Arbo UNLEASHED In The Baltimore Sun

http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/features/mutts/blog/2009/02/obama_dog_portuguese_water_dog.html

By Mary Corey

One thing I learned yesterday during the It-is/It-isn't-a-Portuguese-Water-Dog drama was this: There are some very funny, clever and informative Web sites and blogs out there devoted solely to the soon-to-be First Dog.
I was tipped off by Greg Nelson, who yesterday was cheering when he learned that his beloved Labradoodles may still be in the running. He even has a new site devoted to his cause. He calls himself the founder and his 18-month-old miniature Labradoodle Arbo (above) the president. To show your Labradoodle love, you can even buy yard signs, buttons and dog T-shirts. All proceeds of sales go to animal rescue organizations and shelters.
If you're way into First Dog news (and who isn't?), here are some other not-to-be-missed sites and blogs on the topic.
American Kennel Club provides useful info on the search, materials on hypoallergenic breeds and facts on past presidential pets. Don't miss: The video of too-cute Portuguese Water Dogs
Dogtime.com has an amusing Obama dog blog. Don't miss: The poll with questions including: What name should the Obamas choose? (Chief and Veto are options as answers.) What should the First Dog's first toy be? (Osama bin Laden plush toy or Barack Obama's basketball shoes?)
The Portuguese Water Dog Club of America has a comprehensive site on the subject with everything from grooming tips to handling behavioral issues. Don't miss: The Test your PWD Knowledge quiz

Home Stretch For The Next FIRST DOG

President Obama gave a few tidbits of information about the future First Dog during his March 19 appearance on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno.
After tackling serious issues such as the country's economic crisis, the AIG flap and Obama's NCAA tournament picks (OK, so maybe it wasn't all serious), Leno asked the President the real question on everyone's mind (or at least those of us who look forward to seeing a pup playing on the White House lawn): "When is the dog coming?"
Obama quipped, "This is Washington. That was a campaign promise," before adding over the laughter of the audience, "I'm teasing."
He went on to semi-cryptically suggest that the family has already chosen a family dog, saying, "The dog will be there shortly. We have actually sort of been laying the groundwork here. We've got a trip... I've got to go to the NATO Summit. When we get back, the dog will be in place."
The NATO Summit is April 3-4, so depending on how one interprets Obama's statement, this means the presidential pup may be in his or her new home in just a few weeks.
Leno did not press further as to whether the dog is from a shelter or a breeder, if it is male or female, or the dog's age. Instead, he asked about the dog's breed and if it was true they would be getting a "Portuguese Water Head" - meaning, of course, a Portuguese Water Dog, which, in an interview with PEOPLE Magazine, Michelle Obama had indicated was the family's breed of choice.
Obama neither confirmed nor denied the breed speculation, simply stating, "We're going to get a dog that I think the girls will have a great time... uh, I think I'm going to have a lot of fun with it."
He then added, "They say if you want a friend in Washington, get a dog, so..."
And with that, the interview concluded, leaving those of us anticipating the First Dog's arrival wanting more. It seems we'll just have to wait a few weeks for that.

White House to Receive Eco-Friendly Doghouse

http://sustainablepet.com/obamadog.html

Sustainable Pet Design has created an eco-friendly, non-toxic doghouse, "Summa Canum," for the First Dog. Green companies across the country have donated materials and services, including rock legend Neil Young, who is driving it to the White House this month. The dog home is intended to be used as a vehicle to introduce the American public to sustainable materials and practices.Summa Canum features a greenroof, reclaimed wood and zero-VOC paint. Vegetation will be sent to the White House after the dog home is received so that the Obamas may plant it themselves if desired. The home is built with cedar reclaimed from Andrew Jackson’s estate after a tornado felled trees on the property in 1998. Many of these trees were planted by Jackson himself. A certificate of authenticity for the wood is included with the dog home.Neil Young will be driving to the White House in March 2009 in his super-efficient hybrid 1959 Lincoln Continental to promote environmentally responsible vehicles; Summa Canum will be riding along in the convoy and delivered to the White House. The dog home generated enough enthusiasm among members of the green community that almost all of the materials were donated.Summa Canum is more than a doghouse—it is an effort to promote and introduce sustainable materials to the American public through an accessible object. Sustainable Pet Design and the sponsors of Summa Canum hope to create excitement through the idea that green is cool and patriotic. The interest it generates will provide an opportunity to present greenroofs and eco-friendly materials as concrete ways to decrease climate change and waste, lower health concerns and provide green jobs.

Million Doodle March

On March 29,individuals from across North America are lobbying for a cause they truly believe in. An issue yet to be answered.. but often in heated debate. A decision that President Obama will be responding to in the coming weeks, which will be highly anticipated. This will not address the economy, the war, or global warming... but for many people takes on its own personal significance. What type of dog will be the First Dog of his administration?.
On March 29, Doodle owners (and their dogs and friends) from across North America have joined forces for the first ever MILLION DOODLE MARCH. This passionate event will make it clear, that Doodle owners want their voices heard.
Join friends of Bocker the Labradoodle, Matilda First Dog, and Arbo for the Million Doodle March….a dog-a-thon walk throughout the United States and Canada. You don’t have to be a doodle to walk and you don’t have to leave your home town in order to participate in this international event…butwalk your dog for your favorite charity, get sponsors, or just walk yourself for a cause.
This Million Doodle March will also act as an International FUNdraiser…a “dog a thon”..a walk for a cause to benefit The Autism Connection and National Service Dogs (Canada) and the Humane Society. Fundraising pledged to walkers will benefit their own chosen local charities. It is our own Cyber-Walk.. a special day to set aside to do something good for those in need no matter where we all live.Visit our Facebook Page for the Million Doodle Walk Cause Visit our Facebook Page for the Million Doodle Walk EVENT and info where to send your donations. Thanks!
Please visit Bocker’s Store for Buttons and T-shirts to Support his cause (Buttons and T-shirts designed by our good friends at toonEcards.com !)Click this link for Pledge Sheet for those sponsoring a walk in their home townClick here to download our Flyer (both in pdf format)

Hot Off The Printing Press In April

http://www.obama-dog.com/blog/2009/03/first-dog-gets-first-books.html

Even though the First Family is taking its time getting a dog – April still looks like the best guess – it’s comforting to know that book publishers are in a mad rush to put books about a First Dog on store shelves.
No fewer than three kids’ books are scheduled to be published starting in April – all about the new dog the Obamas are expecting to rescue for daughters Malia and Sasha.
An Obama dog will be an instant celebrity, so it’s no wonder that several authors and illustrators have created books that tell stories about being a four-legged resident of the White House (although we don’t know specifically what each book’s theme is).
“Anything about President Obama, people are looking for,” Jan Dundon, children’s coordinator at Anderson’s Bookshop in Naperville, Ill., told Publishers Weekly. “President Obama is in the news, and kids always love books about dogs.”
Here are the scheduled release dates for each book:
April 6: “First Dog,” by J. Patrick Lewis and Beth Zapitello, illustrated by Tim Bowers, $14.95. Published by Sleeping Bear Press.
April 7: “Which Puppy?” by Kate Feiffer, illustrated by Jules Feiffer, $16.99. Originally scheduled to be released April 21. Published by Simon & Schuster/Paula Wiseman Books.
April 28: “Now Hiring: White House Dog,” by Gina Bazer and Renanah Lehner, illustrated by Andrew Day, $16.99. Originally scheduled for June release. Published by Walker Books for Young Readers.