Dogs on Thursday

Quick note from Natalie:
This is the start of some very newposters. We hope that you enjoy our posts and the different views of all our new posters. We promise lots of cute pictures, laughter, maybe a tear or two, and some information. Please note that these posts are the posters opinion unless stated and should be treated as such.

We'd also like to say welcome to Raven, a new DOTer this week. Again if you'd like to join us please shoot me an email at gnatchat(at)gmail(dot)com. If anyone needs anything you can email me as well. Also know that this is all of our Day and that if there is something that you feel we should include for everyone to read, don't hesitate to let one of us know!

Thank you,

Natalie.

And now onto Sue's post!

The New First Dog

Next week a new President will be sworn in and a new family will move into the White House. Mr. Obama has promised his daughters a puppy. Since one of the girls is allergic to dogs, the family wants a hypoallergenic dog.

Unfortunately, there is no such thing as a truly hypoallergenic dog. Some dogs, usually those with a single coat, can cause fewer sensitivity problems for certain individuals. Some people are actually sensitive to a protein in canine saliva. If that's the case, there is no dog that is safe for them. In many cases it's the environmental allergens carried into the house on the dog's coat that cause the problem. The only way to know if a particular dog will affect a particular person is for them to spend time together, not ten minutes, but a couple of days.

One of the breeds the Obamas are considering is my breed, the Portuguese Water Dog. I've owned PWDs for over twenty years and currently have eight of them, but they are not easy dogs. I don't feel they are a good first dog for a family that isn't experienced with dogs.

They are noisy, rough and sneaky. They demand attention and want to be with their person every minute of the day. They steal and splash water everywhere. Mine paddle in their kitchen water bowl, force open the shower door to join us, or guests, in the shower. They dig, not holes, but trenches in the yard. They can clear a four foot fence and have locked me out of the house several times. I now carry my key at all times. This breed needs a firm but loving hand on the leash. They need early training and a good sense of humor.

I actually have one that would make a good White House pet. Sky is a little barky, but he's calm and gentle. He doesn't climb on the furniture or jump on people. The others wouldn't last an hour as First Dog.

I can picture the Queen of England with big paw prints on her back after receiving a greeting from Norma Jean. I can see Noah trying to get a peek under the long robes of a Middle Eastern diplomat. I can see Samba stealing food off the table in the State Dining Room, Fudge knocking someone down the grand staircase as he twirls past them, Lola doing zoomies around the Oval Office and Bailey playing 'keep away' with one of the Presidential speeches she's stolen off the desk.

The big south lawn would be great for digging and the swimming pool would be permanently occupied by Tess. To stick these dogs in a kennel and only let them have occasional access to their human family would be cruel.

I think there are other breeds I might recommend to the Obamas as first First Dog.