda Venturino: But the wavy and curly, it can, I, and the reason I say that I'm not, the reason that I say sometimes it's [00:30:00] because have had friends who have had doodles, and we look at the puppies and we, yeah.

Amanda Venturino: Oh, that's wavy. That's wavy for sure. Yeah. And then they do the genetic testing and it comes back, curly. And

Host: Corinne Gearhart, The Doodle Pro: When breeders get together around their pictures and some wine, probably so if you already have a doodle, I know you did a little bit more digging and research on how bathing and allergens work, and so I thought that was fascinating if you're already having some allergies with your doodle and you'd like to see how to reduce them, Amanda dug into that for us as well.

Amanda Venturino: There's a fabulous study. I really enjoyed reading this one because it challenged my thinking a little bit and it was like, wow, I can't believe it really did that.

Host: Corinne Gearhart, The Doodle Pro: Yeah.

Amanda Venturino: This study found that bathing significantly reduced the allergen load of your dog by 84%. It is bananas.

Amanda Venturino: [00:31:00] period.

Host: Corinne Gearhart, The Doodle Pro: Yes, I was And so what they suggest to maintain that lower all just bathing your dog a week basically in order down. If that is a concern are struggling with allergies, but you're going to make it work because this pup is family and your health can handle it when you're bathing that frequently to also go for a really short clip. So you don't need to pull out the high velocity dryer and it's not like as big of a thing and there's less coat that you're dealing with. They're also sending them to the Here's the continuation of the transcript:

Host: Corinne Gearhart, The Doodle Pro: groomer for that bath. Is a different story because they are blowing all these other coats around in the salon and. That's subjecting your dog's coat to being coated. How many times can I use that word with some husky hair and lab hair [00:32:00] and all these other things. So if you ever look when you go to the groomer, adjust how their smocks are covered and how the floor is covered. And you're like, why am I always allergic to my dog when they come home from the groomer? So that's more like at home bathing, I would imagine and combine that with a shorter coat for the ease of bathing for the both of you.

Amanda Venturino: Yeah, this study, they, did one dog at a time in a controlled situation. It wasn't, a grooming salon or someone's home, but that's a really good point about all of the getting exposed to other allergens on your dog. I know that when my dog comes home even though she is a non to low shedding, dog. When she comes home and from the groomer, I end up getting covered with all these teeny little short furs. Probably because she's just carried at home or it's been right. Oh, and I'm like, when did this happen? But from now she's totally fine. And there's no more furs anymore.

Host: Corinne Gearhart, The Doodle Pro: Yes. And just like my boys, when they come home from the barber, they've got to jump in the [00:33:00] shower cause they've got all those little. Little hair from the clippers all over their shoulders and neck.

Amanda Venturino: But I'm always like, oh man what's going on? I need to tell you.

Host: Corinne Gearhart, The Doodle Pro: So while we're issuing challenges out here to close, I would love to know what three things you feel like we need to answer. What does the research need to dig in a little bit more here?

Amanda Venturino: We need to understand how people with dog allergens respond to different types of dander samples from a hypoallergenic dog breed compared to non hypoallergenic dog breeds. And we need to make sure that those samples are consistent because we've also discovered, or the research has also shown, the allergen load can differ between individuals of the same breed. So we need to collect consistent samples from a particular line of dogs or one [00:34:00] breed of dogs and compare it to one other breed of dogs.

Amanda Venturino: So that's number one. I would say the second one is so since the quantity, and likely quality of allergens varies between individual dogs of the same breed, we need to better understand if there is a relationship between closely related dogs, such as litter mates versus other ones. This kind of leads into. To my knowledge, no one is out there that is specifically breeding dogs for lower allergen load. So nobody has a specific line of dogs that they're saying, hey, I'm trying to reduce allergen load by choosing the ones with less allergens and breeding those.

Host: Corinne Gearhart, The Doodle Pro: That would be amazing though.

Amanda Venturino: That would be really interesting if you could selectively breed dogs just for having a lower allergen load. So knowing the quantity and quality and how it relates to different litters and individuals within a litter would be really interesting.

Host: Corinne Gearhart, The Doodle Pro: Wonderful. So I, [00:35:00] the term hypoallergenic, just to bring us back to where we started, The way that people intend it can sometimes be misleading if we understand it to be non allergenic. But if we just break down the scientific term that it's lower possibility of creating an allergic response, then that is accurate. It is accurate. We don't have, we anecdotally know it's accurate. We don't have the research to back the doodles being hypoallergenic, but they wouldn't have this level of popularity and longstanding relationships with people with allergies like myself if it wasn't the case. So the data, I think we'll follow there. But when we're using the terms, just remembering it doesn't mean non allergenic. And if you're having a response, things like much more frequent bathing are great answers for you and your doodle.

Amanda Venturino: There are still some people out there that are going to have an allergic response to them. There are people [00:36:00] that already have a heightened sensitivity to dogs. That's going to happen. Just because that one person has an allergic reaction to a poodle, for example, doesn't mean that poodles are not hypoallergenic.

Host: Corinne Gearhart, The Doodle Pro: Excellent. And if people want to follow you in your new litter and just learn from you, I know you're active on TikTok.

Amanda Venturino: I am.

Host: Corinne Gearhart, The Doodle Pro: Where's the best place for someone to follow you and learn more?

Amanda Venturino: I have a website, which is mandy's doodles dot com. It's Mandy with an I. I also have listed on there all of the social medias that I do, which is Facebook, Instagram and Tic Tac, which is under the same name of Mandy's doodles.

Host: Corinne Gearhart, The Doodle Pro: I'm glad to bring our off the podcast conversations onto here and share the insight that you have.

Amanda Venturino: Thank you so much. I really enjoyed this.

Host: Corinne Gearhart, The Doodle Pro: Thank you. And if you want to read [00:37:00] more about Amanda's research and insight, she wrote a great article for

Amanda Venturino: The Functional Dog Collaborative.

Host: Corinne Gearhart, The Doodle Pro: And I will include that in our show notes as well. So you can read more as well. Thank you, Amanda.

Amanda Venturino: Thank you.

Host: Corinne Gearhart, The Doodle Pro: Thanks for joining me for this episode of the Doodle Pro Podcast. If you enjoyed the show, don't forget to rate and review us wherever you get your podcast. And I invite you to follow me on Instagram at the Doodle Pro for behind the scenes peaks at all of the adorable doodles I work with daily.