President Elect Barack Obama may be on the look-out for a non-allergenic dog, but most allergists will say he’s barking up the wrong tree.

If you do a search on the internet, you’ll find lots of folks claiming to provide pets that don’t trigger allergies. Most of these breeds are “non-shedding” or low shedding animals. Animals which shed less hair are claimed to irritate allergies less.

Here’s the problem with that theory: humans are not allergic to dog or cat hair. We are allergic to dog or cat proteins. These are excreted in all sorts of way, including skin cells, saliva and urine. Unfortunately, there isn’t an animal alive that won’t have these.

When your beloved pet grooms, proteins in the saliva are moved all over the hair of the animal. That’s why we think we are allergic to the hair, but that’s not really the case. The hair just carries allergens throughout your home.

So, how can you keep a pet when you have allergies? I know one woman who is very allergic to cats and owns two of them! Her secret weapon is frequent baths. Every cat she has ever owned has been introduced to frequent baths when still very young. She uses specialized pet shampoo that helps to maintain the health and proper pH of the animal’s skin, while also reducing allergens.

Makes perfect sense to me. The best way to help to manage any indoor allergy is to clean frequently. If you bathe your pet frequently, you’ll actually be avoiding a build up of allergens. This is the best kind of avoidance.

Other tips for the Obamas?

1. Make sure that the family pet never sleeps on the Presidential bed. If you have allergies, pets should be kept out of sleeping areas. It’s a perfect way to ensure that you get a rest from your allergies. Letting your body recover from allergen exposure will help you reduce or eliminate symptoms.

2. Consider an air purifier for the White House bedrooms. This will remove air-borne allergens and also help to ensure a restful sleep.

3. Keep Fido off the White House furniture. Any soft surface can hold allergens! If you can keep allergens down, you can live happily with your pet.

For more tips on living with pets and allergies, check out the Be Allergy Wise article on reducing pet allergens in your home.