If you suffer from allergies but love having a furry friend around, you may want to adopt a hypoallergenic dog. When looking at different breeds, you may find yourself asking “are Rottweilers hypoallergenic?“
Rottweilers aren’t a hypoallergenic dog breed. While these dogs require minimal grooming to stay clean, they do produce a fair amount of drool. Many people who suffer from dog allergies are allergic to proteins in the dog’s drool. While Rottweilers aren’t hypoallergenic, they are somewhat manageable for people with allergies.
Are you interested to learn more about Rottweilers and hypoallergenic dog breeds? You’ve come to the right page. Keep reading to find out everything you need to know.
Are Rottweilers Hypoallergenic?
We hear this question a lot, and the answer is no. Rottweilers aren’t hypoallergenic. Even though they are one of the more tolerable non-hypoallergenic breeds that people with allergies can spend time around, they are still capable of triggering an allergic reaction.
What Does Hypoallergenic Mean?
Hypoallergenic is a term that means something is less likely to cause an allergic reaction. There are many things that can be considered hypoallergenic, from animals to laundry detergents and even fabrics or jewelry. When it comes to dog breeds that are hypoallergenic, it means that the dog produces less dander.
Why Aren’t Rottweilers Hypoallergenic?
Rottweilers have relatively short coats and don’t produce a lot of dander. This is what has many people thinking at first that the breed could be hypoallergenic. However, what they don’t consider is that the dog’s drool or urine could cause an allergic reaction as well.
While Rottweilers aren’t heavy droolers, they are known to produce some saliva. Each Rottweiler will drool a different amount. A good indicator of how much a Rottie will drool is to look at the size of its jowls, the flaps that hang beside its lips. If the dog has bigger jowls, it will drool more. However, if the jowls are shorter, it may not drool as much.
So, what does dog drool have to do with allergies? There is a specific protein in the dog’s genetic makeup that causes allergic reactions in people. This protein can be found in the dog’s drool. It can also be found in their skin cells and urine. If you have dog allergies, you aren’t safe just because a dog has short fur.
Which Dog Breeds are Hypoallergenic?
If you’re interested in adopting a hypoallergenic dog breed, Rottweilers shouldn’t be your first choice. Before we point you in the direction of hypoallergenic dog breeds, we need to make one thing clear. There is no such thing as a dog breed that is 100 % hypoallergenic.
The following dog breeds are considered hypoallergenic because it’s less likely someone will experience an allergic reaction around them. However, it doesn’t guarantee that the dogs won’t trigger a reaction.
Do you want a hypoallergenic dog? These are the breeds that you need to consider.
- American Hairless Terrier
- Poodle
- Basenji
- Bedlington Terrier
- Chinese Crested
- Bichon Frise
- Irish Water Spaniel
- Giant Schnauzer, Miniature Schnauzer, or Regular Shchnauzer
- Coton de Tulear
- Maltese
- Wire Fox Terrier ; more
Keep Allergic Reactions Minimal Around Rottweilers
Even though Rottweilers aren’t hypoallergenic, they can be manageable for some people with allergies. Now, this will strongly depend on how severe your allergies to dogs are. While it’s not possible to become fully immune to being around dogs, some people may outgrow a minor allergy.
Rottweilers are great family pets. If you want to own one despite having allergies, it can be possible to minimize allergens around your house. Let’s take a look at what you can do.
Use a Grooming Mitt
Rottweilers have short fur that’s very easy for dog owners to manage. However, to make sure dander and allergens don’t collect on the dog, you should brush them often. Luckily for dog owners, Rottweilers love affection. They respond very well to being brushed, especially when you use a grooming brush.
Baths Aren’t Necessary
When keeping allergens to a minimum, you may think that you need to give your Rottweiler a bath often to keep it clean. This can actually make the problem worse. If you bathe a Rottie too frequently, it will dry out the dog’s skin. When this happens, you’re creating more dander, which in turn makes your allergies worse.
If your Rottweiler doesn’t smell and it’s not covered in dirt, it doesn’t need a bath. Most Rottweilers only need a bath once every 4 to 8 weeks.
Keep Floors and Furniture Clean
When you have allergies and a dog, your vacuum cleaner can be your other best friend. Even though Rottweilers don’t shed often, vacuuming frequently will ensure that all dander gets cleaned up before it gets the chance to irritate you. We strongly recommend purchasing a good-quality pet vacuum that will be able to suck up all the fur and dander.
In order to keep allergens at a minimum, you should vacuum your floors on a daily basis. If your Rottie likes to spend time lounging on the furniture, you could also benefit from investing in an upholstery cleaner as well.
Create an Area For the Rottweiler
While you may love having your Rottweiler up on the furniture with you, it could result in triggering an allergic reaction. You can let your precious pooch lay on the sofa with you for an hour or two, but having it sleep in your bed should be off-limits. Instead, create an area in your home that’s designated for the Rottweiler to sleep at night.
Make sure this area is comfortable, possibly including blankets, cushions, and the dog’s favorite toys. This will help your Rottweiler associate the area as a positive place.
Don’t Spend All Day With the Dog
While it’s tempting to spend time with your Rottweiler 24/7, it’s not a good idea if you have allergies. People that suffer from allergies should not spend more than a couple of hours at a time in the same room as a Rottweiler, or any other non-hypoallergenic dog for that matter.
When the weather is nice, try to spend more time bonding with your dog outdoors. Rottweilers love going for walks and romping around the backyard. However, these dogs are prone to overheating, so don’t allow them to spend too much time in the hot sun.
Can You Be Allergic To Certain Dog Breeds?
If you have dog allergies, you may notice that certain breeds trigger a worse reaction than others. For example, you may be able to breathe without an issue around Rottweilers, but when you are around a German Shepard, you get sniffles and sneezes.
This is because the dogs’ dander is likely the main thing triggering your allergic reactions. Since a Rottweiler has a short coat, it won’t have a lot of dander. However, other breeds of dogs produce more dander and if they have a long or thick coat, it’s more likely to get trapped.
It’s not just the breed that plays a role in how certain dogs trigger a reaction. If a dog lives with an owner who keeps their house clean and keeps the dog well-groomed, it’s less likely to trigger a reaction quickly. However, if the dog doesn’t get groomed often and lives in a dusty house, it will have more allergens in its fur.
Will a Rottweiler Trigger an Allergic Reaction?
Every case should be judged individually. While some people with allergies don’t have any issues around Rotties, some get stuffed up within minutes. In this situation, we strongly suggest you judge the situation by how severe your allergies are.
If you do decide to spend time with a Rottweiler there are a few things you should look for. Try to make sure the dog you are spending time around is clean and lives in a clean environment. You should also try to spend time around Rottweilers with shorter jowls because they will drool less.
Always keep time spent together in the beginning minimal. This will help you judge how your reaction is without going overboard to the point of being uncomfortable. Make sure you have allergy relief medicine on hand just in case you start to have a reaction.
Final Thoughts
Are Rottweilers hypoallergenic? Rottweilers aren’t hypoallergenic. These dogs can cause allergic reactions for people who have allergies to dogs. However, since these dogs have a short coat and rarely shed, people with allergies can tolerate them. This is good news for people who love Rottweilers but are known to get stuffed up and sneeze a lot around dogs. However, their drool may trigger allergic reactions in some people.
If you have allergies and want to be around Rottweilers, it can be manageable. Make sure you groom your Rottier often so dander doesn’t get trapped in its fur. Don’t bathe the dog frequently because that will cause dry skin and that creates more dander. Last but not least, always keep the dog’s environment clean. Vacuum daily to prevent shedded fur and allergens from affecting you.