Obamas settle on breed: Portuguese Water Dog.

Obamas settle on breed: Portuguese Water Dog.

The word in the pet/political world is that the Obamas have selected the Portuguese Water Dog as the new First Dog. The Los Angeles Times politics blog is reporting that this will be made official in a People magazine interview with Michelle Obama out Friday.

The family has settled on a breed, according to reports, but not necessarily an exact dog. They are planning on adopting a rescue Portuguese Water Dog, and those dogs are less likely to be found in shelters.

"The Portuguese Water Dog is a fun-loving dog with a lot of energy," said Michelle Barlak, public relations manager for the American Kennel Club. "It's a great family dog, but they have to understand the dog will require quite a bit of exercise. ... Two young girls who are very active are good companions for the dog."

The president has said that he and Mrs. Obama wanted to wait until spring to bring a dog into the White House. They were hoping the warmer weather would inspire their daughters, Malia, 10, and Sasha, 7, to walk it.

The girls could have their hands full. PWDs can weigh up to 60 pounds.

To date, they haven't been a particularly popular breed, in part because they require so much exercise. They ranked 62nd in national popularity, according to recently released AKC registration figures. That's up from 82nd place a decade ago.

"They're not an extremely popular breed," Barlak said. "Nationally we're seeing a trend toward smaller dogs."

Something tells me the new First Dog could change that.

FlexPet for The Portuguese Water Dog Obamas

(Photo by Mary Bloom (C) AKC)