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First dog faces tough job requirements
BY THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Associated Press
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Published: December 13, 2008
WASHINGTON — It’s not always a dog’s life being a White House pet.
Vice President-elect Joe Biden of Delaware holds his newly purchased German shepherd puppy in East Coventry Township in Chester County, Pa. President-elect Barack Obama has still to fulfill his election promise to his daughters and select a puppy that will live with them at the White House. AP PHOTO
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Sure, you get to cruise around in the presidential limousine, but seldom can you stick your nose out to sniff the breeze. One chewing spree in the wrong room and you’re in the doghouse for wrecking a national treasure.
Experts say President-elect Barack Obama and his family can find a pooch well-suited to life in the White House. The important thing is to realize there’s no perfect dog — only the perfect dog for them. That means casting aside worry about offending anyone and searching for a dog that fits the job requirements.
"It’s not the breed, and it’s not even so much where it’s from,” said Patricia McConnell, an animal behaviorist and host of Wisconsin Public Radio’s "Calling All Pets.”
What’s important, McConnell said, is that soon-to-be-first family set a good example by "picking a dog based on its behavioral as well as its physical health, from a credible ... place.”
The search can take weeks or even months.
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