What kind of dog should Barack Obama buy for his daughters??
 

The Lantern at Ohio State ran this poll today, here are the result. I want to add the Beagle as a write-in candidate.



Golden Retriever 21%
Bulldog 4%
Chihuahua 4%
Husky 4%
Yorkshire Terrier 6%
Basset Hound 2%
Labradoodle 9%
Boxer 7%
Mutt or rescue dog 36%
None. Cats are better. 8%

I would vote for a black lab :) Or a bichon frise (sp?)

I love all doggies so I'm indifferent. I guess I would say he should get the dog that the girls want.

Let's also not forget that shelter/rescue dogs make great companions too!!

EXACTLY.

He shouldn't BUY a pet. He should adopt a pet.

Malia has allergies? The pound has poodles and goldendoodles and bichons, etc.

In fact, petfinder.com would be a great resource for them to use...

In this world, there is really zero need to purchase an animal from a breeder unless you want to add to the current pet overpopulation and breed animals, too.

So, he wants to bring change? Let him differentiate himself from the other presidents who have chosen to go with purebred pooches. Let him encourage people to help the problem of overpopulation by setting an example.

Mutt or rescue dog 36%: My friend who handles mixed-breed lab rescues was extatic over this number.
Tippie, you are correct about the Goldendoodles. A coworker bought one for his kids and NO shedding.


ETA: http://www.electobamasdog.com/ (Rescue is a clear winner)

If i had to pick from that list, then a golden retriever (we have many that are up for adoption at the humane society).

But since Malia has allergies I STRONGLY recommend a miniature poodle (not toy or teacup size, but a regular miniature poodle). I had one for almost 13 years & have severe allergies. It was the best dog I could ever ask for.

Chihuahuas are too high maintanence, plus they need to have a companion, so the Obamas would need to get two. They'd definitely regret getting a Chihuahua once they got a visitor to the White House! lol

You can get purebreds from rescue programs, too.

Our dog is purebred American Eskimo, absolutely BEAUTIFUL, and was a rescue.

Have you ever noticed that no president seems to get a big dog? Must be to keep Puppy from knocking things over. Although, I have trouble thinking of a Secret Service man walking a poodle!

And as much as I love Bichons (and there are SEVERAL rescue groups for them, also!), they are notoriously hard to housebreak.

Of course you can, and that's why I mentioned petfinder.com. The point was simply made because of the Mutt/shelter dog being a choice. And, most presidents have obviously gotten purebred dogs from breeders.

Photoshop anyone?

I don't know if the gardener (or whoever) would be too happy to be picking up dog poop on the lawn of the White House all the time w/ a big dog. Smaller dogs can use puppy pads, and stay inside most of the time.

Right. Not being snarky, but I thought our dog (who is really my live-in boyfriend's dog) was from the pound until a few days ago when he mentioned his rescue program. That's all. Just perpetuating newfound knowledge, I guess.

Bill Clinton had a choclate lab...Buddy.

I LOVE rescue orgs. I have gotten two of my pugs from rescue orgs. The others have all been local rescues done personally.

I wish more people would understand how MANY GREAT dogs are out there waiting to have homes. Many of these are (as we both know) purebred babes just like people would pay hundreds of dollars for from a breeder.

http://www.presidentialpetmuseum.com...ets/buddy2.gifI<3 Buddy.

On the other hand: If anyone would like a 5-month-old flame-point Siamese kitty, neutered & with all of his shots, please let me know! He's very friendly & a virtual purring machine, but we're all very allergic. :(

I think it's high time we had a First Cat again. Have I mentioned I'm a cat person? ;)

If they want a dog, I do hope they adopt a rescue dog. A poodle would be perfect, as Malia is allergic - my husband is highly allergic to dogs, and he spent an entire evening in a house where a poodle lived, complete with said poodle jumping into his lap, and he had no allergic reaction at all.

"Keeping true to his endearing promise to daughters Malia and Sasha to get them a puppy if elected, the Prez-elect said "We have two criteria that have to be reconciled" - the first is that Malia is allergic to dogs and the second is that Obama wants to rescue a dog from the shelter."-- perezhilton.com

Yay... And, don't hate on Perez -- you may not like him but he hasn't been wrong yet that I know of.

Who knows, I may actually end up liking Obama after all.

I hear the cabinet post of Secretary of Rescue Dogs is still open

Now, that is a post I would accept. :)

I recommend a cocker spaniel... I'm not biased at all ;)

OOOOHHH I want a flame point Siamese soooo bad. But I can't have pets in my apartment. :( I have to wait till I move out to get her (I wanna name her Lily).

I'm with you. Cats are so much easier to care for and they are so loveable!

Who had the last First Cat?

Shih Tzu

I'm thinking Socks Clinton was the most recent First Feline.
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...ocks_cat_1.JPG

On the poll, I voted for Beagle.

But adopting any kind of dog from a shelter or rescue group would be the niftiest thing. My family did 15 years ago- and she is still with us. She's a Chihuahua probably mixed with something else, but still overwhelmingly Chihuahua.

As many people have pointed out, shelter/rescue dogs are not necessarily mutts. There are many purebreds out there who need homes.

Can't wait to find out about the First Puppy!

:)

This was actually part of a press conference. He was very serious, and said, "and now we have to discuss a very important issue--the puppy issue." He said that his daughter is allergic, so they have to be sensitive to that. He also mentioned that they wanted a rescue dog, so it would "probably be a mutt...like me."

I'm not an animal person at all, but I think it's really cool that he's getting a rescue dog. Plus, his girls are the cutest things and I think they need a puppy.

All kids need a dog :) I got a beautiful purebred Alaskan Malamute from a rescue group. I can't imagine getting a dog from a breeder. I see dogs that I would love to have on petfinder.com all the time!

I'd say dog or cat or other pet. I think the best thing animals teach kids is not only responsibility, but how it feels to have someone completely depend on you for everything.

Rescues are the best.

My folks have rescue dogs, unfortunately, my wife won't let me get a dog until I get her a yard.

I do a little volunteer work for one of the local no-kill shelters. I call, write letters and threaten to sue folks who don't get their pets spayed and neutered or who otherwise don't abide with the adoption contract... Harassing folks who treat animals badly can be somewhat cathartic :)

Yeah just about every breed has a rescue organization(s).

I just love doggies :) I see pictures of them on rescue sites, shelter sites, and watch them on the dog shows. I want to take all of them home with me :)

It's amazing this article hit the front page today, but here is the latest on the First Dog...

Then, the country's premier pet shelter, Best Friends Animal
Sanctuary in Utah, launched a Web site to encourage the first family to adopt a dog from a shelter - meaning the Obamas should not buy from a breeder or a pet store that might be stocked by puppy mills. To the shelter's joy, first-lady-to-be Michelle Obama announced on "Entertainment Tonight" that the family would indeed adopt a rescue dog.

But, she said, the dog would not be adopted until spring, after the family has settled in - opening up the possibility of a brouhaha erupting within the first family itself.
http://www.cleveland.com/plaindealer...860.xml&coll=2

I think a pug would be a wonderful "first dog"! They are wonderful with children and have such sweet temperments. There is a pug rescue society in almost every state!:)

Re poodles, the standards can actually be pretty butch. :) My ex boss had 2 and they were AWESOME dogs (much too awesome for her, but I digress).

They should definitely be able to find some sort of hypoallergenic dog through a rescue. I do hope they go with a mutt, so there's not the danger of a "breeding fad" that always happens when famous people get pets - everyone wants one of whatever the breed is and it leads to inbreeding and unhealthy doggies.

If it has to be a hypoallergenic dog I vote for a rescue greyhound.

I just read on a rescue site that the Obamas have adopted two black toy poodles, cute as can be.

Excerpt from FOX NEWS:

"In his election victory speech Tuesday night, President-elect Barack Obama promised his two daughters that they'd be moving into the White House with a new puppy. Now the dogosphere is engaged in widespread speculation over the breed of the presidential pooch-to-be.

Or pooches-to-be. The American Kennel Club hopes that the pet will turn out to be a pair of 6-week-old toy poodles, rescued by Flora's Pet Project/Poodle Rescue in Connecticut. First lady-to-be Michelle Obama said in an interview last month that the family was interested in adopting a rescue dog after the election.

The puppies were transported to the AKC's New York offices, where they were to be photographed professionally Thursday in the hopes of catching the Obama family's attention.

"The dogs were in an unfortunate situation and were not being cared for properly," said Marianne Smith, a spokeswoman for the rescue agency. Smith said the puppies were "voluntarily surrendered," but declined to give further details."



"In an online presidential dog poll conducted by the AKC in August, the poodle breed was the top dog among 42,000 respondents. Other contenders were the soft-coated Wheaten Terrier and Bichon Frise.

In a Communispace.com survey of 308 people taken after the election, 25 percent of those polled predicted the Obamas will get a golden retriever; 15 percent said a "pound dog," and 14 percent said a Jack Russell terrier.

Promoting her poodles, AKC spokeswoman Lisa Peterson said: "We hope the Obamas consider the survey results.... This poodle is a breed that doesn't always get the respect it deserves, but it is truly an ideal family pet."

"The poodle is a highly versatile breed," she said. "It's extremely intelligent and easily trained. This dog is going to visit many places, and so you want it to have good manners."

One of the Obamas' daughters suffers from allergies, so poodles -- which do not shed -- would be an ideal choice, Peterson said. The breed's obedient temperament and intelligence also make it a perfect candidate, she said.

In a letter to Obama in September, the AKC offered its assistance in choosing the White House dog and urged the Illinois senator to consider the toy poodle if he were elected. The AKC said it didn't send a letter to John McCain, because the Arizona senator already has 24 pets, including four dogs.

From 1960-1982, the poodle was the number one breed in America. Winston Churchill, Grover Cleveland and Richard Nixon all reportedly owned one.

Past White House breeds include George H. W. Bush's Springer Spaniel "Millie," Ronald Reagan's King Charles Cavalier Spaniel "Rex" and Caroline Kennedy's Welsh Terrier "Charlie." President Clinton's dog "Buddy" was a chocolate lab."

I do have to say that shedding is not the reason why an animal is good for people with allergies. Poodles do in fact shed (just like Chihuahuas and pretty much most other dogs that have hair). The cause of allergies are the amount of dander that comes off of the dog.

Bigger dogs, like a golden retriever, have more dander thus creating more allergies. Poodles, chihuahuas, terriers have less dander and that is what makes them "safer" for people with allergies, even though it isn't a 100% gaurantee.

OK, I thought that poodles did not shed because they have hair (like people) as opposed to fur which is why you have to take them to be groomed (the hair keeps growing like a human's). If you didn't have them groomed their hair would just keep growing, as opposed to something like an Old English Sheepdog that has a coat that can be kept neat with brushing.

I mean, a beagle and a poodle can be the same size and if you've ever been around a beagle you know that they're WAY more "doggy" (i.e. dandery) than a poodle.