Chicago ? Not to put a damper on the Obama family’s canine quest, but allergists have a news flash: There’s no such thing as a hypoallergenic dog.

Doctors who specialize in children’s allergies say kids who are truly allergic to dogs probably shouldn’t get one.

So Malia and Sasha, how about a fish instead?

President-elect Barack Obama has said his young daughters have been promised a dog with their move to the White House. And in his first post-election news conference last week, he announced that Malia “is allergic, so it has to be hypoallergenic.”

It’s a common misconception. In response, the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology issued a statement Wednesday saying, “There is no truly ‘hypoallergenic’ dog.”

Another misconception is “that people are allergic to a dog’s hair, and it is falsely believed that a dog that sheds less will not cause a reaction,” the academy said.