I'm Behind Obama But I'm Sick Of Hearing About The Dog Search!

Who cares. What is the big deal about wether they get a shelter dog or not. One of their girls has allergies so a shelter dog may not be a possibility. If they decide to go to a breeder and get a dog I do not see what hte big deal is. We have a lot of bigger issues to worry about then the first dog.

A high profile figure adopting a pet from the local shelter could be a blessing or a nightmare. The plus side would be that the media exposure would bring awareness of the plight of these homeless pets to the general public, encouraging more adoptions and financial/material support. There is a down side though in that shelters are breeding grounds for disease and, dispite the shelter's best efforts, sick animals are adopted out. This is what happened several years ago when my ex and I adopted a shelter puppy for his younger sister who became very sick about a week later and had to be put down. I do support my local humane society, mainly because we have a small population in this area so I know they don't receive a lot of donations.

The Obamas actually, in response to a request by the ASPCA that they consider adopting a shelter dog, sent this organization a letter indicating that when they were ready to get a pet, they would, in fact, adopt a shelter dog. Now that the election is over and it's coming down to the wire - there's now a hitch in adopting a shelter dog because one of the girls has allergies (did she not have allergies BEFORE the election?). So, now they need a "hypoallergenic" dog for their daughters, whatever that is! Undoubtedly, it will be some type of expensive designer pet.

My Dear Friend Same here . I agree with you , I think US has a good president but I am tired of hearing news that he is in process of selecting some good dog that he will take to white hose ha ha ha lol It sounds very funny and strange Thanks for raising such a good discussion !!! Happy Mylotting Take Care Ganesh

First off, WE, the public has made the big deal about them and the pet that they choose. All they said was that as a family discussion they made a promise to the girls that once the campaign was over that they would get them the dog that they wanted. Obviously while there parents were on the road was not a good time to get the dog. As with everything else, we have nothing better to do than to turn every little thing in a famous person's life a major ordeal with buzz and gossip. It seems that we'd rather babble about the Whitehouse dog, than to figure out what we can do as individuals to steer the economy back in the right direction. I mean, get over it people! What parent wouldn't want a hypoallergenic dog if there child was allergic? What parent gets a dog or pet, knowing that their child is allergic, gets it anyway and hopes for the best? I mean really, this is a regular family and they put on their pants one leg at a time just like we do! And just what makes now that the Obama's are looking for a pet, it politically correct to get a shelter dog? If you choose to get a shelter dog then so be it. But it doesn't make you a bad person if you choose to get a breed dog and yes pay for it. Even the Obama's have publically said thanks for all of the info but we wont be getting a pet until we are moved in. He has commented that the unsolicited response has been overwhelming.

Finding the right dog for a family is a huge decision. There are many factors to consider when choosing a family pet, whither it comes from a shelter or responsible breeder. Energy levels, temperament, coat maintenance, breed characteristics are just a few things that really need to be considered before adopting any dog. With an allergy sensitive child to consider, they still have plenty options. There are quite a few minimally shedding dogs to choose from (many of which we see in the shelters).

too much of anything does irk me too.nobody in this world id perfect.but somehow one comes to love this imperfectness. happy mylotting.

I know what you mean, although I haven't heard as much about it for the past week or so with all the economic talk, the holiday coming and then the attacks in India. However, I think one thing about it is lots of different shelters and probably even breeders now want to be the one to "supply" the first daughters with their puppy so they get publicity. I hope wherever the Obamas end up getting their puppy, and I sure hope it is from a shelter or a rescue of some kind, I hope the whole idea of adopting "mutts" instead of going to puppy mills becomes popular. Annie

It is the MEDIA HYPE, not the Obama's that are making a big deal out of this. I saw an interview with Obama and he is clearly uncomfortable about this issue. He stated that there will not be a new puppy until they moved into the White House and got acclimated. Now, if something happens that a dog comes their way, I certainly could not criticize the family if a puppy came down the chimney from Santa for Christmas day. This is going to be a HUGE transition for these little girls. I wish that both the media and the people who follow their hype would get a grip and realize who is making a big deal about what.

Could the Obama's be too concerned with their image, or is it just their daughter's allergies that have prompted this search for the perfect dog? One of our cats is a stray that adopted us about four years ago. We absolutely love him.

Isn't it the most imperfect pets that are quite often the most loving? We had a stray cat come into our lives and as much as we love our chosen male cat, the stray is much more loving. He is such a sweet boy. I don't know about the Obama's, maybe they want a picture perfect dog. I say go with the mutt. If they go with the mutt, they'll probably get a smarter dog and a more loving dog.

Personally, I find the whole thing pretty funny, and humanizing, especially for kids. I couldn't help laughing when Barbara Walters was telling the Obamas about her own dog (a terrier mix, apparently) and Obama asked her "Oh, is it one of those yappy little girly dogs?" When he pushed a little further about it being a "lapsitter", his wife chimed in and told him to "Be nice!" I know that my kids latched on to the dog search and that it got discussed in classrooms which led into further discussions about the transition and what it might mean to have a family with young children in the White House. I'm not saying that this fluff is important, and I'm a wee bit tired of hearing about it myself, but eh. I hear enough hard news and critique from the media - I don't mind a little fluff story to lighten things up a little here and there. (I know... far too much here and there - but this too shall pass, Irish, this too shall pass!)

tell me about it, i am sick of it , too!! i mean, who really cares?? at this point in the game, i'm not sure that's really a pressing issue, ya know?!? i know i'm not worried about what kind of dog they get, if any. i think there ar biger issues that the press could tackle right now!!

Hello there. I love animals but... I always find so silly most of the news that the media promotes about the president's family and stuff. I mean, who cares? Don't we have a lot more important subjects to pay attention to? It's always the same, Chelsea Clinton's uglyness, Obama's dog, this and that and so on. There are a lot of things going wrong in this world that need inmediate actions, please, don't distract us and make us waste our time. Have a nice weekend.

Thank you for this irisheyes, I don't watch the news so don't have to deal with media overexposure, but this sounds interesting! I was aware that they were getting a non-allergen dog but hadn't realized it had turned into a circus! Oh well, it's better than hearing "threat level red, super red, and super-duper red" all the time. Happy MyLotting!