Secret Missions For Obama'S New First Dog

With every wag of its tail the First Dog will accomplish secret missions for dogs everywhere. The White House dog will teach the Obama children and their counterparts in homes across America about compassion, responsibility, and respect for animals while providing plenty of photo-perfect fun and stress relief.

But the dog has already sparked controversy and hope among people who passionately care about animals. The Obama dog will fulfill its missions as the nation's doggie trendsetter with every choice the family makes for their new pet.

First, there was the issue of whether the Obamas would get a dog from a breeder or adopt a rescue. Not everyone agrees that rescued dogs are the way to go. The First Dog will have to earn high approval ratings to convince skeptics that are opposed to bringing home a dog with an uncertain lineage or past.

The Obamas settled that debate by choosing a rescued Portuguese Water Dog, called Porties. Is this choice of dog delivering the same message as the Obama campaign that anyone, regardless of origin or parentage, can make it into the White House?

Next, pet pundits discussed whether Porties are a good representative of rescued dogs since so few of their breed are abandoned. With an estimated 6 to 8 million dogs and cats in animal shelters that euthanize 3 to 4 million annually, animal lovers hope the First Dog will demonstrate that any type of rescued animal makes a great family pet.

Other questions have been raised: Will the new dog be hypoallergenic enough and is there actually such a creature as an allergy-free canine? Can a Portie protect Sasha and Malia, or will the gregarious, happy-go-lucky dog be oblivious to danger?

Another secret mission of the White House dog will be to set an example for children and pets by offering the Obama children a chance to experience what it's like to have another creature depend on them.

The ASPCA's "Guide to Kids and Pets" on its website clue parents in on what to expect children of various ages to do with an adopted animal. American Humane Association states on its website, "We believe that one of the best ways to protect children and animals -- and, on a broader scale, create a more humane world -- is through humane education that teaches kindness toward other people, animals and the environment."

In line with the axiom that children learn leadership skills and empathy by having a pet, First Lady Michelle Obama has stated unequivocally that her children will do the walking and poop scooping.

Children who implore their families to adopt a dog typically face the dilemma of how to keep up with responsibilities of pet ownership when juggling school assignments and activities and thriving social lives. If Mrs. Obama succeeds in keeping her high-profile children engaged in daily dog duties, parents can point to the White House and say, "See? Sasha and Malia are taking care of THEIR pooch."

One example of dogs having a mission coming to the aid of children is in our new book, Angel Dogs with a Mission (New World Library, 2008). Zoom, a Cardigan Welsh corgi, and Deb Richeson of Smithfield, Kentucky began visiting a local elementary school and offering the dog's patient listening skills to special needs students. Not only "Zoom's Kids" improved, but also the entire school's reading test scores rose. Perhaps Sasha and Malia will read school papers to the First Dog that they write at the desk in the Lincoln bedroom and be encouraged by canine appreciation.

Some of the questions that will be raised about the First Dog are serious. The ways in which the Obamas deal with the following issues are sure to send important messages about responsible care to those homes that already contain America's 60 million dogs.

* Considering the pet food debacle, what will the First Dog eat? Organic pet food? Wheat and corn-free? Vegetarian? What brands?

* Will the snow and ice-melting products used on the White House sidewalks be pet-safe?

* Does everybody know not to use cocoa mulch on the Rose Garden?

* Who is in charge of patrolling the premises so plants and foods that are toxic to dogs - grapes, raisons, chocolate, onions, artificially sweetened products -- aren't at drooling-mouth level?

* Where will the Obama dog sleep at night? In the bedroom with the children or in a crate somewhere else? Will it be the right size crate?

* Are the Obamas using biodegradable poop bags? It might sound like a funny question but savvy environmentalists will want to know.

Then, there will be fodder for comedians and national news segments:

* Who will train the most famous dog in the world not to bite reporters or will that lesson be discreetly skipped?

* Will the dog have a Secret Service code name? What should it be?

* Will the dog sport a diamond-studded collar and sleep on a $500 dollar doggie bed as befits its celebrity status?

* When the Obama children have sleepovers, will friends bring their canines for doggie night out?

* What famous person or figure from history will the dog dress as for Halloween?

* Who will be the official White House doggie photographer?

* Which dog toys will grace the gleaming and carpeted floors and new playground?

* Does the dog's name have ethnic or historical origins? Does it more creatively top previous First Dog names such as Spot, Buddy, Millie, Lucky, Grits, Liberty, Checkers, Him and Her, Feller, Heidi, Duke, Pushinka, and King Tut?

Summing up the First Dog's capacity for bringing about change, we believe that although the new White House dog might become a source of debate and emulation, one of the dog's greatest missions is just to be the First Family's pet. Relief will come when the Obamas engage in a tug-toy pull instead of wrestling with the economy and other issues. For a moment, they can relax and forget the cares of the day.

Hopefully the First Dog will unite more than divide us. After all, who can resist a cute face and unconditional love? But the dog's greatest mission may be as a pack leader for the two out of three American households with pets, so that all dogs will have good and safe homes, even if they're not living in white houses.

What do you think the secret missions of Obama's new First Dog will be?

Allen and Linda Anderson
Angel Animals Network
www.angelanimals.net