MUTT?:

Goldendoodle talked up as first dog: Breed reportedly in running for Obama family (Linda Matchan, November 8, 2008, Boston Globe)

There's been talk that 10-year-old Malia Obama has put in a bid for a goldendoodle, a cute, fluffy crossbreed between a golden retriever and poodle. At his news conference yesterday, Obama dropped a couple of other hints. An Obama dog has to be hypoallergenic, he said, since Malia has allergies. Ever the populist, he said the family was leaning toward a shelter dog, and "a lot of shelter dogs are mutts like me."

Goldendoodles became popular in New England about four or five years ago, and in some circles - the purebred ones - they're still considered underdogs.

"The goldendoodle is not a recognized breed," said Patty Bullock vice president of the American Dog Breeders Association, which registers dog breeds with a "verifiable three generation pedigree," according to its website. "A lot of people think they are taking the best traits of each breed. This is an absolute fallacy. . . . They take dogs of two different breeds and breed them together, and it's just a mutt."

The Wife's labradoodle cost so much she won't even tell me what it was--after I said anything over $300 would be outrageous.

Posted by Orrin Judd at November 8, 2008 10:05 AM