Dog breeder's advice to Obamas: Wait awhile
FIRST POOCH | Need to commit time to pet's socializing, bonding
As the debate rages over what kind of dog the Obamas need, something has been lost in the conversation: What kind of owners does the first pooch need?
Whether the Obamas go for the odds-on favorite Labradoodle or the dark horse Portuguese water dog, the dog won't care that the economy is in tatters or that terrorists may be swarming onto American shores.
(Sun-Times News Group/AP)
If the Obamas choose a Portuguese water dog, the animal will demand attention.
"When they get a puppy from me, you will probably never go to the restroom alone again," said Nigel Clark, who breeds water hounds in Elkhart, Ind. "They follow you from room to room. Everywhere you go, they want to be with you."
And they like to be kept busy. The Obamas might want to set up an agility course in the backyard.
Clark wonders if it might not be the best time for the first family to get a dog, despite the president-elect's promise to his children.
"Maybe they should settle in for six months and then look," he said. "I don't know how many balls [the Obamas] can juggle at one time and how much time they'll have to commit to the puppy's socializing and bonding."
The Labradoodle may be a more laid-back option.
"They are excellent with kids," said breeder Jim Rice, who lives in Rockford and owns Rosewood Labradoodles. "They are real quiet in the house."
Rice pointed out, as he was speaking, that he had 14 Labradoodles in his house.
"You don't hear anything," he said, adding, "I have two females in heat, and I have two males in the house, so it could get noisy at any minute."