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OBAMA FAMILY DOG: White House Dogs Old & New
An Obama dog has to be hypoallergenic, he said, since Malia has allergies. Ever the populist, he said the family was leaning toward a shelter dog, and "a lot of shelter dogs are mutts like me." News!
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Obama Family Dog.
White House staffer who will help care for Barack Obama Family dog tells all...
Who is Dale Haney?
He is the White House Superintendent who has cared for every presidential pet since the Ford Administration. On a recent visit to the White House, the First Lady Laura Bush's chief of staff informed Michelle Obama that Mr. Haney will be a "terrific caretaker of the new puppy."
Mr. Haney has worked at the White House grounds since 1972, when he started with the National Park Service as a Gardener, then as Grounds Maintenance Supervisor, Supervisory Horticulturist, and now, as White House Superintendent. "I've been here for 36 years and am a career employee," Mr. Haney says.
It's not clear whether his official job description includes pet care, but he does have the inside scoop on Barney, the Bushes' dog who recently made headlines when he bit a Boston Celtics public relations director and a Reuters reporter.
During previous "Ask the White House" online chat sessions, Mr. Haney revealed the following:
"Barney and Spot hang out with us as we are doing our everyday gardening and mowing. They hang out with us during the day while the President and First Lady are busy. Barney plays with the volleyball and Spot plays with a tennis ball. And Spot loves to swim this time of year in the pool. They are very helpful in the gardening."
Asked whether he favored Barney or Spot (the Bush's 11 year-old English Springer Spaniel who has since passed away), Mr. Haney stated:
"I love them both, but I do have a soft spot for Spot. I was there when she was born and now she's back. Spotty was born to First Dog Millie during President George Bush's administration in 1989. Barney is a great little dog too -- he has his own mind and does his own thing. You gotta love him." [If you read between the lines here, Mr. Haney seems to be tactfully saying that Barney is a stubborn little billy goat!]
Regarding bath time, Mr. Haney said:
"Barney does not like to take baths, but he will tolerate it. Once he is placed in the sink, he knows a bath is coming and he won't move. He'll just stand there and put up with it."
Asked whether Barney is allowed to roam free, he revealed:
"Barney does have free-run of the White House unless there is a special event going on. He is limited at that time and prohibited from that area. He does like to hang out in the West Wing during the day. Up in the living quarters, he seems to like napping under a table or a chair."
Other Barney trivia includes that, at bedtime, he sleeps on a dog pillow, and his favorite toy is the horseshoe, tennis ball or volleyball--depending on his mood.
Presidential Dogs -- A History
Barack Obama really wants a dog. Daughters Malia, 10, and Sasha, 7, now are old enough to bond with a canine companion.
And the new president must suspect his new job is so tough that some days he’ll come home, slump in a chair, and see in a slobbering pet not just his only friend, but a possible Cabinet appointment.
But let’s be honest: presidential dogs can be useful political symbols. They’ve served past occupants of the Oval Office as distractions for the press, image enhancers, and even tools of foreign policy.
Take King Tut, campaign consultant. A large Belgian police dog, King Tut helped Herber Hoover win the 1928 election. An iconic campaign photo depicted a smiling Hoover holding up family pet Tut by his front paws. Handed out to voters by the thousands, the picture softened Hoover’s dour image.
Then there was the famous Murray the Outlaw of Falahill. Fala – that was his nickname – served Franklin D. Roosevelt as a virtual chief of staff. He traveled the world with FDR to wartime conferences, at times entertaining other leaders by curling his lip into a doggie version of a smile, on command.
Pushinka was a Cold War emissary. Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev presented her to John F. Kennedy’s family in 1961. The daughter of Soviet space dogs, Pushinka reportedly underwent a thorough inspection by American intelligence before she was allowed on White House grounds.
Pushinka and JFK’s Welsh Terrier, Charlie, had four puppies. Or “pupniks”, as the press referred to them. If relations between the US and USSR had followed a similar path, the Cuban missile crisis might have been avoided.
King Timahoe, Nixon administration malcontent, stands as a reminder that not all White House dog choices are successful. A gift from staffers, Tim was an Irish setter, named for Nixon’s ancestral Irish hometown.
Richard Nixon and a high-strung canine purebred weren’t a great match. “Had Tim in the office, both of them pretty nervous,” wrote chief of staff H.R. Haldeman in his diary entry for Jan. 20, 1969.
One recurring problem was that the dog would not cozy up to the president for the requisite photo of world leader plus faithful companion.
“Had Tim in the office, can’t get him to come over by P’s desk, he’s trying dog biscuits, no use,” wrote Mr. Haldeman, in seeming despair, on Jan. 31.
Acceptance of the situation set in quickly, followed by sloppiness.
“Got to tossing dog biscuits around the office for Tim. One hit the grandfather clock,” Haldeman wrote on Feb. 5.
Timahoe eventually settled into his role, though he was prone to racing around whichever hapless White House aide was holding his leash, wrapping them up like mummies.
Not all White House dogs are just props, of course. Sometimes they serve as genuine members of the first family. Sometimes, maybe more than that.
At the height of the Cuban missile crisis, in 1962, JFK summoned Charlie to the chaotic Oval Office, according to then-White House kennel keeper Traphes Bryant.
Soviet ships were steaming towards Cuba. The US Navy was readying to stop them. War seemed close at hand.
JFK petted Charlie for some time. He seemed to relax. Then the president handed the dog back to the kennel keeper, and said, “I suppose it’s time to make some decisions,” wrote Bryant later.
Those decisions eventually helped deescalate the situation, as the superpowers stepped back from what would later stand as their closest, and most dangerous, nuclear confrontation.
Obama's unlikely quest for a non-allergenic dog...
U.S. President Barack Obama is barking up the wrong tree if he thinks he'll be able to move into the White House with a perfectly non-allergenic First Family dog.
Such a dog does not exist, say allergists and veterinarians, commenting on the fact that the Obamas are searching for a dog that won't aggravate 10-year-old Malia Obama's allergies.
The American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (AAAAI) tried Wednesday to correct misconceptions about the matter, with the announcement Wednesday that there is "no truly hypoallergenic dog."
"It is a common misconception that people are allergic to a dog's hair, and it is falsely believed that dogs that shed less will not cause a reaction," the AAAAI said.
"However, allergies to pets are caused by protein found in the animal's saliva and skin glands which gets deposited on the hair. These proteins are carried on microscopic particles through the air as an invisible aerosol. When inhaled, they trigger reactions in allergic people. As all dogs secrete these proteins, there is no allergy-free dog."
But some breeds are considered less allergenic. Those with less or no hair are easier to groom frequently to allow for dander reduction and removal.
Dr. John Dean, head of the division of allergy at B.C. Children's Hospital, said he was pleased the organization is correcting a commonplace fallacy.
"I never give advice about which dogs might be better for patients," Dean said in an interview.
"A dog is a dog is a dog. And if someone has major problems and gets allergic reactions such as hives to any dog, then he or she would be mad to get a dog.
"But the White House is a big place, so maybe the Obamas could leave the dog at one end," he joked.
"Essentially, for a dog to be truly hypoallergenic, it would have to be tongue-less as well as hairless," Dean said, while acknowledging that there may be breeds that are less allergenic, either because they produce less protein or because they are frequently groomed, permitting the allergy-causing proteins to be washed off, providing temporary respite to allergy sufferers.
He said studies have shown that allergic children can coexist with dogs if they are exposed to them very early in life. But once they move away to go to college and live in dorms without dogs, they will lose that tolerance and their allergy symptoms can resurface "with explosive reactions" when they are exposed again to dogs.
Dr. Jeff Grognet, a Parksville veterinarian who is president of the B.C. Veterinary Medical Association, said hairless dogs are less likely to cause allergic reactions because it's so easy to bathe them and the dander falls off them.
"With cats, what people are most allergic to is the protein in their saliva, and because they groom themselves so frequently, you will get exposed to that protein when you inhale it or when you have contact with the cat. With dogs, the dander in their hair collects and when you rub against it, you'll have a reaction if you are allergic.
"Bathing them every day could make them relatively hypoallergenic, but are they truly? There's no such thing. They may be less allergenic or, as they might say on Monty Python, not tremendously allergenic."
Grognet said there is no list of dogs proven scientifically to be less allergenic but there are lists of short-haired and hairless dogs that people like the Obamas could use for their selection process. Dogs with double coats, such as German Shepherds, should be out of the question, he said.
At his first post-election news conference, Obama said the debate over what breed the family will get is a major family issue and he expressed doubts about whether a dog obtained from a shelter will satisfy the requirement for a non-allergenic breed.
"Obviously, a lot of shelter dogs are mutts like me," said the president-elect, whose mother was white and father was black.
To minimize allergy symptoms, the AAAI offers these tips:
* Keep pets out of the allergic person's bedroom. Animal dander collects on pillows which can worsen symptoms during the night.
* Bathe animals weekly to reduce the amount of dander.
* Replace carpeting with hardwood or other solid surfaces for easier cleanups.
* Air filters (HEPA) may help clean the air.
* It may also be helpful to wash bedding and clothing in hot water.
Goldendoodle talked up as first dog...
It's a key decision for the Obama administration. One misstep can result in seriously bad press. Look what happened this week to Barney, the Bush family's Scottish terrier who's in the doghouse for chomping a reporter's index finger.
Yet as President-elect Barack Obama makes his transition to the White House and fills top positions such as chief of staff, he's been quiet about his inclination in another critical matter: Who will become chief dog of staff, the puppy he promised his daughters in his acceptance speech.
There's been talk that 10-year-old Malia Obama has put in a bid for a goldendoodle, a cute, fluffy crossbreed between a golden retriever and poodle. At a news conference, Obama dropped a couple of other hints. An Obama dog has to be hypoallergenic, he said, since Malia has allergies. Ever the populist, he said the family was leaning toward a shelter dog, and "a lot of shelter dogs are mutts like me."
Goldendoodles became popular in New England about four or five years ago, and in some circles - the purebred ones - they're still considered underdogs.
"The goldendoodle is not a recognized breed," said Patty Bullock vice president of the American Dog Breeders Association, which registers dog breeds with a "verifiable three generation pedigree," according to its website. "A lot of people think they are taking the best traits of each breed. This is an absolute fallacy. . . . They take dogs of two different breeds and breed them together, and it's just a mutt."
While the presidential dog slot may not be filled until Christmas at the earliest, the possibility of a goldendoodle in the White House is energizing members of the New England goldendoodle community.
"I think it would be a fabulous dog for the White House," said Judith Peabody, a breeder with Morningshine Doodles of Vermont. "I have come very close to e-mailing the Obama website and offering them one."
Labradors and Portuguese water dogs have also been mentioned as possible first dogs, and lobbying and politicking have begun in earnest. The American Kennel Club, a purebred dog registry, is pushing for a poodle that has "a consistent and predictable coat, [which] is crucial for Obama's daughter and all who suffer from allergies," according to a news release.
In an echo of the presidential campaign, Bullock went after Obama's lack of experience in light of rumors he's considering a goldendoodle. "He's a novice," she said. "He knows nothing about dogs."
One goldendoodle advocate was aghast at the rumor that Portuguese water dogs were in the running.
"They'd be nuts to go with a Portuguese water dog - they're very high strung," said Kathryn Lee, who breeds goldendoodles in southern Rhode Island. Lee, who wrote a book about the dogs called "Goldendoodle," manages a goldendoodle website at www.makewayfordoodles.com, an homage to her late uncle Robert McCloskey, who wrote the children's book "Make Way for Ducklings."
Lee and other goldendoodle owners say it's a perfect dog for Obama. "It has all the lovability and loyalty of a golden retriever and brains and stability of a poodle," said Kathryn Yamartino of Acton, who has three of them.
Goldendoodles are also photogenic. "They seem to smile," said Thom Kidrin of Brookline, who has a goldendoodle named Bella. "Mine does at least, and I've seen others at the [dog] park who have a grin, and the president-elect has a wonderful grin, so it would be consistent."
Owners say goldendoodles are friendly and less likely to bite than the disgraced terrier Barney.
"She's really friendly," Nancy Gondor of Wellesley said of her 17-week-old goldendoodle, Lucy. But can she do tricks? Yes, she can! "We taught her to ring a bell."
But with dogs, as with politics, nothing is forever. Mike Mayo, director of research and development at WGBH, just got an e-mail from his friend Max McConkey in Tucson suggesting he was ready to ship his beloved goldendoodle to 1600 Pennsylvania Ave.
"Suggested cute doggie for Obama daughters would be goldendoodle," he wrote. "We may offer ours. . . . She chewed up one of Emely's good New Balance sneakers this morning . . . Repair bill for new drip system (Koko pulled out all the underground plastic pipes) was $400. We love her, but this is trying."
For the latest news on the Obama Family's new dog -- check out PUPPY DOGS INFO!
www.puppy-dogs.info
Rrrruff!
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