Obamas Narrow ‘First Dog’ Search

During an interview last weekend with George Sephanopoulos at ABC News, President-Elect Barack Obama confirmed that he and his family had narrowed the field in their search for the ‘First Dog’ down to either a Portuguese Water Dog or a Labradoodle. While I don’t know why the Obamas nixed the idea of a purebred poodle – it can’t be that they just prefer to have a crossbreed ‘mutt’ since the water dog is considered a purebred in the working group – but Labradoodles can be the next best thing if they can find a reputable breeder.

Because the Obamas are also still strongly intent on getting a shelter dog, they will probably have more luck finding a Labradoodle in such circumstances. These dogs are not reliably hypoallergenic, though, because this is not a breed-true situation. In a single litter of pups, whether from Poodle-Labrador parents or two Labradoodles, there will be a range of coat and hair types, only one or two of which (if you’re lucky) will have the poodle coat’s non-shedding and non-allergic properties. Good luck getting a rescue with just the right coat and personality qualities.

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