Two healthy pups born without Can f 1 offer hope for dog lovers who sneeze.
Matt Walker always wanted a dog. Allergies made that impossible—until he helped create one that does not trigger them.
Walker, a geneticist and founder of Kindred Companion Sciences, co-led the effort that produced two female beagles, Bailey and Alfie. Born in September 2024 via cloning after CRISPR gene editing, the dogs lack Can f 1, the primary protein that causes most dog-related allergies. The protein normally appears in saliva, hair, and dander. The peer-reviewed results appeared today in The CRISPR Journal.
Researchers used CRISPR-Cas9 to knock out the gene responsible for Can f 1 in skin cells from a female beagle. They transferred the edited nuclei into donor eggs through somatic cell nuclear transfer. Of 25 embryos placed in a surrogate, two developed fully. The puppies showed normal birth weights and no congenital issues.
Testing Confirmed the Change
Lab analysis of saliva and dander found no detectable Can f 1 in the edited dogs. Unedited animals—including a beagle, poodle, and goldendoodle—showed clear levels of the protein. Whole-genome sequencing detected no off-target edits. Veterinary checks confirmed healthy growth.
Walker himself underwent skin-prick testing. Samples from the gene-edited beagles produced no reaction. Extracts from ordinary dogs did. He has lived with Bailey for about 18 months without allergic symptoms. Alfie lives with co-founder Nick Gavin.
Why This Matters
Can f 1 affects more than half of people sensitive to dogs. So-called hypoallergenic breeds often carry equal or higher amounts of the protein. Traditional breeding has not solved the problem. Targeting the gene at its source removes the allergen before it forms.
The company views Alfie and Bailey as founder animals. Mating two edited dogs should pass the change to offspring. Plans include expanding to other breeds and exploring service-dog applications. Commercial availability remains years away. Regular lifelong veterinary monitoring continues.
Gene-editing expert Fyodor Urnov of UC Berkeley called the approach a legitimate use of the technology: dogs can become better companions through one precise edit. Parallel work has already reduced the main cat allergen Fel d 1 in gene-edited felines.
The work marks the first successful gene-editing of the major dog allergen in live animals. For millions who love dogs but cannot live with them, it points to a practical path forward—provided long-term health data continue to hold.