President-elect Barack Obama has been reported as saying the choices for "First Dog" for Sasha and Malia has been narrowed down to the Labradoodle or the Portuguese Water Dog. In an effort to help them choose I decided to post a brief description of each dog and let you choose your favorite. Who knows, maybe we will have a hand in deciding which breed will get to live in the While House.
Let's start with the breed description of the Portuguese Water Dog
WEIGHT: 35-55 pounds
HEIGHT: 16-22 inches
COAT: Shiny, wavy and loosely curled; or thick, with shorter curls
COLOR: White; black, liver, with/without white markings or spots in varying proportions
He is a trainable, pleasant companion, yet athletic enough to be a retriever, obedience worker or walking companion.They can be clipped in both the traditional working retriever clip (moderately short all over) or the lion clip (trimmed short on abdomen, legs, tail and face, with the hair left long on the thorax and end of the tail). When excited or on the alert, his tail curls up over the back in a gentle curve. The Portuguese fisherman prized this seafaring breed for their spirited yet obedient nature.
These dogs are subject to hip dysplasia
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The other choice is the Labradoodle:
Labradoodles' hair can be anywhere from wiry to soft, and may be straight, wavy, or curly. Some Labradoodles do shed, although the coat usually sheds less and has less dog odor than that of a Labrador Retriever. The color range includes white, cream, gold, apricot, red, brown and black, and most of the other colors seen in Poodles.
Like most Labrador Retrievers and Poodles, Labradoodles are generally friendly, energetic and good with families and children (although as with any dog the temperament may vary between individuals). Labradoodles also often display an affinity for water and the strong swimming ability present in both their parent breeds.
Like their parent breeds, both of which are amongst the world's most intelligent dog breeds. Labradooodles are very intelligent and quite trainable. Labradoodles can be taught to obey verbal or sign language commands, or both, and remain commonly used as guide dogs for disabled or handicapped persons around the world.
Although most Labradoodles are healthy, they can suffer from certain problems common to their parent breeds.
Both Poodles and Labrador Retrievers can suffer from hip dysplasia, eye problems, A limited number of Labradoodles have also been found to suffer from Addison's Disease
Ok, so you decide, which dog would you chose for the girl's first dog?
