How to make your dog less allergenic

Establish an ‘allergy free’ zone in your home, and do not allow your dog into that area; the bedroom is usually the best room for this. Install a High Efficiency Particulate Air Filter (HEPA) in the room. You can find these at almost any department store or home and garden store, or online. Purchase impermeable covers for your mattress and pillows so that allergen particles carried in on clothes and by other means cannot accumulate on them.

Install HEPA filters throughout your home, and keep dust-catching furnishings such as curtains and rugs to a minimum. Clean often and thoroughly to remove dust and dander, and wash furniture covers, curtains and other cloth items as often as possible. Buy a HEPA vacuum cleaner with a micro filter bag to catch all of the allergens.

Washing your dog every week can reduce the allergens in his fur by as much as 84%. There are products that claim to reduce pet allergens when you spray it on your dog’s fur, but they don’t work as well as a simple weekly bath. Check with your vet for a safe shampoo to use.

Rather than just assuming that you are allergic to dog dander, ask your allergist to test you and confirm it. Many allergy sufferers are sensitive to multiple allergens and need to reduce the allergen levels of many substances in their environment rather than concentrating on just their dog allergy.