What do you think of the Obamas' new dog Bo?

It’s harmless fluff about a family of rich people that I will never personally know. It’s kind of like when Paris Hilton gets a new dog or watching reruns of Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous.

Most anything that Newt slams, I feel compelled to defend. And in this case, I agree with Blondesjon, it is pretty harmless stuff. We have always heard about the First Dogs, why should it be different with Obama. Let’s just hope he doesn’t drop it on its head the way Bush did with his dog!

Personally I think that it is important news. The choice of a dog says a lot about a person.

Of course having a dog in and of itself gives the person bonus points in my eyes.

So there shouldn’t be a statue of Roosevelt’s dog Fala at the FDR memorial in Washington D.C.? We should never have seen any photos of Nixon’s dog Checkers? LBJ should have pretended he never even heard of dogs instead of having a photo-op with his beagles? George Bush Sr. had Millie and his son had her offspring Spot. The Clintons had Socks and Buddy, and even George Washington had Polly, a parrot.

Juat about every president had pets except Chester A. Arthur, Millard Fillmore (who was a founding member and President of the Buffalo, NY American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) and Franklin Pierce. Granted some were a little unusual: John Quincy Adams had a pet alligator and some silkworms, James Buchanan had a whole herd of elephants, and a number of presidents had various farm animals as pets as well as snakes, small rodents, birds, raccoons, a bobcat and a possum. There is even a Presidential Pets Museum

I think the Obama’s new dog is a real cutie. I suspect the girls are absolutely delighted, and I think that sometimes good news can be a pleasant thing to open up the paper to in the morning. It also shows the Obamas as a typical all-American family, with Mr. Obama being a man who keeps his word.

Americans treat their pets like family members. Why shouldn’t we see that the president is like the rest of us?

I wish it wasn’t a purebred. it is a purebred, right? The plight of rescue shelter dogs needs more attention.

And that’s the end of my very short rant on my tiny little soapbox.

@Likeradar – The dog doesn’t know he’s pure-bred. He’s just a dog. Besides, no matter what dog the Obamas adopted, someone is going to make sure shelter dogs are brought up.

@Darwin I know the dog doesn’t know. I just wish the Obamas had opted for what I personally believe is a more ethical choice. Just my personal belief.

@Likeradar – Well, at least the Obamas have let it be known that Bo has been neutered, so they will not be adding to the problem.

Besides, of the dogs I have owned all six were strays or shelter dogs (even though two were purebreds) so doesn’t that help balance things out?

@Darwin absolutely :). It’s just an issue I’m fairly passionate about… I wish our president (who I mostly adore) was too.
And Bo is a really cute little guy. I’m sure he will be well taken care of.

Don’t care.

I’m far, far more worried about the president’s policies than his choice for a pet.

I think Newt Gingrich is upset that the dog story met all the free press guidelines and wasn’t removed by the moderators.

@Likeradar I agree with where you’re coming from, but Obama has explained that because the pup had to be hypo-allergenic, they needed a purebred. And Bo was rescued in a sense, since he had lived first with a family who couldn’t keep him. Also, the Obamas have donated to the Washington Humane Society to give attention to the plight of shelter dogs.

I know, I know, I’m a dog news junkie.

@Likeradar: While I too understand that shelter dogs and mutts need rescuing, but there is a lot more to breeding than most people see. I showed dogs for years, and I learned a lot about the breeding process. Not every puppy from a litter is going to be a show dog, but just because they are purebred doesn’t mean they don’t deserve the same advantages because they had a chosen sire. The propagation of a breed is important too.

@janbb I feel Obama did his part if what you say is true. I haven’t kept up with it, but this whole issue has shed light on the plight of dogs at animal shelters (and cats) so if just one animal is rescued because of this, then Obama has done a good thing.

@mattbrowne – Maybe Newt Gingrich is upset because no one published pictures of his dog (if he has one).

@Darwin – Newt Gingrich converted to Catholicism, his wife’s faith, on March 29, 2009. The seven capital sins are pride, avarice, envy, wrath, lust, gluttony, and sloth. I guess, he already failed number 3: “envy”.