First Dog

I have to admit, I’m not a big fan of poodles.

My grandmother had a sweet toy poodle when I was a kid, but I’ve always seen the breed as kind of snobby and elitist. Which is why I can’t understand the results of a survey recently announced by the American Kennel Club.

The group asked Americans to decide which breed of dog Barack Obama should choose for his family. The kennel club ran a poll at www.presidentialpup.com after reports that Obama promised his daughters he would get them a dog win or lose in the presdential race. About 42,000 people voted in the poll.

I just don’t see a poodle as a good choice for Obama. He’s already been accused of being elitist, and I don’t see a poodle helping that image. Certainly, a poodle is a dignified breed worthy of gracing the White House, but I’m not sure it reinforced Obama’s message of change.

He needs an energetic breed, the kind to match his candidacy and the youth movement that swept him to the Democratic nomination.

My pick would be a labrador retriever. I can see his daughter’s playing fetch with the first pup on the White House lawn, and I can envision a well-trained lab laying at Obama’s feet in the Oval Office. A first-lab wouldn’t be unprecendeted, either. The last Democratic president, Bill Clinton, had a chocolate lab named Buddy.

I also agree with groups like Best Friends Network, which are advocating the Obamas adopt a rescue dog instead of buying a pure breed from a shelter. There are plenty of labs and lab mixes out there who need good homes, and I think the White House, or the Obama family home if McCain wins the election, would make a good home for one of these animals. It would also set an excellent example for Americans and bring attention to the issue of homeless pets.

- Staff Writer Bryan Dean

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