# Obama's Puppy



## Gnarly (Aug 29, 2008)

THIS IS NOT A POLITICAL POST

As you all know, Barack Obama is our nation's new president elect. He has announced he will be getting a puppy, for his daughters, now that's they've made it to the white house. 

The previous presidents have chosen to buy their "first dogs" from top breeders, but wouldn't it be more beneficial if Obama adopted his puppy from a shelter. In the past, the chosen dog breed of the president has become popular with the American people (think the large influx of Dalmation bought and bred after the release of 101 Dalmations), so wouldn't it be fantastic if by adopting a dog in need, the rest of America would consider the option as well? 

Obama says he is for change, let's ask for a change that may be small to you or me, but could save potentially thousands of lives, scheduled for death everyday. Lives who look through chain link fences and sleep on cement floors. Who committed no crime, save for being born into a world that didn't want them. Abandoned and homeless dogs.

If we can convince Obama to adopt a dog through letter writing campaigns we could save many more! Look at when the Benji movies came out and everyone started adopting because Benji, a super smart Hollywood star, came from some little pound! 

Please help me in writing letters!

Obama for America
P.O. Box 8102
Chicago, IL 60680


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## padawanslacker (Oct 24, 2008)

If they get a pet, I do hope they adopt one from a shelter. That would be quite a journey for a puppy--from the pound to the White House!

Still, I really think he should get a hedgehog.

Now _that_ would be change.


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## Benus95 (Sep 28, 2008)

I like your idea. There are a lot of animals out there, not only dogs that need help and I think this is a good way for people to be interested in this issue.


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## lilhoglet (Aug 28, 2008)

Thats a great idea! It would also help reduce people buying puppies from pet stores, which would help out the whole puppy mill problem.


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## padawanslacker (Oct 24, 2008)

Cross-posted from another forum--accuracy not remotely guaranteed:

"Obama just stated in his press conference that he would like to get a shelter dog, but one of his daughters is allergic."

Apparently there are dog breeds that trigger allergies less, but you'd need papers to prove that an animal was one of those breeds.

I still say they should go hedgehog.


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## PixiesExoticHedgies (Sep 4, 2008)

padawanslacker said:


> "Obama just stated in his press conference that he would like to get a shelter dog, but one of his daughters is allergic."


This is CORRECT. I watched his speech today and heard him say, "*we would like to adopt a Shelter dog, but the problem with Shelters is they are full of MUTS like me."*

Yes.....our President elect did call himself a *MUT*.....the reporters, bystanders, secret service, and Barack himself started to laugh. The expression on his face was priceless. It was kinda like, "did I just say that out loud?" :lol: He noted that this was one of the hottest topics on his website.


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## laurennicole (Oct 16, 2008)

my family is allergic to dogs so we have poodles(know one can be allergic to a poodle)
but im not allergic to any animals.


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## Melissa (Sep 19, 2008)

laurennicole said:


> my family is allergic to dogs so we have poodles(*know one can be allergic to a poodle*)
> but im not allergic to any animals.


It is VERY possible for people to be allergic to poodles. Its believed that people arent allergic to poodles because they have hair not fur BUT people are allergic to the saliva and dander, which poodles have.

Im allergic to my moms poodle for the reasons stated..


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## HedgeMom (Nov 7, 2008)

My objection is not what breed they get, it's that they are getting a dog at all. They've never had a dog, they've never had time for a dog and now that they are in the White House where they have STAFF, they're going to get a dog. Not because they want one, but because it fits an image. 

I'm sorry, telling a child who wants an animal "If we win the election, you can have a puppy" is just plain stupidity, IMHO. Nothing about being responsible for the puppy, nothing about learning to care or train the puppy, but hanging it all on something as intangible and unpredictable as an election. 

I believe he's just setting the stage for more stupid pet ownership.


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## lilhoglet (Aug 28, 2008)

HedgeMom said:


> Not because they want one, but because it fits an image.
> 
> I'm sorry, telling a child who wants an animal "If we win the election, you can have a puppy" is just plain stupidity, IMHO.


In one sentence you say they don't want one and in the next you say the children want one. So, somebody wants a doggy!! I think regardless, the girls will provide lots of love and the puppy will be taken care of very well, even if that is by the staff.  But thats just my opinion.


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## PixiesExoticHedgies (Sep 4, 2008)

If I were a dog sitting in a shelter, I would surely rather go live at the White House and have full staff care and attention......than the alternative.


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## lilhoglet (Aug 28, 2008)

PixiesExoticHedgies said:


> If I were a dog sitting in a shelter, I would surely rather go live at the White House and have full staffcare and attention......than the alternative.


Exactly!  He will be taken care of, walked, cleaned, groomed and everything a dog could ever want.... and I'm sure even if the girls aren't old enough to understand all of that hard work and do it - I'm sure they'll give him the love and affection he needs while the staff helps with the rest. I can only imagine all the toys and stuff he'll have :lol:


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## PixiesExoticHedgies (Sep 4, 2008)

Melissa said:


> laurennicole said:
> 
> 
> > my family is allergic to dogs so we have poodles. no one can be allergic to a poodle.
> ...


Most often DANDER causes more allergic reactions, than hair/fur. Unfortunately, it's going to be very hard for Barack's family to find a true hypo-allergenic dog in a shelter. Just like buying hedgies from a pet store....you don't know what their lineage will be carrying. What looks like a poodle, may not really be a full blooded poodle (or any other breed for that matter).


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## laurennicole (Oct 16, 2008)

i got a pure bred poodle at the shelter he is a puppy and they got rid of him cause he peed in the flour and he came with akc papers.


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## Nancy (Aug 22, 2008)

The first dog I was allergic to was my aunt and uncle's purebred poodle. We had a german shepherd at the time and she didn't bother me but that darn poodle sure did. My allergy to the shepherd did start 3 years later but the poodle was the one that started first. Although my family never owned dogs, I had been in contact with various dogs all my life but didn't start being allergic to them until I was in my early 20's.

Now, if I'm in the same room as a dog just left at the vets, I start to wheeze.


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## HedgeMom (Nov 7, 2008)

PixiesExoticHedgies said:


> If I were a dog sitting in a shelter, I would surely rather go live at the White House and have full staff care and attention......than the alternative.


And, like Bill Clinton's cat Socks, in four years or eight years when his term is over, the dog goes away. President isn't forever but dogs live longer than 4 or 8 years. And then there won't be staff. Or he could go the way of the Clinton's dog when there was no longer staff to care for the animal. They let him run loose and he got hit by a car and killed.



lilhoglet said:


> In one sentence you say they don't want one and in the next you say the children want one. So, somebody wants a doggy!! I think regardless, the girls will provide lots of love and the puppy will be taken care of very well, even if that is by the staff.


The adults didn't want one. If they had, there would be a puppy already. Children shouldn't make the decision on getting an animal, adults should .


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## PixiesExoticHedgies (Sep 4, 2008)

HedgeMom said:


> PixiesExoticHedgies said:
> 
> 
> > If I were a dog sitting in a shelter, I would surely rather go live at the White House and have full staff care and attention......than the alternative.
> ...


Anything is possible. But compared to the alternative, I'd still rather go to the White House. Hopefully Barack's family will love the dog and decide to take it home or they will make sure it is well taken care of, afterwards.


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## PixiesExoticHedgies (Sep 4, 2008)

laurennicole said:


> i got a pure bred poodle at the shelter he is a puppy and they got rid of him cause he peed in the flour and he came with akc papers.


It's not uncommon to find purebreeds in the shelters. But rarely will you get one that comes with their AKC papers. When you're dealing with allergies, I'd be still be skeptical -- because unless you purchased it directly from the breeder, you don't know for sure the AKC papers you have are for that exact dog. _That is also assuming you'd be buying from an honest/reputable breeder._


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## j4782 (Nov 9, 2008)

> The adults didn't want one. If they had, there would be a puppy already. Children shouldn't make the decision on getting an animal, adults should .


How do you know?

The delay in getting a dog might have had to do with the girls' ages. They are now old enough to take on responsibilities of doing some chores (they have stated that the girls will continue to do things they did at home, like make their own beds).

The promise of a dog had nothing to do with winning or losing, but when the campaign would be over. They had obviously discussed getting a dog and thought about it, because getting a pet during the chaotic time of being on the road would have been a terrible thing to do to a new dog.


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## Nancy (Aug 22, 2008)

I think getting a dog when there is a family member who is allergic is a huge mistake. Allergies don't go away and usually get worse with time and exposure. If they already know she is allergic to dogs before they even own one, what will she be like when they do own one. Even the supposed allergy free dogs cause allergies, but not quite as much as other breeds.


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## Gnarly (Aug 29, 2008)

Nancy said:


> Allergies don't go away and usually get worse with time and exposure.


Actually, some allergies do lessen, or go away with age. My husband had some severe allergies as a child he does not have now. When he was younger, he couldn't be around cats or dogs, but now we have two dogs and two cats, as well as a number of hedgehogs and gerbils, and he doesn't have a problem with any of them.

This of course is not always the case.


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## PixiesExoticHedgies (Sep 4, 2008)

Gnarly said:


> Actually, some allergies do lessen, or go away with age. My husband had some severe allergies as a child he does not have now. When he was younger, he couldn't be around cats or dogs, but now we have two dogs and two cats, as well as a number of hedgehogs and gerbils, and he doesn't have a problem with any of them.


I too, had allergies as a child and outgrew them. If it's not severe allergies, your body can build up an immunity to the culpret. But I had to have allergy shots as a child. Now most everything that used to trigger my allergies, no longer does. Still have seasonal allergies, and I guess I always will.


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## dribean (Nov 11, 2008)

Apparently Peru has offered Obama a hairless, allergyless, shelter dog!

http://news.yahoo.com/nphotos/slideshow ... 06815.jpg/


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## schlarmanm1 (Nov 15, 2008)

If you look back i cant think of any Pres that didnt have a dog. For that matter i cant think of a Pres not having multipale dogs. I know Bush has a few. The only reason why Obama would be buying this dog is for the Image. Like said before what happens to him/her after his term. If they dont have one now they probably wont want to keep the dog. Hiring someone to look after a dog has always an option since he is rich so i dont see him holding on to a dog after his tirm.


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## lilhoglet (Aug 28, 2008)

Honestly, I think he has more on his mind than maintaining an image that a president has a dog :lol: They might have wanted a dog for a while but obviously could not get one during the campaign.


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## kaotichouse (Oct 15, 2008)

I agree with lilhoglet, now that the campaign is over and things are settling down (a little) the girls can have their puppy.


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## PixiesExoticHedgies (Sep 4, 2008)

On "60 minutes" last night, the reporter asked if he was getting a dog just because it had been "the thing to do" with past Presidents. He and his wife said the girls had wanted a puppy for a long time. But they felt like the girls needed to be old enough to care for it and accept the responsibilities of a puppy. He also remarked that they'd decided (before the campaign) that the girls were ready for a dog. But at that time Barack was tinkering with the idea of running for President. So they told the girls it would not be right to get a dog at that time, knowing they'd be traveling across Country all the time (during the campaign). 

Thus, that is when they made the comment about waiting until they were in the White House to get a dog.


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## ILOVElily (Dec 5, 2009)

> The adults didn't want one. If they had, there would be a puppy already. Children shouldn't make the decision on getting an animal, adults should .


thats not necessarily true. i am a child (12) and i made the desision to get a hedgie (which is an animal. it really depends on the responsibility of the child.
I am sorry if i am being rude it just bothers me when people say things like that.


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## Hedgierrt (Aug 31, 2008)

This is a moot point since the Obamas have gotten a dog already, but Nancy is absolutely correct. It is a BIG mistake to get a dog when someone is allergic that lives in the same house. Dog allergies are from dander and saliva. When a child gets sick and has to take medicine daily just to live with the dog or cat, that is not good either. We had to give our dog up due to my daughter developing allergies to her when she was 4 years old. She still misses Toots, our little rat terrier. She was in counseling for a year. When she was in 3rd grade I mentioned, after she had yet again wanted to be allergy tested for dog, which came back positive, if she would consider a hedgehog. She waited over a year for Henry, and she loves her hedgies. Now that she is 12, Joanne made the decision this month, after me taking her to the allergist twice, to start allergy shots. I support her decision, and I do because she REALLY thought about it, read about it and spoke directly to the MD with her concerns. Children can make the decision with the parents help and guidance.

Just a note, we found a retired couple for Toots to live with with a huge yard. I still miss her too!


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## taylor (May 4, 2009)

I'm allergic to most animals, but I've had dogs, gerbils, guinea pigs, and hedgehogs my whole life. I love animals, and the wheezing and sneezing isn't enough to stop me. I've just found meds that help  Yes, allergies really stink, but if you're willing to live with them, they are bearable. I just wanted to say that since so many people seem to be under the impression that the Obamas shouldn't get a dog just because one of the daughters has allergies. It's never stopped me


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