Peru Offers National Hairless Dog To Obamas (PHOTOS)

LIMA, Peru — Completely bald and older than the Incas, the Peruvian hairless dog seems like an odd fit for the White House.

But Peruvians are mindful of President-elect Barack Obama's preference for a hypoallergenic breed due to his daughter Malia's allergies _ and say the dark, rough-skinned pooch with large ears and a pointy snout could be just the solution.

At his first postelection news conference on Friday, Obama said choosing a pet dog for his daughters is a "major issue."

"It has to be hypoallergenic. On the other hand, our preference would be to get a shelter dog, but a lot of shelter dogs are mutts like me," the president-elect said.

The Friends of the Peruvian Hairless Dog Association responded on Monday, sending a letter to the U.S. Embassy in Peru offering the Obama family a 4-month-old pup that responds to "Machu Picchu," the name of Peru's famed Inca citadel.

"My family also has suffered from ... not being able to have a pet because my son and I are asthmatic, so we thought it would be ideal for him (Obama) to have a dog like ours," said association president Claudia Galvez.

Galvez, who has lived with six dogs of the breed for eight years, says being hairless has its benefits: The dogs are flealess and relatively odorless, too.

They were kept as pets during the Inca empire and depictions of the breed appear in 1,200-year-old, pre-Inca artwork.

The hairless dog was long scorned for its appearance before it was recognized internationally as the official Peruvian dog.

Comments

[cmar]

i dont see President Obama choosing a nonAmerican breed as the First Dog!

[Pupadup4oBama]

Very true!

[helenwheels]

That dog is ADORABLE!! I know a couple of Mexican hairless (the ones with mohawks) and they are the sweetest, funniest doggies. I don't know why people think they are ugly, I find them really cute.

[ITSDEE]

I'm a dog lover but I must say, that is the Ugliest Dog I've ever seen! Looks somewhat like a deer. Yikes!

[Emlyn]

I bet the dog's mother didn't think he was ugly.

[Pupadup4oBama]

that's because she probably looks just like him.

[nornny]

That dog is adorable. And I'll bet it likes to cuddle to keep warm too.

[helenwheels]

Indeed, these are probably mooshy types of dogs. I love that.

[rosiebond007]

PEOPLE -
LET THEM CHOOSE THEIR OWN DOG IN THEIR OWN TIME.

GET BACK TO WORK.

[Takae]

Gotta say that that is one cute dog.

[Shieldmaiden]

These are the fugliest dogs I have ever seen!

[gfs5541]

The dog would be cute, but those ears . . .

[XME]

Somehow I don't think Barack Obama would every say anything bad about big ears!

[Pupadup4oBama]

it IS kinda cute in it's fugliness.

[jcephrie]

Yeah Yeah! Make Machu Picchu the first dog!

[cdub1991]

It's a freakin' chupacabra!

[grizhead63]

Looks like Rush after a diet.

[Pupadup4oBama]

awwww, don't insult the puppy like that...he didn't deserve it! :)

[feelingliberal]

Its an ideal depiction of where the administration is headed..... ugly as hell, but practical.

[Archivist1000]

The dog is a XOLO, I think. They are quite beautiful, once you get used to the look. The skin is soft to the touch. VERY Loyal dog. The full name is Xoloitzcuintli.

Here is a link : http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/xoloitzcuintle.htm

Somehow though, I can't see a couple of kids appreciating this rather exotic dog.

[GoVeg]

I wish I had a dog like that. No flea, no odor, and full of unconditional love.

[katie did it]

Actually, its the guy who keeps the gardens at the white house to walk the first family's pet.

[robotsoul]

holy crap that pup is cute! I think I am a little more excited than I should be that there will be a puppy in the White House. I wonder how they will end up choosing