Having a GSP can be a very interesting and joyful experience. But there are some questions that arise in everyone’s mind before having a dog.
Are German Shorthaired Pointers hypoallergenic? This question becomes more salient if you are allergic and thinking of adopting one. The answer is No. German Shorthaired Pointers are not hypoallergenic dog breeds. But it is also a fact that no dog breed is 100% hypoallergenic.
Then why are some dogs considered hypoallergenic while some are not?
To find answers to such questions, we have provided you with this article in which all such topics have been discussed. So, carry on reading further to clear all your doubts!
Why Are GSPs Not Considered Hypoallergenic?
Saying a dog is hypoallergenic clearly means that the dog would not cause any major allergies to people around them. But that doesn’t mean the hypoallergenic dogs do not shed at all.
It has been seen most of the time that these dogs either shed very less or nothing at all. By this, we can conclude that when dogs shed very little or nothing, they are considered hypoallergenic.
Hypoallergenic dogs also do not contain much pet dander compared to other dogs that cause irritation to allergic people.
One question arises here: ‘ is there any dog that will be 100% hypoallergenic?’ The straight answer is no. Hypoallergenic dogs have very less chance of causing any allergies to any other dogs but can still cause irritation to very highly allergic people.
Most people think that the major causes of allergies in dogs are their hair and urine. But there is something different in the case of the German Shorthaired Pointer breed. Along with the previous factors, saliva and dander are the main allergens.
GSPs have very short hair coats which do not shed much, and allergic people will not have any issues with them.
However, it is their saliva and dander responsible for not considering them hypoallergenic. They leave dander around, which can easily bother an allergic person.
Fact – In the United States, approx. 10% of the total population is allergic to animals. It will be better to check if there is any person near your home who is allergic to animals or not. If there is, be careful not to let your dog go near them.
What Triggers People’s Allergies?
Several factors are responsible for people’s allergies. Here we are going to talk about two main allergy-causing factors.
The United States Survey and Research found that saliva and dander are two main allergy-causing pollutants. German Shorthaired Pointers have more dander allergens than saliva allergens. These dander allergens fall out from their bodies and spread into their environment.
This mostly happens when they itch themselves against any surface or thing. People with weak immune systems will easily get affected by these pollutants. Some people get affected even by their hair, urine, and saliva.
Ways To Make Them Less Allergic
Now that it is clear how and why German Shorthaired Pointers are not included in the category of hypoallergenic dogs, we will learn some techniques to make our dog shed less and prevent them from having too much dander that will spread everywhere in the house.
Proper Bathing
While most people think frequently bathing their dog will prevent the dander from getting collected on their body and keep it away, this is not actually the case. The fact is totally the opposite.
In reality, bathing your GSP too much will make their skin dry and unnatural. This will lead to more dander forming on their skin. So, now you need to change the bathing schedule of your dog. It is recommended to bathe them once a month or six weeks.
If your dog’s daily routine is surrounded by activities that make them dirty faster, and it becomes necessary to clean them, it will be fine to bathe them but ensure that you do it correctly.
One important thing that matters during a bath is using natural and proper shampoo. Cold and warm water doesn’t make any difference as most people think.
Note: It is advised for the allergic person not to do the actual bathing as the dander and hair will float in the water around them.
Keeping Your Hands Clean
You should wash your hands once you are done playing with your dog, just like we tell kids to do to maintain hygiene. It will help decrease the chances of you getting any allergy or the one already having allergic problems getting a flare up.
When you pat your dog or play with them and touch your body without washing your hands, you are unknowingly spreading the allergens all over your body.
When we touch our dog, a lot of allergens like dander and hair get stuck to our hands, and when we touch different parts of our body like hair, clothes, eyes, face, nose, etc., we spread them on our body.
Thus, washing our hands after touching our dog to reduce the risk of allergies becomes very important.
Proper Grooming
It may seem very difficult, but don’t worry! Grooming German Shorthaired Pointers is a very easy task compared to other dogs as you only have to brush them mostly.
Many people don’t know the benefits of brushing their GSPs. It will prevent excess pet dander from spreading around your house and can make a big difference in allergic problems.
It will be better if you brush their coat on a daily basis. It is advised to brush their coat regularly, especially during the non-shedding period, to push the dander and shedding to its minimum amount. Brush your dog in the direction in which their hair grows. Brushing them opposite to the hair-growing direction will make your pup feel pain.
One more benefit of brushing them is that their skin will not get dry and will remain moist! This is because when their coat gets brushed, their skin liberates natural oils that prevent it from getting dry. So, the absence of dry skin will lead to less dander, ultimately leading to fewer allergens.
Brush your dog’s coat outside to avoid spreading the dander and hair all over the house.
Note: It will be better if the person having the allergic problem does not do the brushing task as the hair will fall on their body.
Final Thoughts
German Shorthaired Pointer is not a hypoallergenic dog, and we have already discussed the reason behind this. It is their saliva and dander which are considered the main allergens spread by them.
However, there are several practices that can help in reducing the risk of getting allergy from them.
Thanks for reading!
