Obama family's pet project

It's not the economy, stupid. One of Barack Obama's first big decisions is his choice for First Pet.

Last update: November 10, 2008 - 12:22 AM

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Early in the campaign, Barack and Michelle Obama promised their daughters, Malia, 10, and Sasha, 7, that win or lose, they'd get a puppy.

First Dog mania kicked into overdrive with Obama's acceptance speech last week, when he told his daughters, "You've earned the new puppy that is coming with us to the White House."

Now the time has come to make good. At his first postelection news conference on Friday, the president-elect called choosing a dog a "major issue" in the Obama household.

"We have two criteria that have to be reconciled. One is that Malia is allergic, so it has to be hypoallergenic," he said. "On the other hand, our preference would be to get a shelter dog, but a lot of shelter dogs are mutts like me."

A new dog can be a daunting choice. But enthusiasts say it's worth it -- and for more than just the kids. "I'd like to know that President Obama has a dog," said Stephen Zawistowski of the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. "When he has a bad day, what's better than having a dog walk over and say, 'Hey, things aren't so bad?'"

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