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Eyeing Obama family's puppy plans

BY DENISE FLAIM | denise.flaim@newsday.com

November 6, 2008

Some campaign promises are more pressing than others.

In his victory speech, President-elect Barack Obama assured daughters Malia, 10, and Sasha, 7, that they "have earned the new puppy that's coming with us to the White House."

Details of Pennsylvania Avenue's newest tail-wagger have not been disclosed. But in a May appearance with her husband on "Good Morning America," Michelle Obama said the family would not add a new dog for a year. "What we know about raising a dog is that you have to be pretty stable," she said. And by spring, "we'll be settled, one way or another."

Introducing a dog during upheaval is a recipe for trouble, said Alan Christiansen of Dog Gone Good Dog Training in Coram. "The calmer the household, the better the transition is going to be for the dog," he said, adding that housebreaking will likely be the Obamas' biggest challenge. "The White House is pretty big, with all those places to pee and mark."

Michelle Obama also indicated that the dog would come from a shelter, but that might not jibe with the family's need for a young dog that will not aggravate allergies: Most shelter puppies are mixes that are not hypoallergenic, and most purebred rescue dogs of any breed are adults. "It's not likely that you're going to find any purebred puppy younger than 4 months old in an animal shelter, and even those are few and far between," said Pamela Green, director of Kent Animal Shelter in Calverton.

The pending pooch has made headlines since July, when the American Kennel Club created presidentialpup.com. More than 42,000 voters nominated the poodle over the soft-coated wheaten terrier, miniature schnauzer, bichon frise and Chinese crested.

In turn, Best Friends Animal Society in Utah launched obama

familydog.com to encourage Obama to adopt a shelter dog.

As for the president-elect, his concerns focus on accountability, a familiar campaign theme. "The dog's a done deal," he said in May. "Who's walking the dog - that's what we're concerned about."