The White House Dog

On election night, President Obama promised his children he would get them a dog, because of all they had to put up with during the campaign. Now it looks like that's fixing to happen. At least, they now know what kind of dog their going to get -- a Portuguese Water Dog (like the one pictured above).

The President wanted a big playful dog, but they couldn't just get any dog. That's because Malia is allergic to a lot of breeds. One of the good things about the Portuguese Water Dog is that they're hypoallergenic.

The First Lady said, "From the size perspective, they're sort of middle of the road - it's not small, but it's not a huge dog. And the folks that we know who own them have raved about them." One of the Obama friends who owns a couple of dogs of that breed is Senator Ted Kennedy.

Kennedy says of the breed, "They have a can-do and hopeful spirit. They are smart. They are resilient. They are determined. They are optimistic. And they are tireless. Sounds like a perfect fit for the Obama Family and the Obama administration."

Now that they know what breed they want, the Obamas are hoping to have their dog by April. They haven't yet picked a name for the "First Dog".