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

[Verite]

Sorry, small dog lovers, but all small dogs do yap. Just some are worse yappers than others. And as for shih tzus, what on earth would a family that wants a real dog want with an ugly little sneezy freak like that??

However, I would suggest they screw the allergy diagnosis, as it's mostly a product of being in too sterile of an environment and a few weeks of exposure to a dog will cure you of it. I think they should go for a female Dalmatian. Sweet as can be, loyal velcro dogs, with just the right mix of colors.
And they're always available from shelters as families that shouldn't own dogs to begin with end up getting them because their kids saw the movie/cartoon.

[Horus45]

Not true about the allergies, I am VERY allergic to dogs that shed.
As soon as I walk into a home that has a shedding dog my sinuses close right up and I have to breath through my mouth.
I am fine with long haired dogs that do not shed.

I have a long haired Dachshund myself and she is not a yapper, her bark sounds more like a Labrador than a small dog.
Only thing that is a hassle with a long haired dog is the grooming.
I live in the desert so I just shave her down to a quarter inch every 3 months.
After she is clipped she looks like a regular Dachshund and she does not bother my allergies.

[RockySoldier]

german shepherd! best breed on the planet!

[Progress08]

Labrador is the best dog on earth. They're loyal, kind dispositioned, and damn good hunting dogs... I take mine both duck and pheasant hunting, she's very adaptable and she's a total sweetheart around kids. Even let my two year old nephew pull on her ears one day until I could intervene.

[Horus45]

The first dog they mentioned was a Labradoodle, which is a cross between a Labrador and a Standard Poodle.
They do not shed and are hypoallergenic, they look like a lab with curly hair.
They are supposed to be great dogs.

[Horus45]

Not hypoallergenic.

[RockySoldier]

true.

[maryhaze]

yep, i totally agree! & nothing a little benedryl won't cure.

[woodcut]

Arnold Schw. gets in trouble for "girly man" but "girly dog" is OK?
I'M KIDDING.
I thought this interview was adorable, intelligent, REFRESHING.

[BroMan]

When I read the headline, I thought surely he'd get scored for that.

[CeeCee]

I'm very partial to mutts. The PE said he was probably going to get a mutt.
I hope he does.

[Lahonda]

A beautiful black speckled, white female greyhound would really complement that family's style. And there must be many of them to rescue...

[RockySoldier]

why does it have to be female? are you so drunk on feminism that even the DOG has to be a girl?

geeeeez.

[Progress08]

Female dogs are easier to manage and they're less likely to try and hump the ambassador to England's leg.

[Zuzette]

A rescued greyhound would be great They are so sweet with kids. And they're cool, athletic & trim like Barrack & Michelle. Perfect!

[sykadelic chic]

Everything Obama says just makes me smile more and more.
lol I hate small yappy dogs too. Lots of smaller breeds are so neurotic as well. Too bad they have those allergy concerns or I'd say get a German Shepard or German Shepard mix in a heartbeat. Raised right they are like gentle giants and so loving and gorgeous. I miss having one, can't do that in an apartment.

But I think this brief shot really shows the normalness of the First Couple, lol, they sound my married friends ... I think Michelle will end up winning this argument, hee.

[eus]

Bigger dog , bigger poop, bigger the food bill, bigger walks, bigger spots on the lawn. Smaller dogs are easier to manage and less intimidating for children.

[RockySoldier]

...and the smaller dogs are also more likely to tear things up in the home.

get a big dog!

[nadiks]

golden retriever or lab please

[Progress08]

Small dogs are bread intensively to keep their lineage pure which results in a more neurotic dog. I've been bitten by dogs 4 times in my life and every single one of them was a little yippy dog.

[eus]

Oh I know, I dont like those nippy small dogs either-- the miniature pit bull, miniature rottweiler, miniature german shepherd, miniature chow, miniature husky or the miniature doberman. I thought allergies were an issue--dont think a retriever would work.

[mirthbound]

Bigger dog, bigger bladder--less puddles.

[6925thCobras]

What a relief it is to read news about a President (to be) and not get irritated. These people are smart nice and most of all, not mean and arrogant, like someone whom I won't mention.

[entropy2]

I agree...at first I thought it was a little too cute, but I'm just glad not to be nauseated reading about our leader.

[LollieDotCom]

I think he should consult Cesar Milan and not necessarily on tv. But Obama prefers advice from the best and brightest.... that's Cesar. No one else comes close. I still say, dogs for the girls - SHOULD BE girly dogs. And I've never seen anything that sheds less than a Yorkie.

Once you narrow down the field to three or four breeds, get three or four pair of black velvet pants and enjoy each dog with a different pair. Twenty minutes later and you'll know which one really does shed the least. If it wasn't for the shedding and allergy issues a border collie is the smartest dog, fluffy and cuddly enough for girls, smart enough and tough enough to be a man's dog as well. Not to mention the fact they're instinctively protective of family.

God I love dogs! :)

[Tulka2]

Culture is a dream we all agree upon so it's important, really important, god spells dog backwards. Yours in palindrome, yin / yang and perfect paradox, T.

[NoSandwiches]

I've been saying that about Cesar for a long time. I love that show. (Weirdly enough, I don't like dogs. Well....I don't like drool and poop and doggy smell--I've never really met a dog I didn't like, but could never own one. I DO love watching Cesar.

I went to Cesar's website and requested that he help the Obama's choose the most compatible dog--for the good of America, since Barack needs to concentrate on other decisions.

I suggest others do the same!

[cgoodie]

Border Collies are great! I also like Shelties.

[eggman]

From the exchange between the Obamas, methinks Barack is going to lose this round. He can control his team of rivals but they are not in his bed while he sleeps.

[Tulka2]

Poor dear, for the first time in a long time, it's not about him. Don't we seem to remember it is the girls who were promised a dog...? But wait, perhaps this means much more to him than we know. Perhaps he has always wanted a dog in the worst way?! Perhaps the want of a dog was just the extra little boost needed to win...? LOL

[PoohBah40]

Sounds like they could go for an Airedale. Wonderful dog, pretty rambunctious, but 60 lbs upper limit. Maybe not big enough.

[Tulka2]

Everyone is an expert when it comes to dogs. May i remind our dear leader that the dog is not for him? But... he is wise to know he will need to be seen with the dog and it better be a ggod political moment.

Hypo-allergenic dogs are one of the greatest myths foisted on the general public. THERE IS NO SUCH THING!!!! Please do some on-line research and you will learn the little lap dogs have a reputation for being less sneezy because they are washed more often. Dogs with short, close hair at least don't drag in grass pollen and rat spoor (Ka chooo!) and the whole damn world on their coats. Most people, in fact, are allergic to dog saliva instead of the oft repeated "dander and fur". Scientists have tested several breeds and poodles actually clocked quite high with the allergin most people itch about. As did also most terriers... including Yorkies.

Moral: Obama girls, wash your hands after you play with any dog. Certainly do not touch your face, eyes and nose till you have washed. Have a great vacum cleaner. Rinse your dog in plain water often.

How about a very short haired dog that is 100% American? The Boston Terrier. A Boston is a great family dog in that it will have a special relationship with every person in the family. They are bouncy fetch dogs too.

Call Caesar Millan for a White House episode.

[roooth]

No terrier is an American dog. Sorry, the only dog native to America is the American Dingo, or Carolina dog. Way cooler than a Boston Terrier too.

[Horus45]

You are wrong.
I know from my own personal experience that I am VERY allergic to shedding dogs.

I have a long haired dog that does not bother my allergies.

[lunarmagpie]

i'm right with you on the hypo-allergenic dogs being a myth, tulka2 -- there is no such thing as a completely hairless dog. the breeds thought of as hypo-allergenic have so many conditions to their being that way (frequent baths, limited contact, careful management), and even that that, there is a big difference in allergies from one person to the next, even with the same breed. it's definitely not an exact science!

here is a link to an excellent website about dog allergy maintenance:
http://www.americanhairlessterrier.co.uk/dogs/hypoallergenicdogs.php

(though the owners of the site are based in the UK, you'll note that this is also an American breed.)

[CyrusBeaucephus]

I have adopted five stray dogs and five stray cats--they were all messed up or abandoned or run over. Some are mutts, some are purebreds. One was a Katrina dog that someone tied to a sign post and abandoned. I love that they are getting a shelter dog--THAT'S SO AWESOME!! I like this President already. Wow, te last decade has been surreal

[macmac001]

whats up with MO and sleeveless dresses...i knnow she's buffed and everything..but come on...

[IhaveaDREAMwhitegirl]

lameo

[CeeCee]

Huh??????

[Younity]

Please, no prejudice! Not all smaller dogs yap.

[Babylon24]

I agree. I have a Shih Tzu and she is adorable and no yapping.

[eggman]

Made in China. Great.