What’s Barking In The White House?
It’s not long until president Barrack Obama and his family will make their move into the White House and according to sources they are very close to a big decision. What kind of dog will join them?
In an interview with George Stephanopoulos on “ABC’s This Week” Obama reveals that they have narrowed it down to two breeds.
Their choices a Labradoodle or a Portugese water hound,” Obama says. “So we’re now going to start looking at shelters to see when one of those dogs might come up.
Obama also spoke about the changes taking place in the lives of their daughters which he described as “smooth sailing.”
“They seemed to thrive,” he says. “I’m trying to figure out why it is that they don’t seem to be fazed by anything. They just don’t seem to be intimidated.”
Barack Obama will be sworn in as president on Jan. 20.
Portuguese Water Dog
The Portuguese Water Dog is a unique looking breed. With its rounded head leading to a rectangular shaped muzzle, the breed’s has an interesting appearance. Their sweet expression starts with their small brown eyes and folded ears which lie close to their head. Their thick neck leads to a broad chest and sunken stomach. The Portuguese Water Dog’s long legs lead down to their round feet. A distinctive characteristic of the breed is its long tail which is normally shaved to leave only a puff ball tip. Their unique single layered coat is curly or wavy and lays close to their body. Fur colors come in a large variety including black, white, brown, gray, silver fox, or parti-colored. Their coat can also be brown or black with white spots.
Character
The Portuguese Water Dog is a friendly and intelligent dog. Family members and strangers will both be affectionately greeted. Dogs and small animals will be great companions for this sweet dog who also loves being around children. An intelligent nature makes the Portuguese Water Dog easy to train and quick to learn while a friendly disposition makes this a great family dog.
Size 17 – 22 inches
Weight 35- 55 pounds
General Health
The Portuguese Water Dog is a fairly healthy breed with only a few diseases. Those uncommon but possible diseases are hip dysplasia, PRA, and a deadly nerve disease called GM-1 Storage Disease. However, proper breeding will reduce the chance of these diseases. The Portuguese Water Dog lives an average of 10 to14 years.
History
The Portuguese Water Dog originated from groups of working dogs who were brought into Spain and Portugal by invaders. Fisherman on the Iberian peninsula started using the breed as for help soon after the development. In fact, the dogs were so valuable in this capacity that after a fisherman retired he would continue to “rent out” his dog to other fishermen in order to earn additional revenue. Unfortunately, the dog was replaced by technological advancements and the number of specimens began to disappear by the 1930’s. Careful breeding rescued the breed from obscurity and by the 1980’s the dog had been recognized by the AKC.
Maintenance
Grooming is not difficult for the Portuguese Water Dog. Brushing should be done occasionally. However, trimming is rarely needed because of how slowly their hair grows. The curly coated variety has a retriever cut while the wavy coated variety has its hindquarters shaved. Exercise is essential for the Portuguese Water Dog. Mental stimulation, as well as physical stimulation, is important to keep them happy and healthy. Good exercise for this breed would be retrieving from water, jogging, or running off leash.
The Portuguese water dog does require grooming. It’s hair does not shed and continues to grow so frequent brushing and trimming is needed. It is recommended that they be brushed a couple times of week and trimmed about every 6 weeks. The Portuguese Water dog comes in two coat varieties wavy and curly. There are also two clips to choose from. The lion clip, where the hind quarters and muzzle are shaved, and the retriever clip where they are one length all over, generally 1" long. The Portuguese Water Dog is a working breed and has the stamina and energy to do a full days work in and out of the boat, so exercise is essential. They need both mental and physical stimulation, such as games of hide and seek and a good run or swim.
Ideal Environment
The Portuguese Water Dog gets along with all people and animals. Any living environment from hot to cold weather or an apartment to a farm will suit this easy going breed. Lots of energy is needed from the owner who will need to run, play, and train this active dog. This eager to please and extremely obedient dog is great for retrieving or agility trials.
Labradoodles (Australian & American)
There are two distinct types of Labradoodles, the Australian Labradoodle and the American Labradoodle. Australian Labradoodles are purbreed dogs, while the American Labradoodle is a hybrid dog. Australian Labradoodles are agile and graceful in appearance, but they have substantial musculature and medium boning. They are slightly taller in stature than they are long, but their overall build is compact. Their legs should have properly-angulated shoulders and firm elbows. Australian Labradoodles have a broad head with defined eyebrows and a medium stop. Their wide-set, large eyes are slightly round and very expressive and their ears are set flat against the head. The breed’s tail may be low set and saber like or high set and playful. Australian Labradoodles have a large, square nose and teeth that meet in a scissor bite. The breed’s coat is 4 to 6 inches in length and can be straight, wavy, or slightly spiraled. There are three types of Australian Labradoodle coats: hair, fleece, and wool. The Australian Labrador’s coat exists in a wide variety of colors that are acceptable for show including chalk, cream, blue, black, silver, chocolate, café, gold, apricot, and red. Australian Labradors built for the show ring do not have any markings.
Character
Australian Labradoodles are easy to train and quick to adapt and learn special tasks. They are jovial, clever, and clownish at times. A non-aggressive breed, the Australian Labradoodle is great with children and gets along well with other dogs. They are sociable and friendly, and they are very loyal to their family. If improperly disciplined, Australian Labradoodles may try to outsmart their owners.
Size 17 -24 inches
Weight 30 – 77 pounds
General Health
Australian Labradoodles are prone to HD, PRA, and VonWilabrands. They also are capable of acquiring elbow and patella disorders. Typically, the Labradoodle lives for 13 to 15 years.
History
The Australian Labradoodle started out as a cross between the Labrador Retriever and the Standard Poodle or Miniature Poodle. The plan was to create a breed of dog that possessed positive attributes of the original breeds. In 2004, the creators of the Australian Labradoodle announced that their version of the Labradoodle was not just a cross between the Labrador Retriever and the Poodle, but rather a breed that was developed over many years with specific goals in mind. In order to accomplish these goals, creators of the breed developed the Australian Labrador with parent breed infusions. They also sought specific qualities and characteristics to compliment the Australian Labradoodle breed. The first Australian Labradoodle standard was written in 1997. There are currently six different dog breeds (Standard Poodle, Minature Poodle, Toy Poodle, Labrador Retriever, Curly Coat Retriever, American Cocker Spaniel, English Cocker Spaniel, and Irish Water Spaniel) that are acceptable parent breeds of the Australian Labradoodle.
Maintenance
Australian Labradoodles with curly coats need regular grooming on a bi-weekly basis. Brushing the coat with a slicker brush on a regular basis will keep knots and tangles at bay. Two to three times per year, Australian Labradoodles should receive a trim and clipping to keep the coat tidy. Australian Labradoodles shed little to no hair, and many believe they are hypo-allergenic.
Ideal Environment
Australian Labradoodles need plenty of exercise. They are content to live in an apartment or small household if they are given daily walks. The breed is moderately inactive indoors and is happiest with at least an average-sized yard.
Tags: Barack Obama dog, Labradoodle White House, new White House Dog, Obama's Daughters dog, White House Pet
