Someone here had a quote from (I assume) Malia about how when he gets angry with her he talks and talks and talks. She sounded like that was not a whole heap of fun. 
Nah. His daughters will just use the time-honored awesomeness-of-little-girls trick. Moms don’t necessarily fall for it, but it turns dads to butter (and occasionally felons when teenage boys harm the daughters).
Yeah, that was one of my favorite things to come out of that informal interview. Much as I loves me some Barack, the thought of him “discussing” my behavior at length in that very measured and reasonable tone makes me want to run for the hills. 
That goldendoodle is ridiculously cute.
As for the shelter vs. breeder issue–I’m very very pro-shelter. Shelters and rescue organizations should be the default option for people to get their family pets. That said, I feel that if someone has some particular reason not to go through a shelter, then that is fine, too. If the Obamas got a shelter dog, that would be great. But if that’s not feasible for them, they should get a dog from a reputable breeder and have a clear conscience about it. Especially if they take the opportunity to promote shelters in general, which it looks like they’re doing.
I was wondering–would regular bathing and brushing of the dog’s coat reduce the dander to an acceptable level for Malia, regardless of the breed of dog? Would weekly bathing and daily brushing render almost any sort of dog that her allergies could tolerate?
Maybe, maybe not. Depends on how sensitive she is. Sometimes post-bath is the worst time, because all that dander’s been loosened and becomes airborne. My mom really cannot live in the same house as a guinea pig, even if the pigger is kept on a different floor and bathed weekly. We really, really tried, but I had to find him a new home. 
Given the allergies that one of his daughters has, I think he should just give them a stuffed puppy from the local toy store; one each of course. Not really. I think he has said he intended to give them a rescue dog; “A mutt like me,” if I remember. I not sure if he can find a rescue dog that won’t irritate the allergy problem; in fact, will any dog at all not be an issue?
See Post #35. There are a number of dogs which are hypoallergenic, meaning less likely than other breeds to trigger common allergies.
I’m allergic to dander, and we have a cat. If I just wash my hands after I’ve petted or scratched him, and if I use carpet tape on my lap to pick up any fur left behind after he’s sat on me (a strange ritual, yes, but it works!), I’m fine. Hopefully Malia will be too, with simple precautions like that.
Sorry, but IMHO a poodle of any kind isn’t cool enough for a president like Obama. I’d go with an animal-shelter mutt, hopefully with some beagle or terrier in the mix.
Not quite. He said he’d like to get a shelter dog, but lots of shelter dogs are mutts.
They should stay away from the doodle mixes, because some of those are good for people with allergies, and some aren’t. Most puppies are good for lots of allergy sufferers because they aren’t shedding a lot of dead skin. Several golden/labradoodles have had to find new homes once they get older though, because it turned out that they weren’t allergy friendly afterall. I think they should get a Portuguese water dog or a wheaten terrier -world’s cutest puppy.
They sell dander wipes that make dogs more allergy friendly, but with a kid, it’s probably best to stick to one of the recommended breeds. I’m allergic to dogs, except my own, because my body eventually stopped reacting to them. It starts up a bit in the spring though.
Do those sticky lint-brush things not get the job done, Elendil’s Heir?
Portuguese Water Dogs are hypoallergenic, but I’ve known a few, and while they’re friendly, they’re just nuts.
Dude, poodles are totally cool! Okay, wait, let me try that again: poodles are awesome! D’oh! Poodles rock! Darn it!
Okay, seriously, poodlescan be very cool dogs. It’s just most of their owners who should be shot.
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No, not for me. And we always have carpet tape around, anyway.
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elmwood has or had a PWD. I’d agree on both counts.
I don’t think it’s reasonable to get a dog that would require the 10-year-old to perform strange rituals. Also, allergies can worsen with exposure. As an adult, you can choose to take that risk. Malia is just a kid.
The three main “hypoallergenic” breeds that I’ve seen recommended are:
–Poodles
–Bichon Frises
–Portuguese Water Dogs