Allergic to dogs? These genetically modified Beagles could change everything

For people who love dogs but start sneezing, wheezing or itching whenever one comes near them, owning a pet can seem impossible. Now, two Beagles could offer a glimpse of a future in which a dog allergy no longer automatically means living without a canine companion. Bailey and Alfie are no ordinary Beagle pups, scientists have used gene-editing technology to remove the gene responsible for producing Can f 1, a protein that causes most allergic reactions to dogs.

The two female puppies were born in September 2024 after researchers edited dog cells in a laboratory and used them to create embryos. The embryos were then implanted into a surrogate Beagle. The result is two healthy dogs that do not appear to produce detectable Can f 1 in their saliva or fur. For people with serious dog allergies, that could eventually open up a possibility they have never had: living with a dog without suffering the usual reaction.

Two puppies at the centre of the experiment

The work was carried out by researchers at biotechnology company Kindred Companion Sciences, founded by geneticist Matt Walker. Walker has a personal reason for wanting to find a solution. He has a severe allergy to dogs, yet has been able to live with Bailey for around 18 months without experiencing his normal reaction.

Researchers tested samples from the genetically modified dogs alongside samples from other dogs. Walker reacted to samples from a poodle and a Goldendoodle during skin-prick testing, but did not react to samples from Bailey or Alfie. Laboratory testing also found no detectable Can f 1 protein in samples taken from the puppies. The research was published in The CRISPR Journal this month.

What makes these Beagles different?

Can f 1 is one of the main proteins responsible for dog allergies. It is produced in a dog’s skin and saliva and can spread through the animal’s fur, bedding and the surrounding environment. The researchers used CRISPR gene-editing technology to alter the DNA responsible for producing the protein. That does not mean Bailey and Alfie are completely incapable of causing an allergic reaction. 

Dogs produce several different allergens, so removing Can f 1 does not remove every substance that could trigger symptoms. The researchers also need to test the approach in more dogs and with a larger number of people who have different levels of allergy. For now, Bailey and Alfie are therefore better described as dogs without the major Can f 1 allergen, rather than dogs guaranteed to be safe for every allergy sufferer.

Could allergy-free dogs become available?

That is the possibility the researchers are now exploring, if further testing shows that the gene-editing technique is safe and consistently reduces allergic reactions, it could eventually be used to develop dogs specifically for people who cannot tolerate the allergens produced by conventional breeds. The potential market would not be limited to families looking for a pet.

The researchers have also discussed the possibility of genetically modified dogs being used as service animals. But there are still major questions to answer before such dogs could become commercially available. Scientists need to establish whether removing Can f 1 has any effects on the animals’ health and whether the genetic change remains stable throughout their lives and in future generations. There is also the question of whether creating dogs specifically for allergy sufferers is ethically acceptable.

Would you want one?

For someone whose allergy has prevented them from owning a dog, the idea could be life-changing. A child who has always wanted a puppy but cannot safely live with one could potentially have a different choice, adults who have given up on owning a dog because of severe allergies could also find themselves able to consider it.

But genetic modification also changes the way we think about choosing companion animals. Bioethicist Arthur Caplan of New York University’s Grossman School of Medicine has raised concerns that commercially produced allergy-free dogs could make people less likely to consider animals from shelters, where dogs would not have been genetically modified to remove allergens.

There is also a more fundamental question.

If science eventually makes it possible to design dogs around particular human needs, how far should we go? For allergy sufferers, the appeal is obvious. A dog could finally become a realistic part of their lives rather than an animal they have to admire from a distance.

Bailey and Alfie are still part of an early experiment, not the beginning of a new breed available in pet shops. But they have already demonstrated something that was previously impossible: dogs can be genetically edited so they no longer produce one of the main proteins responsible for human dog allergies.

And that leaves a question for anyone who has ever wanted a dog but could not have one: If you could buy a genetically modified dog that was designed not to trigger your allergy, would you?