Which pup for Obama?

Saturday, July 12, 2008, 9:20 [IST]
Which Pup For Obama?
Just a few months left before the presidential election and it's time to get the Obama's a dog. They have none. The Washington Post says that the Democratic Presidential nominee has promised his two daughters -- Malia and Sasha -- that they can get a pup after the elections.

Nick Shapiro, a campaign spokesman said: "The girls have started their own research, but no decisions have been made".

So, now the question is which breed of dog will inhabit the White House in 2009? The Clintons had a goofy brown Labrador Buddy and George Bush had a Scottish terrier Barney, which he famously dropped once near his chopper.

On Wednesday, the American Kennel Club posted a puppy poll to assist in the girl's hunt. AKC spokesperson Lisa Peterson's advise - " The first rule when deciding to get a dog is making sure you pick the right breed for your lifestyle."

So the Obama's will have to first get an allergy friendly dog, as there are allergy issues in the household. That rules out hairy breeds. The finalists according the poll however, were a hairy one - Bichon Friese (a French breed that lives long and is really tiny), a soft-coated Wheaten Terrier (a very hairy one that looks more like a fur ball) and third, a miniature Schnauzer.

Clearly those who voted liked tiny breeds. A lab or retriever or German Shepherd featured nowhere on the list. Dog lovers still have a chance to cast their votes. The results are to be forwarded to the Obama's on August 19th.

Who will be the first pet. It is so important you know. Will Obama pick a cuddly-wuddly dodo? Or, will he go for a sensible sturdy beast? These are subtle signs of how the presidency will shape up in the next four years.
User Comments
JIm Genovese 14 Nov 2008 12:48 am
To President Elect Obama.( Like the sound of that.) Sir: Don't know if this will ever get to you but my advise as to what dog to get is: 1.The best advise it to get two dogs. One male, one female. Makes life a lot easier as that makes a full time "PACK" for them. 2. Pick small dogs. They seem to live longer. 10-30 lbs is a good size. 3. Pure breeds. Any Poodle. Hypo allergenic and very smart. 4. Any breed with a lot of poodle in it like the Water Spaniel or Wire Hair if you ever intend to do any bird hunting. 5. Nixed breeds; Any "Cockapoo". (Poodle with any other breed mixed in. Of the 5 dogs I was able to place as Hearing Dogs, 3 were Cockapoo. The non profit I started was not able to make a go of it.) 6. Have Cesar Millan (The Dog Whisperer) as your trainer/adviser. He has it figured out. 7. Insist on your daughters doing the obedience training. Have them train one dog each. Might have it used as human interest stories and do it in a regular class, not a privet one. Having many dogs will help your daughters see other people learning with them. It also helps the dogs with lots of distractions and opportunities to correct un wanted behavior. 8. The day the pups go home with you, have the dogs leashed to your daughters for 24 hrs. Where the dog goes, your daughter goes. That will establish your daughter as the dog's Pack Leader. We did this with dogs we placed with the hearing impaired and it worked like a charm. It will also teach your daughters what it means to be a dog owner. Poo time is just as important as play time. YOS Gunny aka. Jim Genovese 1/4 Gunner USS Providence, 1776 Master Gunner, USS Tahoma 1862 WCWA, NMLHA
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