[nagdu] Crisis Averted!

Tue Feb 8 19:37:55 UTC 2011

Rebecca,

Hm...  I know I started to at one point and can't remember for the life of
me if I sent the message.  May have been one of those that got out of hand
before I noticed what I was doing, so I gave it up because it would take the
rest of my life to shorten it up and make it make sense.  You probably
haven't noticed this about me, but once I start going on about my poodle, I
tend to get carried away. /smile/

The short version is that most of the dander the poodle might produce can't
escape the curls.  This is true of the hair the poodle molts -- much as we
humans do.  The loose, dead hair comes free when you comb and brush the
coat, and stays in the brush, along with anything else you brush out.  Since
surface dirt gets trapped by the curls and ends up working down from the
surface, the results can be surprising if you're not used to having a poodle
yet and still forget to brush on a reular basis due to exhaustion from
watching your poodle run around in a muddy park for 37 hours at a stretch.
/smile/  She looked clean to me, and since everybody kept going on about how
shiny and glossy and clean I kept her coat, I guess I figured it was all
good.  Turns out she had her own ecosystem going there and was ready to
support a small farming civilization, crops and all.  When I finally sat
down on the hardwood floor to comb her just because it was something I
thought I was supposed to do for some reason, even though she didn't need it
what with being so clean and shiny and all, I didn't notice what was piling
up on the floor until I laid the comb in it or stood up or something.  It
was really an impressive little mountain.  I could have tilled it myself,
right there.  /lol/

So, the dander stays in the hair for the most part until you brush or comb
the hair, then it stays in the brush with the loose hair (again, impressive
in quantity!) in the brush or comb, or falls onto your floor with the rest
of the collection.  Poodles don't drool a whole lot (in theory, they don't
drool at all, but I have evidence to the contrary!), but a lot of the bad
stuff for allergies gets caught up in the curls or is washed away when the
poodle takes a drink.  You know it's time to head for the groomer's when the
poodle takes a drink and irrigates the floor thoroughly from the water
dripping from the curls of her muzzle and ear flaps.  I would have much more
disposal income if I weren't too lily-livered to use a razor and scissors
that close to her eyes and other sensitive facial structures.  Going around
in places of public accommodation with a poodle leaving a trail of water on
the floor for 5 minutes after she took a drink is a bit much for me.  The
curls, it turns out, are quite water absorbent.  /smile/

So, anyway, not so much danger of flying dander from the poodle, or even
much surface dander on the poodle.  Also, because they have hair, not fur,
they don't have much of a natural odor.  I like doggy smell myself (within
reason), because I like dogs.  Some people have a real aversion to it and
can get all bent out of shape if they see a dog in the distance in case a
molecule of dog smell reaches them somehow.  I am cheered to know that I
have removed one source of irritation to myself by giving that group no
excuse to be a pain in my .. /lol/

Perception about the hypoallergenic nature of poodles is interesting, to say
the least.  Well, for about the first 200 times someone tells you all about
it while you're waiting for the bus or something.  /lol/  As for the effect
on people with hard-core enough dog allergies, I wouldn't know much because
they probably have enough sense to just arrange to be far enough from the
dog to avoid having a reaction.  At least I haven't heard much gasping and
choking and fainting nearby ever, so I guess we're survivable.  /smile/

There are always the special few who will come up to you and your poodle to
complain about how you're threatening them and their allergies, then come
closer when you don't give them the response they want (apologies and
flight, I guess) breathing deeply to support their harangue...  Has anybody
else ever had that happen?  Me, I find I have a hard time worrying about all
the horrible things I'm doing to their health, like standing in line with my
guide dog trying to mind my own business.  Truly, they sound pretty darn
healthy to me.  /lol/

I've had people approach me and my dog to harangue about how I'm doing
something bad to them because they're afaid of dogs...  So afraid,
apparently, they need to come across a crowded floor to stand in front of my
dog and tell me all about it.  Then come closer to tell me again when I
don't apologize and meekly go away.  Or whatever it is I'm supposed to do to
stop them coming towards my dog in an aggressive and hostile manner because
they don't like my being there with that dangerous, vicious beast.

This doesn't happen often, not even once a year, but I've had at least two
experiences with both the allergies and the phobia...  It's not something I
get upset about, beyond the waste of my precious time and energy and in one
or two instances my general discomfort with having become the focus of a
public scene that I have to put up with while I'm reorienting past all the
new noise to get around.  Once we're past it, it's over, but I am still left
with the lingering question:  WFT is up with that?  /lol/

Mitzi the killer poodle...

Dan pretty much hit the 

Tami Smith-Kinney

-----Original Message-----
From: nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf
Of PICKRELL, REBECCA M (TASC)
Sent: Tuesday, February 08, 2011 9:00 AM
To: 'NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users'
Subject: Re: [nagdu] Crisis Averted!

Excellent question Dan. 
Anybody want to answer?

-----Original Message-----
From: nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf
Of Dan Weiner
Sent: Sunday, February 06, 2011 1:46 PM
To: 'NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users'
Subject: Re: [nagdu] Crisis Averted!

Now I'm wondering:
How successful have those poodle-users on list found the lure of a
hypo-allergenic dog been to the general public.
Do those  same allergic or possibly allergic folks who will piss and moan
when I,a lab handler, get in proximity with my dog    just step aside and
say "Oh, good I won't be allergic to your dog, I don't mind him in my car,
house, or near me?"

As I understand it, dog dander is dog dander and though there are breeds
which cause less allergenic reactions than others, still they have dog
dander  and could trigger one.

Dan W. and Carter 

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