Nov 8, 2008 11:14 am US/Eastern
Obama Family Searches For First Dog
BOSTON (WBZ) ―
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Barack Obama and his family arrive on stage for his election night victory rally at Grant Park on November 4, 2008 in Chicago
Timothy A. Clary/Getty Images
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Among the many positions President-elect Obama hopes to fill is a unique appointment: first dog.
At his first postelection news conference, the
president-elect discussed the dog he'd promised his young daughters and called choosing the right one a "major issue" in the Obama household.
For one thing, the dog would need to be hypoallergenic, due to daughter Malia's allergies.
Though no breeds are completely non-allergenic, some shed less than others, causing fewer problems.
Those would include poodles, bichon frise, Portuguese water dogs and Maltese. Other low-shed breeds include Schnauzers, Scottish terriers and cross-breeds like goldendoodles.
Animal experts also say the puppy may be good for more than just Obama's kids. One says that when the president has a bad day, a loyal pet can convey the helpful message, "Hey, things aren't so bad."
Obama said the family is interested in adopting a dog from a shelter.
"But obviously, a lot of shelter dogs are mutts like me," Obama said Friday. "So, whether we're going to be able to balance those two things I think is a pressing issue on the Obama household."
Many shelters stress that there are plenty of purebred dogs available for adoption. The
Best Friends Animal Society estimates 1 in 4 shelter dogs are purebreds.
According to a search on
Petfinder.com, there are more than 300 poodle and poodle-mix puppies available for adoption across the country.
The Web site allows users to search for any kind of dog by breed, age, sex, size, color and location.
(© 2009 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
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