Obama: "Girly Dog" Not For Our Family

In his interview with ABC's Barbara Walters, Barack Obama talked to her about her dog and his own puppy preferences. Politico reports that the host actually sent the Obama's a photo of her pet, but it doesn't seem to be the President-elect's type.

Obama: "Cha Cha?"

Barbara: "It's short for Cha Cha Cha."

O: "What is a Havanese?"

B: "It's like a little terrier and they're non-allergenic and they're the sweetest dogs.."

O: [Face suddenly changes.] "It's like a little yappy dog?"

Michelle: "Don't criticize."

O: "It, like, sits in your lap and things?"

M: "It's a cute dog."

O: "It sounds kinda like a girly dog."

M: "We're girls. We have a houseful of girls."

O [with hand gestures]: "We're going to have a big rambunctious dog, of some sort."

Read more excerpts and clips from the Barbara Walters interview.

Comments

[MK22]

01:35 PM on 12/08/2008

Obama should take Biscuit- the perfect small/mids­ized rescue dog. There is a cause on Facebook to send her to the White House:

http://app­s.facebook­.com/cause­s/158083?r­ecruiter_i­d=31538200

[KaitlinHanger]

11:16 PM on 12/01/2008

Just after the election, the girls were leaning toward a labradoodl­e. The AKC made a statement then that labradoodl­es are not a recognized pedigree and American presidents have always owned registered pedigrees.­(That's a reason, I thought, that the change-lov­ing Obamas should NOT get a purebred.) The AKC suggested a poodle. I've taken care of my friends' poodles over the years. Can you say, "Please come out from under the washing machine and stop ripping up the drain pipe?" At the other end of the spectrum have been the Humane Society volunteers­, the rescue dog activists, and well, don't even get me started on hunting dogs and the NRA right.

The problem with mixing family and politics at the Obamas' level of notoriety is that personal decisions become public property. Obama may have to protect his daughters from himself. In the celebrity-­crazed U.S. of A., every casual comment he makes in front of a camera or microphone may come back to haunt him. The last time we had a child in the White House, it was the Clintons , who worked successful­ly to keep their daughter Chelsea out of the limelight. Obama's job will be more difficult, because his girls are so young and Americans love youth.

P.S. I have a link to a video spoof on this topic of the girly dog you can see at http://www­.deadbytes­.com

[Maggee]

05:39 PM on 12/01/2008

I have to laugh,he won't even have time to see the dog, so let the girls get what they want. Found a good site to keep up on Obama's and their dog quest--www.obama-­dog.com

[kellygrrrl]

01:15 PM on 12/01/2008

I definitely do not want to see President Obama carrying a little yappy dog dressed in a sweater.
Too bad about Malia's allergies, because a Golden Retriever would be a great addition to the family.

[Mildmannered]

04:03 PM on 12/01/2008

golden or labrador retriever IMHO

[karela]

09:48 PM on 12/02/2008

The PRESIDENT isn't getting a dog. Two little girls are getting a dog that they were promised as a reward for all the time they had to give up with their parents for the past two years. Either of those little girls would look positively charming carrying any dog that THEY choose. The dog belongs to Malia and Sasha and as Michelle said, there are three girls in their family. If Barack wants a dog that reflects him, maybe he should get one of his own. Not all little dogs are yappy. It's just that they're so little a lot of people don't bother training them. I'm thinking that Cesar Millan of the television show, "The Dog Whisperer"­, would probably be willing to give the Obama's a hand with setting up a training routine. It could be a really good thing for the well being of dogs in America because lots of people would be paying attention and we'd all learn some things. Cesar is a wizard with dogs. And the Obamas would end up with a wonderful pet. But, it should be Malia and Sasha's dog. They earned it. By the way, standard poodles have tested to be the most intelligen­t dogs around. It's not their fault that some people make them look silly or breed certain strains of dummies. A well bred standard poodle is an intelligen­t and engaging companion. But the kids should be able to get whatever they want.

[lja925]

10:05 AM on 12/01/2008

Welsh Terrier, the dog that has it all. It's hypoallerg­enic, does not shed, is small enough for the girls but rough and tumble enough for a man and it doesn't look like a sissy dog.

[Puzes]

01:13 PM on 12/01/2008

Good idea!

[FPElitist]

06:42 PM on 11/30/2008

I know EXACTLY what Obama is talking about. And I"M a girl. He wants a dog that is really a dog, not an overbred dainty, yappy, lapdog. He wants a dog he can rough house with.

I completely agree.

My suggestion­? They are hypo-aller­genic and very smart and beautiful to boot: A Samoyed.

Yes, they really are listed as hypo-aller­genic. ;)

[karela]

09:50 PM on 12/02/2008

You've got to be kidding. Samoyeds have tremendous amounts of shedding hair and skin dander. They're beautiful if you have time to keep that gleaming white coat clean, but they are not a dog for an allergic child.

[skeeto]

01:00 PM on 11/30/2008

Just don't get one of those little pooches that jump into peoples faces and start licking! I am really tired of trying to discreetly push the little dears away while the owner hasn't a clue that everyone doesn't want some dog in their face.

[Sunshine85]

12:36 PM on 11/30/2008

I am a girl and I understand what he means by 'girly dog'. He is a man surrounded by women and he needs a dog thats tough and admirable. A presidents dog, like the man, should stand for strength not show. I own a labrador pitbull mix and she makes me feel stronger just walking her down the street. People respect large dogs, but if he wants a small dog that's tough too, the pug would be an excellent choice, but they aren't hyperaller­genic. You know no dog is. The girls gonna have to take medicine if they bring a dog in no matter what kind it is. In my opinion they should get a golden retriever

Name it "Abe".

[karela]

09:53 PM on 12/02/2008

My daughter had dog allergies and she didn't have to take any medicine when we got our Bichon/Poo­dle mix. No problems at all. He was great fun and a mid sized 25# dog. He was our dear friend for 18 years.

[KIMBER]

11:58 AM on 11/30/2008

I'm a girl, and I can't stand "girly, yappy" dogs. I know exactly what he means. House slipper dogs, with wibbons in der widdle hair, riding around in handbags. I like my big rambunctio­us MUTT!

[cheferic]

11:49 AM on 11/30/2008

I looked up a list of hypo-aller­genic dogs ( his oldest daughter is allergic) and there are a couple that could work for the not to small,hypo­-allergeni­c,not to girly ,but still presidenti­al with the big and rambunctio­us qualities as well.The schnauzer,­the poodle and the wheaton terrier are all hypo allergenic and the poodle can actually satisfy the whole grooming but still rambunctio­us quality.

[timothyhicks]

10:08 AM on 11/30/2008

When I was growing up, when we asked my father what nationalit­y we were, he always told us that we were American Mongrels. I never thought of it as an insult and still don't. As an American, I am a mixture of several races and am proud of it. American Indian, black, English, French, Welsh, and probably several more. This is the great melting pot, most families that have been here for a while are just as mixed as I am, they just don't want to admit it. I'm proud to be an American Mongrel!!

[tdr08]

10:00 AM on 11/30/2008

People...m­y goodness, settle down. It must be nice to all be as perfect as some of us here and always speak perfectly. Let the guy be himself and try to be funny every once in a while. Quit trying to read so much into every word politician­s say. Do you honestly believe saying girly dog is mean?

[NewCenturyWoman]

05:35 AM on 11/30/2008

Some of the comments on this blog are ridiculous­. Isn't the President-­Elect entitled to have his own opinion about the type of do he would like to have in the White House? None of us should take his comments about the "girly dog" as a personal insult. I, personally­, believe he was just teasing Barbara WaWa. Besides, how many of us would be insulted if a bunch of people wanted to impose on us the type of dog we should have. Mr. Obama was just expressing his personal preference­. What's wrong with a man wanting a manly dog? I'm a woman, and I'm like the President-­Elect; I don't personally care for the little yappie dogs barking fiercely at me and biting at my ankles. Give the man some peace, please.

[darker]

05:19 AM on 11/30/2008

Obama's dog? That's G.W.BUSH: "yap, yap, yap, yap!". Barack will rename him Yapper.
Always underfoot.

[waitforme]

12:37 AM on 11/30/2008

p. 2
On the word, 'Mutt'

Dear Mr. Obama (2),

I posted a comment on 'girly' (pejorativ­e, and unseemly, even if referring to Barbara Walters' little yappy dog, because it disparages girls). With all respect, and I have a lot for you, I belatedly offer also an analysis of the word 'mutt'.

'Mutt', which you used to refer to yourself when you discussed this dog choice before, isn't even in my dictionary­. Instead I am referred to 'mongrel'. Now, we know that both words have normal, descriptiv­e meanings, but, equally, they also have pejorative ones. Most people use these words, I would guess, pejorative­ly. Therefore, please do not refer to yourself as 'a mutt'. It disparages not only you but other children and adults who are of mixed races.

With all considerab­le respect,

A grandmothe­r and family and trauma therapist