There's a New Dog in Town
The long wait of an anxious nation is over. The new first dog is here, and his name is Bo.
We have two yellow labs at home -- a great choice, but not if you are allergic (or, for that matter, worry about damage to the rose garden). For short-haired animals, their hair is everywhere; you see it drifting in the shafts of kitchen sunlight. So I will put aside my breed snobbery, and add my welcome to the nation's capital.
As anybody who has brought a little ball of chaos into their lives knows, now the fun starts.
Bo's arrival, of course, played out perfectly for the times. He was selected in secrecy; the selection was leaked; a newspaper was promised the exclusive; but was beaten by the Internet and, of course, there is controversy. What about the campaign promise to adopt? There are quotes that every dog bought from a breeder is a death sentence for one in a shelter. (A bit of a heavy burden, I think, for little girls who just want a puppy.)
There are even same news-cycle talking points: Bo was previously with another family (and called Charlie then), but there seemed to be a conflict with the dogs already in residence. So he was returned to the breeder who provided the family dogs of Ted Kennedy, which then re-gifted Charley to the Obamas. So, go talking points, Bo, as a first-family failure, could have conceivably met the fate of other dogs who don't fit in, and been dropped off at a shelter. I buy that. Really.
Anyway -- get used to it, Bo. You are more than a dog now.
I can only hope he won't star in holiday videos as Barney, the Bush dog, did. Toward the end, it was animal abuse -- or abuse of all dog lovers who watched in spite of themselves, and suffered the dialogue that even made the dog look embarrassed. Barney deserved better.
But it's a new day. The arrival of Bo is truly change we can believe in. Once a puppy arrives at a house -- even the big white one on Pennsylvania Avenue, things will never be the same.
There will be lessons in the laws of puppies" "If I can reach it, it's mine. And what's mine, I'll chew if I want to." There are lessons in the lethality of puppy teeth, which shred wrists and forearms, and can clamp down mid-nuzzle -- on the occasional ear.
There will be the realization your dog is, quite possibly, the smartest dog ever. When is the last time you heard someone say their dog is dumb? By most objective measures, our big, love-bomb of a dog, Stuart is not the brightest toy in the basket. Even though his trick repertoire peaked at sit, we prefer to say he's "chill."
Prepare, also, to be one of "those people" you swear you will never be -- the insufferable ones; the ones who believe that the rest of the world finds your puppy stories as hilarious/heartwarming as you do. Word of caution, Mr. President. Putin doesn't care. Anyway, he seems like a cat person.
There will be discoveries of the hard to define, but amazingly comfortable smell of puppy fur; the power of the loving gaze of big brown eyes, the joyous greetings that -- in their own way -- will be just as satisfying as your reception in the capitals of Europe.
Congratulations are also in order. You will quickly realize that Bo -- who will soon answer to nicknames like Bo-dog, B-dog, Bobo, Beauregard or Bo-dacious -- is the best dog in the world. Even when he's not.
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The only folks making much of this "doggie-gate" are the mouth-foaming right, who burst into flame mode every time Obama takes a breath, and the lunatic ultra left animal rights fringe for whom no one can ever be "pure" enough. The dog was a gift. His adoption may have saved him from a shelter. Obama never promised the new pup would be a shelter dog. So remind me again, why the F people are still blathering on about this? Go. Get. A. Life. Please.
It's such a personal decision bringing a dog into a home.
I can't imagine taking a stance and shoving my thoughts down peoples'
throats for such a committment. If you feel pets must come from
shelters, then do it. It won't work for all tastes and compatibilities.
I prefer that people take great care of their pets wherever they come
from--they all need good lives and you can't make everyone else responsible
for the actions that brought all those pets into shelters.
Where is the wrath for the irresponsibility that causes all those pets to be abandoned?
Those of us who love animals may recall that the Obama-Biden ticket earned the endorsement of the Humane Society Legislative Fund. The Fund had never before endorsed a Presidential ticket, and it broke with precedent to acknowledge the long-standing and repeatedly demonstrated commitment of then-Senators Obama and Biden to issues of animal welfare. President Obama's decision to re-home a puppy who was not adapting well to his previous home, and to make a donation to the D.C. Humane Society in honor of Bo's adoption, were acts of conscientious compassion. I applaud the family for this, but more importantly, I respect their right to make a personal decision. There are many ways to lend support to animals -- By supporting or initiating pet food banks, through fostering and adopting, through volunteering, and through financial support. Let us support all of these efforts, at a time when an increasing number of animals are losing their families and homes to the economic struggles of their families.
Just another broken promise among the litany of broken promises that litter Obama's wake.
Huh??
Obama never promised to get a dog from a shelter! I challenge anyone to provide proof that he promised to get a dog from a shelter. He said, when asked, that they hoped to get one from a shelter but doubted they could because "most shelter dogs, like me, are mutts and Malia has allergies and we need a hypoallergenic dog."
This is REALLY funny.
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2009/4/13/719440/-Breaking:-Obama-puppy-nominee-faces-uphill-battle-in-Senate
That's really cute. I have a feeling that Bo and the girls don't really care about the politics.
Responsible, professional breeders normally have the adopting family sign a binding contract that the dog will be returned if the family does not want it or can no longer keep it for any reason and that the family will sterilize the dog at a specific age, unless the dog was specifically purchased for breeding. These breeders are not the source of the pet overpopulation problem.
At many shelters, their experiences have taught them that adopting out dogs with significant behavioral problems may have allowed them to chalk up more adoptions, however those dogs nearly always ended up dumped on someone else when the adopter could not deal with them. Unfortunately, many dogs arriving at a shelter will be euthanized either because they are unadoptable or because they require a specific adoption situation, such as a single dog, adults only home, which can not be found in a reasonable time period.
I hate that so many dogs are euthanized every year, and I encourage everyone to include shelter dogs amongst their possible options, especially now that shelters are better at evaluating dogs in an effort to ensure that adoptions stick. However, I find nothing wrong with people choosing to purchase a dog from a reputable breeder. In fact, after years of loving and sheltering many rescue dogs, I am leaning heavily towards purchasing a pure bred puppy from a quality breeder for my next dog and I do not feel guilty in the least for wanting to do so.
Lost in all the, sometimes silly, chatter about Bo and is he or isn't he a shelter/rescue dog is that fact that he was a GIFT from Sen. Kennedy to the Obamas. It's been noted elsewhere that beginning at the inauguration and thereafter Sen. Kennedy had been advocating on behalf of PWD. Of which he has several.
Fate seems to have played a hand as Bo was born at the same kennel as Kennedy's dogs, purchased by a Washington, D.C. family, returned, and Kennedy learned that Bo needed a home and arranged for him to be given to the First Family. Sound like it was meant to be.
I for one am looking forward to an interview in the near future where Mrs. Obama gushes about the newest family member. As neither she nor the president grew up with dogs, I think they're in for a very pleasant surprise.
I love the dog's name...
Should have saved a shelter dog. Shame.
Yep - pretty sure there are quite a few hypo-alergenic shelter dogs. With Mahlia's alergies, they also have to be logical and responsible pet owners. Would you rather they adopt a shelter dog that they then had to return to the shelter because of alergies??
I'm thankful that, after one home didn't work out, Bo is being given a second chance. He may not be a shelter dog, but he was a dog in need of a home.
Better yet, why don't you stop waisting time here and go do that right now?
"wasting"
Barney was abused?
That's the funniest proposition I've yet seen.
Thanks for affirming me.
It was a joke. The video was so dumb, it was embarrassing and Barney was not an especially people-friendly dog. How does that affirm you?
How is this about you?
Careful now, Peggy. Newt the crybaby is having a fit because Bo is getting media attention more than him!!!! He complained to FOX and even tried to call NPR to complain but nobody accepted his call.
The dog was a gift, for heaven's sake! The broken campaign promise suggestion is just silly. And besides, this was a returned dog and as such is a kiind of rescue. Their daughters health and happiness is the most important thing. The dog should not be politicized, just petted and loved.
It's not just silly. Millions of pets are euthanized (killed) every year because people don't adopt them and/or abandon them. Breeders contribute to this problem. You can also get hypoallergenic dogs from shelters. So quit rationalizing it. Just admit that you don't care about this issue, which would be more intelligent.
amen!
Why do some of you try to make an issue out of a non-issue? Do YOU care? Do you rescue dogs from the shelter?
What hypo-allergenic dog have YOU seen in a shelter lately??
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