Okay, so here’s the deal. My wife and I, we really wanted a dog. Like, really wanted one. We did our research, watched a ton of those dog breed videos, and landed on the golden retriever. Seemed perfect, right? Friendly, good with kids (we’re planning on those!), and just all-around awesome.
First step, we found a local breeder. Drove out to their place, which, let me tell you, smelled like a whole lotta dog. Puppies were adorable! My wife was practically melting. I was holding one, feeling all warm and fuzzy inside… until my nose started itching.
I brushed it off at first. Figured it was just the hay in the puppy pen. But then my eyes started watering. And then, the sneezing. Oh god, the sneezing. I was trying to play it cool, not wanting to ruin the moment, but I was basically a human snot fountain. My wife was giving me the “what the heck?” look.
I excused myself to “go to the bathroom” (aka, try to regain composure). Washed my face, blew my nose like a trumpet. Felt a little better, went back out. But within minutes, the itching, the sneezing, the watery eyes… it all came back with a vengeance.
It finally dawned on me. I might be allergic to golden retrievers. Seriously? Of all the dogs! We reluctantly said our goodbyes to the puppies (it was heartbreaking, especially for my wife). The whole drive home, I was stuffed up and miserable.
Next day, I went to see my doctor. Told him the whole story. He did a skin prick test. Boom! Allergic to dogs. Specifically, allergic to something in their dander or saliva. He said golden retrievers are pretty high on the allergy scale because they shed a lot. Great.
We were bummed. But we weren’t giving up! We did even MORE research. Hypoallergenic dogs, here we come! We considered poodles, Portuguese Water Dogs, even a Schnauzer. I went to a few shelters and pet stores to see how I reacted to different breeds. Turns out, I was less reactive to some than others.
After weeks of searching and testing, we finally found a breed that didn’t make me want to self-combust: a Miniature Poodle. We found a reputable breeder, met the parents, and I spent a good hour playing with the puppies to see if I’d react. Minimal itching, minimal sneezing! Victory!
We brought home our little Poodle, “Rocket,” a few weeks later. He’s been amazing. Super smart, playful, and best of all, I can actually breathe around him! It wasn’t the golden retriever we originally wanted, but Rocket is perfect.
The lessons I learned?
- Don’t assume you’re not allergic to dogs. Get tested!
- “Hypoallergenic” doesn’t mean “allergy-free.” It just means less likely to cause a reaction.
- Be prepared to compromise. Sometimes your dream dog isn’t the dog you can actually live with.
- And always, ALWAYS have tissues on hand!
So, that’s my allergy to golden retriever story. It was a bumpy road, but we got our happy ending. Hope this helps someone else avoid a similar snot-filled disaster!
