Choosing the Obamas' dog

last updated 8 January 2015

The wait is almost over, dog lovers, said Amelia Glynn in the San Francisco Chronicle. President-elect Barack Obama says his family has narrowed down the hunt for a dog for the Obama girls—it’s between a Portuguese water dog and a Labradoodle, which you get by crossing a Labrador retriever with a poodle. Not surprisingly, the American Kennel Club is recommending the water dog, because it says purebred dogs are more predictable.

The choice isn’t so clear, said Susan Pigg in the Toronto Star. “Both dogs are smart, don't shed and are hypoallergenic—a must, given the allergies of Obama's elder daughter Malia, 10." And some trainers will tell you that Labradoodles make the best family dogs you can find—they don't mind if your busy schedule means they get shortchanged on walks, as long as they get to spend time with you.