Bo Obama is an international sensation. German newspaper Bild reports today that demand for Portuguese Water Dogs have outstripped supply. The breed is "sold out" according to one breeder in Germany.
(RON EDMONDS/AP)Photos (1 of 1)
Germans love Bo Obama! Portuguese Water Dogs sell out.
By Jimmy Orr | 04.23.09
Well, we all know that Germans love David Hasselhoff. But now Hasselhoff is going to have to share the love.
Enter President Obama’s new dog, Bo.
Boom
The president’s decision to get a Portuguese Water Dog for his family has resulted in a boom in demand for the breed. At least in Germany.
The German newspaper Bild reports that the breed has sold out in the country and interest in the dog “is out of control.”
“My phone has not stopped ringing and I have had at least 100 people call me!” one breeder told the paper. “Everyone wants puppies, but there are hardly any in Germany at the moment.”
Surprising? Well, perhaps Bo Obama didn’t know how popular he would be once donning the title of First Dog. But it was certainly something expected in the US.
Domestic
Just this morning, animal behaviorist Terry Jester wrote, “I hope the Portuguese water dog breeders are gearing up for what will be a huge surge in the demand for puppies.”
Dr. Jana Kohl, an animal-rights activist who featured President Obama in a book promoting pet adoption, predicted a run would happen — especially with the president’s decision to opt out of his campaign promise to get a dog from a shelter and go the breeder route instead.
“This will fuel the breeding industry, which will fuel the puppy mill industry, which will increase homeless dogs at shelters, and increase the numbers of dogs euthanized every year,” she said.
Kohl has since said she felt betrayed by the president’s decision not to adopt.
Obama accepted a Portuguese Water Dog named Bo from Senator Ted Kennedy. Bo originally came from a Texas-based breeder.
Economy
Monitor economics writer Laurent Belsie said it could be looked at as one of the few bright spots in the world economy.
“This could be the first result of an Obama stimulus plan that’s working,” he joked. “The nation that leads the way in the production of Portuguese Water Dogs may be the next economic superpower. Forget green energy.”
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2. Will | 04.25.09
Yes the dogs are crazy. And they are not for everyone. I got mine for medical reasons, and not allergy. Their high energy keeps my energy high. I can’t just get lost behind the computer screen. My Portuguese Water Do Goji keeps me on the go, maybe too much.
3. Gummy | 04.30.09
We recently got a Porty. He is now 12 weeks old & we couldn’t be happier.
We had Porty’s before they were popular & lost one at the age of 14 1/2
in June. Our family was lost & couldn’t wait to get another. Best day of our
life when we brought home our baby Porty.
4. Mike | 05.11.09
I love Obama, but I’m disappointed with the decision to get Bo in a place other than a shelter. I made a video that discusses the pros and cons.
5. Adopt-a-Pet.com | 05.15.09
Hi Mike,
We at http://adoptapet.com, made a big effort to grab the attention of Obama and have him adopt. It would have been nice, as you say in your video.
However, I have a hunch since the news media today makes a living from negative news, a positive message for adoption came out.
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Jimmy Orr has worked in politics for the majority of his professional career working for two U.S. Senators, two Governors and one President. Most recently, Orr served as White House Spokesman and Internet Director for President George W. Bush and Special Advisor to Governor Schwarzenegger for Internet Communications.
David Cook is Washington bureau chief of The Christian Science Monitor and host of the Monitor's newsmaker breakfasts. He was the Monitor's editor from 1994 to 2001. Cook is a graduate of Principia College, served in the U.S. Army, was a Bagehot Fellow at Columbia University, and is a member of the Gridiron Club, Washington's oldest journalistic organization.
1. Olivia | 04.25.09
Laurent, your comment at the end of Jimmy’s blog is NOT amusing.
Is your head in the sand? Have you not watched any of the recent TV documentaries showing the horrors of puppy mills? If you have, you sure sound callous, as if these sweet creatures are production units in a new solar-panel factory.
You would do well to get educated on this subject — and get a heart, while you’re at it.
Maybe a visit to an overcrowded shelter to watch the death-by-injection of a healthy, friendly dog, who can’t find an adoptive home because too many people are buying “fad” dogs like PWDs from breeders, would shake you out of your complacency.