"Only dull people are brilliant at breakfast"
-Oscar Wilde		 Brilliant at Breakfast title banner "The liberal soul shall be made fat, and he that watereth, shall be watered also himself."
-- Proverbs 11:25
"...you have a choice: be a fighting liberal or sit quietly. I know what I am, what are you?" -- Steve Gilliard, 1964 - 2007

"For straight up monster-stomping goodness, nothing makes smoke shoot out my ears like Brilliant@Breakfast" -- Tata

"...the best bleacher bum since Pete Axthelm" -- Randy K.

"I came here to chew bubblegum and kick ass. And I'm all out of bubblegum." -- "Rowdy" Roddy Piper (1954-2015), They Live
Friday, November 07, 2008

The Dog Issue
Posted by Jill | 7:28 PM
So amidst a global economic collapse, a Russian president playing "Mine's bigger" already, and two disastrous wars, once again the press wants to talk about trivia -- in this case, the impending Obama puppy.

It's understandable that people would find this notion captivating. The very thought of Sasha Obama with a puppy presents potential for Cute Overload of a degree that could cause heads of otherwise normal people to explode from an overdose of adorableness.

Of course it would send a positive message if the Obamas were to adopt a shelter dog, except that if the Obamas showed up at most animal shelters, they'd be unlikely to be allowed to adopt. The Obama family consists of a child barely out of toddlerhood, a child with allergies, and two parents who will have demanding jobs the likes of which none of us can imagine. But as we found out when the Clintons moved to the White House with a cat, there is a perception that "real Americans" have dogs, not cats.

This of course will come as news to the millions of us who have discovered the joys of being house servant to a demanding or bossy feline, but it's an unfortunate reality.

So it's important that the Obamas choose the right dog. The snarky, sick-sense-of-humor part of me thinks that a West Highland White Terrier would be the perfect "anti-Barney":


...except that Westies, while fantastic dogs, are not known for being patient with children. But most terriers have "hair" rather than "fur", and while this means they need grooming, it also means that they are usually fine for people with allergies.

The allergy problem means that the Retriever breed is out of the question, which is too bad, because there is nothing in the world cuter than a Lab puppy or a Golden puppy -- not even Sasha Obama.

The Bichon Frise is also hypo-allergenic, and better with kids than a Westie:



But the Bichon is such a frou-frou dog, however cute it is, and do we really want to listen to the wingnuts talk about the Obama's gay dog for the next eight years?

No, I think this is the perfect dog for the Obama family:



That, my friends, is an apricot standard poodle, unclipped. Not a "labradoodle", which is still going to blow at least some of its coat the way a Labrador does, but a standard poodle. If you take a poodle and leave it like this, or just clip the paws and the face, and leave a mustache, and don't do those silly show clips, the poodle is an awesome dog. They're smart, affectionate, and have terrific temperaments. They are high-energy without being frenetic, and highly entertaining. And a standard poodle is big enough to be nobody's frou-frou.

Labels:

6 comments
Bookmark and Share
6 Comments:
Anonymous Anonymous said...
A Wire Fox Terrier would be a great choice. They adore children, do not shed, are characters, and are multi-colored!
http://tinyurl.com/5qlrz2
11/8/08, 12:30 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...
While we're at it, can we get a border collie to herd the paparazzi?
11/8/08, 8:53 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...
Thanks for the pix of the standard. They are water retrievers.
If I got a dog, I'd get a standard.
Maude-
This name is the name of a black standard poodle from fiction that I am writing, She is unclipped.
11/8/08, 11:34 AM  
It's being speculated (on NPR) that Malia is leaning towards a Goldendoodle (http://www.goldendoodles.com/home.htm) although I'm not sure how hypo-allergenic they are.

My own Lord and Barker says they should get a Tibetan Terrier because they are great alarm dogs and will work in conjunction with the Secret Service to protect the children, plus they are too cute for words AND spiritual to boot. (I'm not sure how spiritual it is to bark at the rain but apparently that's a spiritual thing for Himself.) They are hypo-allergenic, high energy but great with kids, and very smart. Plus a TT would send a clear message to the Chinese.

I hope they can find a shelter dog, though. Talk about sending a message...
11/8/08, 1:23 PM  
Blogger Melina said...
I would strongly NOT suggest a Westie! they are temperamental and stubborn. My MOm had one and it ended up with me for a time...too long of a time! They can be snappish with kids and other dogs as well.
I would suggest a standard poodle, a smaller poodle or a bichon, as a good family dog. the poodle is very smart and very fun...just dont get it a funny haircut.
I should have more to say about this, what with my vast knowledge of dogs, but...Im asleep at the wheel with 2 dogs, and 3 baby lovebirds that I'm handfeeding, in tow!
They can rescue a poodle or bichon easily through the rescue agencies.

It will be nice to see some happiness and life in the whitehouse. I hope Michelle turns all that Laura did (the ugly rug in particular) upside down!...and does it on a reasonable budget !
11/8/08, 2:10 PM  
Blogger Rhode Island Rules said...
Wow, thanks for the photo of the unclipped standard poodle. I didn't realize they could look like that. I've always has the image in my head of the French poodle with the pom-poms or the nasty little toy poodle.

Good looking dog. That would be cool to see every day.
11/8/08, 7:57 PM  
Post a Comment
<< Home