-
sponsorship
That's quite a stat you unearthed, my dear fellow Emily, about the number of Portugese water dogs in need of rescue: a scant two. When Obama said in November that his family wanted a dog from a shelter, he joked about how "a lot of shelter dogs are mutts like me." Endearing, but how to ensure that a mixed-breed dog wouldn't make allergy-prone Malia sneeze? Never fear, PETA rushed to assure, there are plenty of purebred dogs in shelters. The thousands of rescue poodles you found on Petfinders.com, Emily, proves as much. I'm partial to standard poodles like Julia—I grew up with a lovely apricot one. But rescuing a Portuguese water dog when it's from a breed that doesn't appear to need rescuing is a long way from cheerfully embracing one's mutt affinity. I feel bad chiding the Obamas for their choice of dog. Must their every family act be laden with symbolism? But hey, so it goes when you're picking the nation's first pet.
-
sponsorship
People breaks the news that the Obamas have settled on a breed for their new pup: Portuguese water dog. In January, the president revealed that two breeds were in contention, the Portuguese water dog and the Labradoodle (a cross between the poodle and the Labrador retriever). Allow me to posit a theory about these choices: The Obamas really wanted a poodle.
Consider the evidence. The family narrowed the field to two breeds that are not very allergenic and of good size. A third breed that fits this description and shares the desirable traits of being smart, friendly, and easily trained, is the standard poodle. (To my knowledge, most other less allergenic dogs are on the small side, and the prez has famously dismissed smaller dogs, like Barbara Walters' Havanese, as too "girly.") What's more, the Labradoodle and PWD both look a lot like the poodle. The poodle, however, would be an unacceptable choice for a modern president, especially one who has already confessed that he prefers wine to beer and considers arugula a staple: It is derided, incorrectly, as a a froofy pet for mincing elites who enjoy bedecking hounds in rhinestones and taking them to the hairdresser. Could it be that the Obamas considered the optics of poodledom and demurred?
If so, for shame! At the risk of sounding like a poodle partisan (which I am), I will note the breed's superior intellect and working-class roots. An all-time great Slate "Explainer" reveals that the traditional poodle haircut kept the dogs hydrodynamic but warm-jointed when they were hunting in marshes and moors. If Obama wants us to look past idle stereotypes and embrace change, he should put his doghouse where his mouth his: Standard poodle '09!
Check out Slate's slide show of presidential pooches.
Join the Fray: our reader discussion forum
What did you think of this article?