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Whoa, Momma!

Sharon Kennedy Wynne, Tracey Henry and Suzannah DiMarzio

Obama girls get their dog



Obamadog Can you say awwwww? This little guy is a 6-month-old Portuguese water dog named Bo and he's a campaign promise kept. President Barack Obama used his election night victory speech to tell his daughters, Sasha and Malia, that they had "earned the puppy that is coming with us to the White House" 

He was given to the Obama girls by water dog-lovin' Sen. Edward M. Kennedy of Massachusetts, The Humane Society of the United States gave the addition paws up because instead of a puppy mill, he was apparently returned by the family that originally purchased him. One-quarter of all shelter dogs are purebreeds, the Humane Society notes.

The family's choices were limited because Malia suffers from allergies. The Portuguese water dog and the "Labradoodle," a cross between a Labrador and a poodle, are regarded as good options for those with allergies.

Malia and Sasha chose the name, according to the Washington Post, because their cousins have a cat named Bo and because first lady Michelle Obama's father was nicknamed Diddley, a source said. (Get it? Bo Diddley?) They may have overlooked how hard it is to say Bo Obama. Luckily, dogs aren't that formal. "Call me Bo."

-- Sharon Kennedy  Wynne

[Photo by Pete Souza – WHITE HOUSE]



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