Tuesday, January 13, 2009

A Mixed Breed

With all the turmoil in the world right now, and all the burning questions of the day – should the U.S. government bail out, well, pretty much everyone? What can be done to fix the mess in Gaza? Will Los Angeles ever rid itself of smog? (Apparently not.) And, does this inauguration make my ass look big? – with all that, I say, I know what is foremost in your minds: which dog should the Obama family choose to bring with them to the White House?

The Obamas have narrowed it down to two choices: the Portuguese water dog or the Labradoodle, both of which are evidently good for people with allergies because they don’t shed. (First Daughter-Elect Malia has allergies.) Fortunately, the experts have been quick to weigh in, and at first it seems all sweetness and light: Sen. Ted Kennedy owns three Portuguese water dogs and enthusiastically endorses them as a good choice for the First Family. And then there’s Christy Westover, who breeds Australian Labradoodles in Klamath Falls, Oregon. She says the dogs are “family-friendly, loyal and sweet-tempered…It's a great choice."

Okay, so then I don’t care either way. But then there’s this:

The American Kennel Club does not recognize the Labradoodle, a cross between a Labrador retriever and poodle, as a breed. The club wants the Obamas to choose the Portuguese water dog, according to Daisy Okas, spokeswoman for the AKC.

"All dogs are wonderful," said Okas. "But a Labradoodle is a mixed breed and its predictability can't be compared to a purebred. We think especially for such a high-profile family, they need to know what they're getting."
My (kneejerk reaction) vote: Labradoodle. The AKC can kiss my ass and mind its own bidness. President-Elect Obama is biracial himself. What’s wrong with being mixed? Go, Labradoodle, go!

And now that you know my vote, I’m sure you can sleep soundly tonight. Live, from Los Angeles, I’m Lisa Blah Blah, signing off. Tune in next week as I rant about my bellybutton lint.

4 comments:

Cee in SF said...

I don't like either choice on paper. In person, I'll love either OR both. Why not get two dogs?

Anyway, looking forward to your thoughts on belly lint...

Lisa Blah Blah said...

A very wise solution. I wonder...

Anonymous said...

I just got back today from ring stewarding at the Rose City Classic Show here in Portland. (Shameless Plug: Dalmatians rock even though they shed!) I've been in purebred dogs about 20 years now...and I gotta say, every Labradoodle I've met I've been absolutely charmed by. The best ones get the best from both parents.

AKC has to say what they said because they're not making any money off registering those dogs. (Granted Labradoodles would have to have to jump through a lot of hoops to be AKC recognized -ie: develop breed consistency and a breed standard- but don't think it won't happen some day, given their popularity.) Every AKC breed was bred by crossing different breeds to get what was desired.

The PWDs ARE nice... but I DIG LDs!

Lisa Blah Blah said...

That's interesting to hear from someone who's actually seen 'em in person. What I do know for sure is that you could probably get the Obama kids pretty much any kind of puppy and they'd be thrilled. It sucks that even their choice of dog has to undergo such scrutiny!

One more point: Labradoodle is much more fun to say.