Obama choice: Labradoodle or a Portuguese water dog

[DogPoundPup]

Source: USA Today

Will the next pooch in the White House be a dog of change?

Sunday, President-elect Barack Obama told George Stephanopoulos on ABC News' This Week that the family has narrowed the choice to either a Portuguese water hound or labradoodle.

The former is actually known as the Portuguese water dog. It dates back to the 1200s and worked on boats with Portuguese fishermen, according to the website of the Portuguese Water Dog Club of America.

Sen. Ted Kennedy has helped make them famous, returning to the Capitol after brain cancer treatment with his two Portuguese water dogs.

Read more: http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2009-01-11-obama-dog_N.htm

[pink-o]

1. I love Laboradoodles!

They have the smarts of a poodle and the sweet, affectionate bearing of a lab. The one I met looks kinda like a sheepdog, with long, curly hair and a square, smiley face. Mellowest dog ever. Great with kids.

And not the girly-whirly lapdog that Barack (and yours truly--a girl, BTW) can't abide by.

I hope they get a rescue!

[pnwmom]

19. Labradoodles are great.

Ours has telepathy, among other talents. He's a mind-reader.

;)

[rug]

2. I say the water dog.

[DogPoundPup]

4. Cute pic...that is my dog pound pup (13 yrs. old now) but with more white in her face

[Sultana]

8. Why is it called a water dog?

It likes to swim? :P

[alfredo]

12. No, they can't control their bladders.

[ashling]

17. I had a Collie like that when I was a kid

My dad called it Liberace because it was the peeanist dog he'd ever seen.

:rofl:

[alfredo]

32. Go to your room!

[Sultana]

23. Oh, thanx

:D

[alfredo]

31. Glad I could be of service.

[ShadesOfGrey]

13. Maybe because they herd fish (not joking)....

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=4807655&mesg_id=4807833

[CTyankee]

47. It herds fish. I know that sounds strange, but it's true.

They are used by Portuguese sailors to somehow herd fish into the nets. Check wikipedia. I think I saw the description there...

[sandnsea]

24. I like that too

I'm looking at these Lagotto Romagnolo's, but that waterdog is cute too. Maybe I should look into a rescue group to get the kind of dog I want cuz I'd never be able to afford to buy one.

http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/lagottoromagnolo.htm

[StarryNite]

30. Yes!

By all means adopt your new best friend from a rescue group! You will not be sorry! :loveya:

[elleng]

40. GREAT! ITALIAN,

brainy, and non-allergic!!! Never heard of this!

[FLAprogressive]

3. i'd go with the water dog

[SouthernVoter]

5. This is news?

This is what we are interested in? With the state of the world and our country right now, this is what passes for Breaking News?

Seriously?

[Sultana]

7. Yes

:D

[DogPoundPup]

9. sorry this offends you...just something light to find some relief from the carnage

and political madness

[Kali]

10. why'd you click on it?

[alfredo]

11. The choice reflects the character of the owner.

[madrchsod]

15. to dog lovers it`s breaking news....

sometimes it best to step back and enjoy some humor....

[gblady]

16. Variety....

is the spice of life!

Need a bit of levity around this place.

I say, get both kinds!

[lukasahero]

49. This isn't the "Breaking News" forum

Get over it.

[Neshanic]

6. I want to see them playing in that fountain in the front of the WH.

[femmocrat]

14. He also said he was looking for a rescue dog.

Unlikely he would find a Portuguese Water Dog in a shelter. They are kind of rare. They are another one of those breeds I have "always wanted".

[shireen]

18. Portugese Water Dog rescue group would help them find one, or

there's also the Labradoodle rescue group. I'm sure they could adopt either one from a shelter or rescue.

I just hope that whatever the Obama family decides does not start a new fad for that particular breed.

[LisaL]

35. Yea good luck with that.

Somehow I doubt shelters out there are full of portugese water dogs.

[Critters2]

28. True. There are a lot of labradoodles (lab standard poodle mix) on Petfinder. nt

[LisaL]

36. I couldn't find any, at least in my state.

There are a lot of labradors mixes. Nothing comes up under labradoodle.

[Critters2]

38. They don't list labradoodle as a breed. You have to look for ladrador poodle mix.

So, search under lab or standard poodle, and look for the mixes with the other breed.

[notesdev]

20. Should be a Saint Bernard

rescue dog... and make sure that cask is full, we gonna need it

[smalll]

21. I'd vote for the "Portuguese water dog." ---

A Labradoodle counts as half-French (the poodle part) as WELL as half-Canadian (the Labrador part.) This may cause an image problem. On the other hand, a Portuguese water dog counts as Latino, and as Richardson had to pull out of the Commerce spot, Obama may want to take the opportunity to enhance the Latino components of his administration.

I certainly hope though that the First Dog Obama chooses will be (ahem) properly vetted. :hide:

[WriteDown]

22. Why never a spitz-type breed...

I am waiting to see a Shiba Inu in The Whitehouse.

[elleng]

44. Maybe because

'many Spitz-type breeds retain wolf-like characteristics such as independence, suspiciousness, and aggression towards unfamiliar humans or other dogs, and can therefore require much training before they become manageable. Some, such as the Karelian Bear Dog, are almost impossible to train as companion dogs!!!'

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spitz

[WriteDown]

46. Sounds perfect to me....

They are independent thinkers. Although Shiba Inu's are a tad different from something like the Karelian Bear Dog.

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

48. Do you know of any hypo-allergenic ones?

[Shardik]

25. Labradoodle Picture...

The labradoodle is a popular, relatively new hybrid dog breed; a cross between the Labrador and the Poodle. As the story goes, a Lab and poodle were first crossbred in Australia back in the 1970s for a specific purpose. A blind woman who was allergic to dogs needed a good seeing-eye dog that would not exacerbate her allergy. Since Labs are excellent seeing-eye dogs and poodles are known to shed very little, a supposed allergy-free guide dog was created.

The labradoodle originated for practical reasons in that there does appear to be a definite need for hypoallergenic pets. In the U.S., for example, the pet allergy problem is considerable; about 10 percent of the U.S. population is allergic to animals, according to the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology. For those persons afflicted with asthma, the rate is even higher - approximately 25%. Since dogs are such popular pets, it is not surprising that the labradoodle came to be.

Labradoodle Characteristics


labradoodle four These lab/poodle hybrids have been described as: easy to train, smart, sociable, good with children, get along well with other dogs, loyal, and happy. They have wavy hair in varying colors, including: black, chalk, cream, apricot, chocolate, and silver. Labradoodles have large friendly eyes, but they don’t have the “prissy” look that some people dislike about poodles.



Characteristics

• Three sizes: miniature, medium, and standard

• Height: from 17 - 24 inches high

• Weight: from 26 - 60 pounds

• Colors: black, chalk, cream, apricot, chocolate, café au lait, and silver

• Coat: three types - wooly, fleece, or hair, four - six inches in length

• Life expectancy: about 13 - 15 years



As for their health, it is well known that years of inbreeding can create problems for purebreds. Since the labradoodle is a new hybrid, it will likely avoid the health problems associated with many of the purebreds. Also contributing to the labradoodle’s popularity is its reputation for being allergy friendly, which we discussed above.

[Critters2]

26. I still don't understand why people don't just get standard poodles.

I had parishioners once who bred Standard Poodles. They're great dogs!

[elleng]

37. 'Poodle' turns people off!

Tho they're wonderful, impressions from celebrities and shows remove them from generally desirable class, IMO.

MANY don't know how handsome Standards are, when NOT groomed to show!

[Critters2]

39. Yeah, I think the grooming gives a bad impression. Personality-wise,

they're wonderful dogs.

[elleng]

41. Yes they are.

Had a 'miniature' when I was young. 'Louie' never made it to yr. 2, but he was very bright, trained himself, and 'adopted' me, among other family members. High school friend had a Standard, and met one 'on the street' in Michigan, waiting outside for his family. Just lovely, kind, intelligent.

[SoCalDem]

42. If they were called what they ARE, maybe "men" would not be offended

"Russian Water Hounds"..

pudelhund..splashing water dog

The whole "poodle"/girly dog thing came from the frou-frou haircuts..but a basic puppy-clip does just fine..and is not hard to maintain at all.. You won;t find a smarter dog or a sturdier one, than a standard poodle:)

[elleng]

43. Right-O!

'Originally bred as a type of water dog, the poodle is skillful in many dog sports, including agility, obedience, tracking, and even herding.'

Pardon the Photo!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poodle

Learn something new every day!

[JanusAscending]

27. LOVE HIM !!!

He tilts his head like my Bichon Frise' does when I talk to him. Like "say what"??? This would be a "cool" dog for the Obamas.:fistbump:

[Inchworm]

29. I'm still hoping for a Heinz 57

:)

[LisaL]

33. Well, good luck getting that from a shelter.

[Critters2]

34. I don't think they ever really intended to get a shelter dog. nt

[WePurrsevere]

45. True, since one or both of the girls are allergic to most dogs

they need a hypo-allergenic one and those, especially as puppies, are not going to be easy to find in a shelter (unless there's a puppy mill taken in).

There may be breed rescues that can help them however but if not I wouldn't blame them for getting a purebred if it means their daughters can have the dog they long for and not have a serious physical reaction.

I'm a strong proponent for adopting from shelters or other rescue groups when possible. My husband, my eldest DD and I have done animal rescue work and fostered in our homes more then a few over the years (and currently) but I also know that there is a place for purebreds as well... for the sake of Obama's DDs health and being able to have their own fur family member (which I think it one of life's best experiences) this may be one of those times.

[Skittles]

50. this should be the First Dog - the one on the left

his expression accurately expresses the feelings of most Americans about the past 8 years