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The Obamas said they wanted a rescue dog. The kind you take home from a shelter so it won't be put to sleep. They ended up with a purebred Portuguese Water Dog courtesy of Sen. Ted Kennedy, which, according to the Washington Post, was not a "good fit" for the family it lived with previously, and has been schooled by Kennedy's dog trainers. The Post continues:
"As for the rescue pledge, the Obamas came up with a solution intended to lend a serious symbolic note: They're going to make a donation to the D.C. Humane Society."
Two lessons: 1) See how great cap and trade is? 2) Moving to Washington means that powerfully persuasive people take you on little jaunts away from your modest and principled intentions—jaunts that seem harmless, but exert a symbolic power of their own.
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Now that the Obamas' commitment to the Portuguese water dog has been thrown into question (apparently the matter is still under debate) I wanted to second Julia's unashamed poodle partisanship—best breed ever, and completely undeserving of the "girly" label the president has pinned on them (unless by "girly" he means awesomely smart, athletic, and friendly, and why shouldn't he?) I also wanted to tell Hanna that my own beloved childhood poodle (who was gray, not apricot) was named nothing other than: Muffin!
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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.
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Surely the first family's decision to get a Portuguese water dog will mean that that the long reign of the Labrador as this country's family dog of choice is at an end. (Farewell, Marley!) Not only is the Portuguese water dog sufficiently manly and low-allergenic to meet the first family's criteria, the choice of one also has a political dimension: It is the favorite breed of Ted Kennedy. Kennedy is so enamored of his PWD named Splash (no, I'm not making that up) that he wrote a book about him: My Senator and Me: A Dog's-Eye View of Washington, D.C. Surely in announcing this selection, the Obamas are paying tribute to the man who put the power of the Kennedy name behind Obama's campaign at a difficult time in the primaries. Michelle says in her People magazine interview that the family is interested in getting a grown, rescue PWD. Since they were able to get the Jonas Brothers to entertain for their girls' first night in the White House, I have no doubt that the Obamas have the kind of clout to have their pick of rescue PWDs. But from browsing through the used dogs available on Petfinders.com, the pickings are slim. I found only two rescue PWDs listed in the entire country. Compare that to 2,133 rescue poodles. Julia, if the first family is serious about a rescue, I agree with you, the poodle is the way to go.
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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.
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