First pup? Obama says it’ll be labradoodle or Portuguese water dog

Washington — Never mind the economy, or Gaza, or Iran’s nuclear ambitions.

The real news out of the interview that George Stephanopoulos aired with President-elect Barack Obama on Sunday was the answer Malia and Sasha Obama planted with the interviewer:

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AP / File

The Obama family has narrowed down their choice of family dog to two breeds: the Labradoodle (shown here) and the Portuguese water dog.

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AP / File

Portuguese water dog ‘Splash, ’ Sen. Edward Kennedy’s dog, approaches Nicholas Davis, 9, of Boston while Kennedy reads his first children’s book, ‘My Senator and Me: A dog’s Eye View of Washington D.C. ’ to children at the Knight Children’s Center in Boston in November 2006.

What kind of dog and when?

“They seem to have narrowed it down to a labradoodle or a Portuguese water hound,’ Obama told Stephanopoulos on ABC’s “This Week.” “We’re closing in on it.”

That’s really a Portuguese water dog, a pedigree pup. “Known for centuries along Portugal’s coast,” the American Kennel Club notes, “this seafaring breed was prized by fishermen for a spirited, yet obedient nature, and a robust, medium build that allowed for a full day’s work in and out of the water.”

But those labradoodles sure are popular. A designer hybrid generally accepted as an informal breed of its own, yet not recognized by the AKC, the mix of Labrador retriever and poodle is a spirited and bouncy pooch.

Off to the shelters of greater Washington, the Obamas go now — in a “rescue” search for one of the two preferred pets for the next first family.

“This has been tougher than finding a commerce secretary,” Obama noted.