Category: News Author : Duncan Riley Posted: June 20, 2009
Tags : animal shelters, bo obama, first family dog, portuguese water dog, presidential dog
Bo Obama, the first family’s pet Portuguese water dog, has created a lot of public demand for the now patriotic pooches, resulting in long waiting lists and lengthy application processes for those hoping to procure a specimen of the rare breed.
A woman named Nicole Grayson recently went through the process of purchasing one of the highly sought after Portuguese water dogs. From an article in the WSJ:
After two interviews, three applications and months of anxiety, Nicole Grayson, a stay-at-home mother of three in Portland, Ore., finally got the nod. In April, Ms. Grayson learned she had been chosen to purchase a $2,000 Portuguese water dog.
Breeders “made it clear I had to prove myself worthy,” she exults. “We were really nervous.” Now she relishes the attention her puppy, named Capri, attracts at her son’s baseball games. She has also set up puppy play dates with another Portuguese water dog in town.
Personally, I think it’s kind of silly of people to go to such lengths in order to own a dog just to be noticed. With this breed in such high demand and in the spotlight right now, abandoned and abused animals are sitting in crowded cages at animal shelters, waiting to be put down.
How many people are going to such lengths and expense to save a perfectly good dog from being euthanized?
I guess it’s like a lot of things in society today – a popular few are revered while others are dying because no-one seems to care.
So, dear Inquisitr readers, are you the type of person who could, or would, go to such lengths for one specific dog just because they’re cool to have, while other animals are being killed because no-one wants them?
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Jun 20, 2009
No chance. I have two rescued golden retrievers. Goldens have a different story, just as sad. Because they are gorgeous puppies, people get them when they're small. But when they get to be about 9 months old, eat away the end of the couch and need to be walked miles, they give them up. People like me take them from golden retriever rescue, which takes them from the shelters and offers them new homes. Mine are famous on the Internet; indeed, BuppythePuppy has his own blog and Twitter account.
Jun 20, 2009
one good reason to get a portuguese water dog (and a number of other “pure breeds”) is the simple fact that they are hypoallergenic. i'm a huge dog lover, but could only have one as a part of my family if it either a) lived outside all the time, or b) were hypoallergenic. i could care less about status anxiety or anything else.
Jun 22, 2009
i am the proud owner of 2 porties right now and had a 3rd one for 10 years. we chose the breed because of non shedding, personality, intelligence, good with kids and a whole host of other reasons. i am not going to feel guilty about choosing a dog that was right for me and my family. put the guilt on the losers who didnt take care of their animals (perhaps they didnt research breeds before they brought into their home). they are like my own kids to me. they are pampered and spoiled, but disciplined. im sorry there are so many unwanted pets, but frankly its not my problem. i take excellant care of my animals!
Jun 22, 2009
Nicole here– without the hypoallergenic qualities of the Porties' hair- we wouldn't be able to have a dog, either. Unfortunately, the availability of dogs with this kind of hair is rarely found in any pound or shelter. Perhaps we all need to re-focus energy on helping homeless dogs instead of picking on the Obamas or anyone else for the breed they choose.
Jun 22, 2009
This grilling isn't a new approach. When we bought our PWD six years ago, the rigor was much the same.
Water Dogs were nearly extinct at one time (I believe in the 70's) and breeders worked hard to save the breed. We needed to prove that we understood what we were getting, a challenging and wonderful dog that wouldn't aggravate I and my son's serious allergies.
I stand by our decision and we're very happy with her. Our previous two shelter dogs were wonderful pets, but when they passed on, I couldn't bear to sign up for another 10-15 years of sneezing and itching. The PWD is the breed for me.