The Obama puppy will arrive Tuesday. My source is TMZ.
Here is his background:
He is a black Portuguese water dog, which means that Portuguese water dogs are very likely to become a fad dog. The narrow gene pool of the porty means that lots of improperly bred dogs are going to be on the market within the next few years, and the breed will develop lots of health problems.
However, some other facts might mitigate this problem. The first of these is he’s already six months old. He’s not a cute little lump of fur. He’s an adolescent dog, which means he’s more than just a little bit ornery.
As soon as he tears something up at the White House, the press will have a field day, and people probably won’t be as excited about buying the latest fad.
Secondly, he’s a rescue dog of sorts. His Texas breeder, who is friends with noted Portuguese water dog lover Senator Ted Kennely, sold him to a family a few months ago. For some reason, they couldn’t keep him, so they returned to puppy to the breeder. This means that the breeder of the Obamas’ new dog is a reputable breeder.
I would be a little upset had the Obamas chosen a very young puppy from a dodgy breeder, but in this case, they are upholding their promise to rehome a dog.
I’m sure the animal fanatics don’t like it. TS, I say.
And I’m sure that everyone hoping he didn’t get a dog from such a narrow gene pool is rather upset, too. However, there are some silver linings to this choice.
One them not often mentioned is that he’s chosen one of those old European water dogs, one of the ancestors of the retrievers and water spaniels. Dogs of this type existed in virtually every country in Europe, including England, where they were called rough water dogs or “water rugs.” The German, Russian, and French versions of these dogs became the poodles. The Spanish and Portuguese versions still exist as water dogs, although the Spanish variety is used as a herding dog and is still much more numerous as a working dog.
I believe these dogs are closely related to curly-haired herding dogs, like the Schafpudel and the Puli. These dogs then were directed to collect shot arrows and then nets, and then whole strains were bred in various countries as water dogs. In Britain and Ireland, they were bred with spaniels and setters to make water spaniels.
When the Portguese and Basques brought dogs of this type to Newfoundland, they became stranded and interbred with various French and British dogs and the Cao de Castro Laboreiro. These dogs became the St. John’s water dogs. In fact, if you look at a Portuguese water dog and a St. John’s water dog, they are quite similar in body type and color.
And that’s why Labradoodles and goldendoodles so closely resemble Portuguese water dogs, Barbet, and other strains of these old water dogs. All that is done in that cross is a reunion of two related bloodlines that were separated by geography and selective breeding.
I would have preferred that the Obamas rescued a Labradoodle. However, it’s hard to guarantee that Labradoodle doesn’t shed. And if they got a goldendoodle, chances are very high that it would shed. Portuguese water dogs shed a bit, but nothing like their golden retriever relatives.
Of course, the lack of shedding won’t guarantee that the dog will be hypoallergenic for the very simple reason that no breed is truly hypoallergenic. People are allergic to the dander of the dogs, and one of the reasons why people are often super allergic to golden retrievers is that they have long, oily hair that collects the dander. They shed lots of it twice a year, so if you are allergic to a dog, this is one breed that will make you have quite a reaction.
Update: Here is the first dog’s new website, and his eye-shine is such that it makes me think that he might be a Republican. (Just kidding).
Update Part Deux: White House denies validity of the First Dog Charlie website. However, the dog featured in the website looks just like the dog in new White House photos and even has the rainbow lei. Whatever the case, the Obama dog’s name is “Bo.”
If you’re going to ruin a breed, I couldn’t think of a better one to ruin: one that’s already an inbred mess, unpopular (meaning that even a fad is not likely to grow the numbers to sustainable levels… this will not be a top 10 dog), and otherwise unnecessary.
Collateral damage will be at a minimum.
German Shepherds are already at a crucial tipping point, and Biden certainly doesn’t have any sway on popularity… a good thing. A surge in popularity with GSDs just might ruin all the current efforts to bring back their rear ends from the disaster they are currently.
And I don’t think the Kennedy’s have good taste anyway, so I’m not so concerned that their “pet project” PWDs will get damaged in the short term.
I don’t have high hopes for this dog at all anyway. Clinton was a horrible pet owner and I don’t see any reason to give the Obamas the benefit of the doubt. I’d say they’re going to be in over their heads.
Clinton chose a Lab for PR purposes. He was a terrible dog owner.
I’m willing to give the Obamas a slight benefit of a doubt. The Kennedys were pretty good dog people. JFK had 6 or 7 dogs in the White House. His favorite was his Welsh terrier, Charlie, which had a fling with a dog given to Kennedy by Khrushchev that was the daughter of Laika, the first dog in Outer Space (of course, she died for her motherland).
Bobby Kennedy had a Newfoundland, and Ted has always had these dogs. Donna Shalala got her Portuguese water dog off of Ted Kennedy after her golden retriever died.
If Ted Kennedy can be the unofficial dog adviser, it might work out. But if things go wrong, he can call Cesar up to the White House. On second thought, he probably shouldn’t do that either, because that will be another divisive issue.
And at least they aren’t getting something totally inappropriate, like a border collie or a wolf or a Bengal tiger.
Choosing a dog for political reasons is a stupid idea.
And they shouldn’t have said that they were going to rescue one, because that put them on the spot with all the “you must rescue dogs” and “if you buy a dog, you just killed one” people.
Well, I see them as a source of genetics that might be used to increase genetic diversity in retrievers. They do have a retriever temperament. And their working trials (“water rescue”) require retrieving and delivering in the water.
This dog is a basically the Portuguese answer to the poodle.
The breed almost went extinct. It was revived through crossing in Spanish water dogs, which are usually used as loose-eyed herders rather than water dogs.
It’s a novelty.
I think that it could shoot the popularity of this breed up far more than is sustainable, given its current paucity of genetic diversity. It wouldn’t take too much.
They should have gotten a Labradoodle that was 3/4 poodle rather than this breed.
BTW, Bill Clinton was a terrible dog owner.
The last Democratic president who actually knew dogs was LBJ, and LBJ, as we all know, did the ear hang with the beagles. JFK was quite a dog person.
Clinton and Carter were really cat people.
I’ve not done any bio search, but I think Obama has never had a dog in his life. That doesn’t bode well.
Biden is an actual dog person. He grew up training and showing GSD’s. If he were president, I would worry, because his preferred breeds are GSD’s and (gasp) golden retrievers.
Reagan wasn’t a bad dog person either, except for that Bouvier he tried to keep in the White House. He kept lots of dogs on the Reagan Ranch, and that’s where Lucky the Bouvier was exiled.
I don’t know why any president would want a dog there. All the dog breeds I like do really poorly in an urban environment.
At least Obama didn’t suddenly decide on getting a border collie because he read Stanley Coren’s book.
Yes, that would be a recipe for disaster.
I think the best thing about this decision is not about the dog itself, so much as it is about re-homing a dog that a breeder TOOK BACK. There are SO MANY people out there who have never heard of such a thing, and it would never occur to them to call the breeder if they can’t keep the dog.
It may – just may, mind you – put the notion into people’s heads that if a puppy they bought doesn’t work out or they can’t keep it, then one of the first calls they should make should be to the breeder they got the pup from.
This would be a great thing for all responsible breeders – there are few things more heartbreaking than finding out that a dog you bred is in a rescue or a shelter, just because the owners didn’t want to tell you things weren’t working out.
And it might give pause to some irresponsible breeders, if they suspect that people might be wanting to give dogs back someday.
I hope it does.
For one thing, I’ve seen breeder contracts that REQUIRE that the dog be returned. Those contracts should be the cornerstone of any breeder’s contract.
And yes, I say this as someone who has a breed that is well-known to have large litters.
This is a good choice – Porties are fun dogs and great with kids who respond well to and with brilliant play (among other things), which I have no doubt the Obama daughters (with help and encouragement from Mom – and Dad when not otherwise distracted) thrive on. And I agree with Barb – a re-home is a perfect example of one of the seriously important differences between responsible breeders and everyone else.
But, ahem, a Portie is not an “answer” to the Poodle. It’s more like a cousin, selectively bred for a different function but still demonstrating some (but not all) of the remarkable versatility of the Poodle. Poodles don’t need (and never have needed) “answers.” They are the answer…. ;-)
For an English-language crib of more Poodle cousins see (from the Poodle History Project) http://www.poodlehistory.org/RCRIB.HTM#RCRIB
These are all old European water dogs. It is the poodle of Portugal.
A poodle is a refined combination of the Russian, German, and one of the French versions of these dogs. The French had two water dog types– the Caniche and the Barbet. The Barbet still exists, while the Caniche was absorbed into the poodle.
I’ve done some research into this. The Russian poodle was built more like a sighthound.
You can use a porty for the same purpose as a poodle. It is, after all, the ancestor of the St. John’s water dog, which begat all the retrievers.
All of these dogs will retrieve and swim.
The Spanish dogs are regularly used as herding dogs. In fact, that’s their primary function.
Poodles can herd, but not all of them have the instinct. Plus, there is a German breed called Schafpudel (“Sheep poodle”) that has since been absorbed into the Altdeutsche Huetehunde.
These dogs were replaced by the retrievers because the retrievers are faster in the water. The Labrador retriever can swim circles around a poodle or a Portuguese water dog. The breeders of the Lab and the smooth-haired St. John’s water dog figured out how to breed a dog with a coat like an otter or a seal. After all, otters and seals don’t have lots of hair to be efficient in the water and keep warm.
Clips on these old European water dogs were designed to make them faster in the water, while still keeping them warm. With seal-coated dog, you don’t have to do that, and the dog is much faster in the water.
That’s why I say that these dogs are kind of like museum pieces. They got replaced by a more efficient model. And a Canadian import at that.
What’s interesting is that through the Middle Ages, you find that each European country has its own version of this dog. The English version of it was called a “rough water dog,” a “water rug,” or a “poodle.” (I’ve seen texts that give all three names for this same dog. Cross that with a spaniel or setter, and you get a water spaniel. Cross the water spaniels with more setters, collies, and the St. John’s water dog, and you get the retrievers.)
Yes, but see http://www.poodlehistory.org/PZZGPV1.HTM for perhaps the earleiest proto-poodle illustration out there. :-)
My vet adored my first SP, Mike, whom I lost last year. My vet is a golden guy (dark red, curly goldens) and always claimed Mike was a golden in a poodle suit. Works for me….
That was a gem!
In fact, even more so, because the sources tied the poodles to the Puli-type shepherds.
And then the sources that clearly state that the earliest use of the word “spaniel” is for the Irish water spaniel in AD 17!
We have always assumed that spaniel means “Dog of Spain.”
Now, I’ve always doubted that the land spaniels are Spanish.
I’ve always believed the Celts in Gaul bred them first.
But the origin of the term spaniel could actually derive from the Iberian water dog type, which does come from Spain, and because land and water spaniels were crossed, the land dogs got the same name.
Have you seen this “water spaniel” : https://retrieverman.files.wordpress.com/2008/12/water-spaniel-by-stubbs.jpg ?
There is another one, only it is white, and he has a painting of a “Norfolk spaniel,” which is in between the poodle-type “water spaniel” and his “land spaniel,” which looks like a field-type English springer.
Poodles are very good dogs.
I know a toy that was as easy to train as any golden retriever. He was just a little silver golden retriever.
Stubbs also did this http://store.encore-editions.com/Detailed_Print_Information/White_Poodle_In_A_Punt_by_George_Stubbs.html, but there’s some, um, discussion whether this is, in fact, a poodle (I say yes).
Your Stubbs link looks so much like the Lagotto Romagnolo which, in turn, looks (and behaves) like a poodle, or Portie or …. Like I said – same basic dog bred selectively for different traits.
The amazing part of this discussion is the versatility of the basic curly water dogge from way back. For sure it could be improved upon for a particular function but the source apparently held all that promise which is why we’re known to claim Poodle Rule – Labs Drool.
But it’s more than the ancestor the poode/water dog types.
It’s the ancestor of my dogs, too!
There are golden retrievers that have very curly hair, and there are two breeds of curly coated retriever– the one we all know from dog shows and the Murray River curly from Australia. There was also retriever that was used in East Anglia called a Norfolk retriever, which was derived from crossing the St. John’s water dog with the English water spaniel. One of the golden retriever’s most important ancestors was a dog called either a Tweed water dog or Tweed water spaniel, which was also a cross between the St. John’s water dog and some form of water spaniel.
Here’s a golden with really curly hair: http://www.larryseiler.com/images/dogsdebn_snow.jpg
Ooooh – I see these goldens occasionally – I’m in Minnesota.
Scroll down (and up for a full view) on this page to read more about “your” breed and poodles. http://www.poodlehistory.org/PDUCKGU.HTM
BTW – Emily Cain is the proprietor of the Poodle History Project. She lives in Canada and hunts with her SPs and writes stream-of-consciousness posts to at least one poodle list. She’s also old (aging is a better word), and won’t be around forever. Go see her. She would love you – and you her. And all who love dogs would be better for your meeting….
Ultimately, however, it’s all and always about Dogs.
I’m not giving Mr. Obama a pass on much these days, but I’m willing to give him this one.
PWD registrations can probably be counted in the dozens annually, and I doubt there are many puppy-millers of them out there–maybe a few BYB’s, but since they’ll be from the same narrow gene pool, I don’t know how much damage they can really do. I’m sure the breed enthusiasts are beside themselves, but I doubt there will be many who will let a puppy go to “unknown entities” for the next 4 years, and those will supremely well-researched homes and be limited registrations and/or under spay-neuter clauses. If anything, I’d be more worried the scrutiny would turn off folks looking for a first-time purebred dog and send them to the mutt mills out of frustration and an anti-elitist impulse.
PWD’s are not trendy or faddish–if anything this is an elitist, obscure, odd-ball choice. I’m hopeful it will go nowhere in terms of popularity.
The dog is a re-home at six months, which probably means it’s got spirit, and we’ll hear of some mischief down the road. (Hopefully it won’t destroy anything irreplaceable.) It speaks well of the breeder that they rehome, and sets a good example.
No, Obama’s not a dog guy, but they did everything right. They approached owning a dog as a responsibility and a privilege, not a right; they made the decision as a family; they waited until the family was settled in; they certainly have the resources to take care of it; they chose an older puppy, which can be wise for a busy family; they know someone with the same breed, and know the lines the dog comes from.
I’ll lay odds Charlie becomes a welcome project and trusted companion for Mrs. Obama–I don’t see her putting up with too much in the shenanigans department, and an active teenage male dog will snap-to with devotion.
As I see absolutely no rhyme or reason for the Labradoodle (I mean, to each his own, but why doodle-up near perfection ;) ), and there’s the HUGE potential for poor breeding there already, I’m personally happy they didn’t go that route.
I’ve read about one lady in NAVHDA (I think, it seems these associations are always splitting & dividing) who hunts with Standard Poodles. I think Pudelpointers are interesting, but I’ve never met one. My fiance has a thing for Curly-Coated Retrievers.
Didn’t Ford have a Lab named Liberty? And JFK had a pony for Caroline on the White House Lawn, I believe. (Whereas Ford’s son had Bianca Jagger, lol.)
I wish there were going to be a cow at the White House. I am sure Patrick Leahy would love to give them a nice Vermont cow.
Personally, I can’t completely trust a cat man. A dog and cat man, yes, but only if he lets a dog jump on him.
I believe PWDs have become an upper-class accessory. On my visits to an old-money Tampa suburb, I have run into 2 PWDs & 2 Boykins. Both had lovely, friendly temperaments.
Ford had a beautiful golden retriever named Liberty, and she was out of some excellent Minnesota golden retriever stock.
https://retrieverman.wordpress.com/2009/02/12/gerald-fords-golden-retriever/
I think Taft was the last president to have a good “milch cow” in the White House, along with getting stuck in the bath tub and trying to create a stuffed toy opossum based on his persona. At the time when Teddy Bears were all the rage because of Teddy Roosevelt, who refused to shoot a bear cub in Mississippi and became famous for his sportsmanship in that incident, Taft decided to get a toy started for his persona. Unfortunately, it was a stuffed opossum named “Billy Opossum.”
Never trust a cat man– dog and cat man, yes. Totally agree.
And Bill Clinton had a cat when he came into office.
And he got a dog for PR purposes.
And I knew I should’ve never trusted him, and as a good “bleeding heart,” I did.
Well, with Bill it was a choice of the lesser of evils.
I think Michelle will make a good dog owner. She has the arm muscles for walking that dog.
If Obama wanted to be radical, he could have gotten a Pit Bull. Of course, that could cause allergies.
I wish I had put money on this, since I picked the PWD way back in November, and no one would believe me. Unfortunately, I don’t have a local bookie. Otherwise, I would be looking for a field Golden puppy today, lol.