Don't forget about Malia Obama's dog allergies

We shouldn't forget that allergies will limit the kind of dog President-elect Barack Obama and his wife Michelle choose for daughters Malia and Sasha. An allergist makes the point that there's no such thing as an allergy-free dog, so the new Obama dog will have to be one that produces small amounts of dander.

"Unfortunately, there's not a 100 percent allergy-free furry animal in the world," Dr. Kimberly Ricaurte, an allergist and immunologist, told The Morning Call. "Any breeder who tells you differently is wrong."

Her suggestion: a Poodle or Terrier.

OK, so maybe the girls will sneeze -- but not too much.

Joe Biden’s German Shepherd puppy gets a name

The German Shepherd puppy who will soon move into the Vice President’s Residence now has a name: Champ. Though Joe Biden’s grandchildren chose the dog’s name over the holidays, Politico reports the moniker has special significance to the Vice President-elect, whose father would often say, “Get up champ,” whenever Biden was feeling down.

What do you think of the name Champ for a German Shepherd?

Obama dog: Trouble traveling to Hawaii?

Here’s something probably no one has considered: When the Obamas, as promised, finally get a dog for daughters Malia and Sasha, their days of visiting the shimmering beaches of Hawaii may be over.

Why? Because the 50^th state has some pretty tough quarantine requirements for anyone who wants to bring their pet along on a family vacation. Presumably even for the President of the United States.

Blogger Helena Sung did some research and found that pets are required to remain at the animal quarantine station at Honolulu International Airport until they’re proven rabies-free. There’s a good reason for this: Hawaii is a rabies-free state and plans to stay that way.

The state has a five-day-or-less program that allows pets to be released to their owners at the airport, but it requires, among other things, proof of two rabies vaccinations (one of which must not be less than 90 days from arrival in Hawaii); a blood test at an approved laboratory at least 120 days before arrival; proof of microchipping, a payment of $224 and a few other odds and ends.

In other words, an Obama dog will have to jump through hoops before it can run along the beach.

Either that, or it will be left at home.

More dog breed suggestions for an Obama dog

One thing about the Obama dog story: Everybody's got an opinion.

The latest to ring in is Steve Dale of GoodNewsforPets.com, clearly a lover of dogs small enough to fit in the palm of your hand. Just kidding.

While noting his hope that Obama tots Malia and Sasha will be permitted to make their own choice along with Mom and Dad, he offers his own thoughts about First Dog -- which is what makes this whole thing so much fun. We can all make suggestions and see if anyone is listening.

Dale doesn't favor one breed over another, but he does examine the finer qualities of the Miniature Poodle, the Boston Terrier, the Havanese (pictured above in triplicate) and the All-American mutt. He even thinks the Obamas should consider getting two dogs, as VP-elect Joe Biden intends to do.

Now there's an idea.

An Obama cat?

A cat. A cat.

Can you see a fuzzy feline in the White House? OK, they’re cute – but certainly not “rambunctious,” which is one of the job requirements President-elect Barack Obama has already outlined for the soon-to-be family pet.

 But Huffington Post blogger Al Eisele thinks a cat might be the perfect pet, much better than an Obama dog for daughters Malia and Sasha. And certainly, as he points out (or rather as his cat, Sasha, points out since she’s the one doing the talking here), cats have a familiar place among First Families.

Abraham Lincoln had one. So did Teddy Roosevelt, John Kennedy, Gerald Ford and Jimmy Carter. The Clintons owned Socks (pictured above), who was not especially fond of the Clintons’ Golden Retriever, Buddy, causing Bill Clinton to once say, “I’ve done better with … the Palestinians and the Israelis than I’ve done with Socks and Buddy.”

Frankly, we’re still hoping the Obamas choose a shelter dog. What better way to ponder economic downturns and global troubles than to sit in your favorite chair with a dog at your feet?

Note: U.S. News reported this month that Socks, who has lived with Clinton’s personal secretary, Betty Currie, since Clinton left the White House, has cancer and isn’t expected to live.We will always remember Socks fondly.

Biden update: Shelter dog makes two

Advocates of animal adoption will be glad to know that VP-elect Joe Biden plans to add to his litter – this time with a shelter dog.

Biden, who has been criticized for buying a German Shepherd puppy from a Pennsylvania breeder – notably a breeder who was later cited for several violations – now says he and his wife Jill are planning to get another dog, this time from a shelter.

Here’s what he told George Stephanopoulos on the ABC Sunday morning news show “This Week With George Stephanopoulos”:

"I've had German Shepherds since I was a kid and I've actually trained them and shown them in the past. So I wanted a German Shepherd, and we're going to get a pound dog, which my wife wants, who is hopefully a Golden [Retriever]."

Perhaps as a mea culpa to his many critics, Biden added that his family has always adopted animals in the past, including a cat. And he’s glad that the Vice President’s residence has a fenced yard with several acres so the new Biden dogs have plenty of room to play.

OK, we weren’t among those who pounded on the new Veep just because he bought a dog from a breeder (we’ve done the same thing in the past). But it’s good to know there will be two Biden dogs and that one of them will be adopted.

Lucky dog.

Poll says Obamas need shelter dog

The pressure's on. A CNN-Opinion Research Corp. poll last week revealed that people want President-elect Barack Obama and his family to choose a shelter puppy. It was a landslide, too, with a rescue pet winning by a 2-to-1 margin. What people couldn't seem to agree on was what kind of dog. Seventy different breeds were suggested, with the Labrador finishing on top at 13 percent, followed by mixed breeds and poodles.

Obama's VP, Joe Biden, is taking some heat for purchasing a German Shepherd puppy from a Pennsylvania breeder.

The new First Family shouldn't have much trouble finding the right Obama dog if it decides to visit a shelter. The American Humane Society says about seven million animals wind up in shelters every year.

Biden dog: no AKC registration?

We’re not piling on Linda Brown or her Wolf Den Kennel -- the place where VP-elect Joe Biden bought his German Shepherd puppy recently -- but we wanted to confirm something we read about the kennel having lost its ability to register dogs with the American Kennel Club.

Turns out that’s not so, although Brown, who also operates under the name Jolindy’s German Shepherds in Chester County, Pa., did lose AKC certification in 2006. She regained it in 2007 and is currently in good standing.

Interestingly, Lisa Peterson, a spokeswoman for the AKC, told us that Brown has not registered any litters with the organization this year – meaning that the Biden dog (or the litter he came from) does not currently have AKC certification.

Peterson said that Brown, whose kennel was cited for several violations this month, lost her right to register dogs in 2006 because three of her litters had false certification, apparently listing incorrect parents. Peterson said this was probably a paperwork error.

All this makes us wonder if Biden really cares whether his puppy is AKC registered. Some dog owners do, some don’t. But you’d have to presume that he might want his purebred dog to have the proper papers proving his heritage.

The incoming Vice President is getting pressure from groups who believe he should have adopted a shelter puppy – and that Brown might be a less-than-reputable breeder. They also believe that Biden's boss, Barack Obama, should also adopt. An Obama dog would do a lot for pet adoption if he picks one from a shelter or rescue group.

Poll: What should Biden do?

Biden dog news: The Wolf Den Kennel inspection report

The December 10 inspection report for Wolf Den Kennel, the breeder from which Vice President-elect Joe Biden purchased his German Shepherd puppy, can be viewed below. A pdf of the Wolf Den inspection report is also available here, courtesy of Bidendog.com. What do you think of the violations? Should Biden change his mind about buying a puppy from Wolf Den Kennel?