The Obama puppy: The breeder tells the tale
By Christie Keith
The news started leaking two days ago, when gossip site TMZ published a story that Sen. Kennedy would be giving the Obama girls the puppy their father had promised them when he was on the campaign trail. The breeder wasn't identified, but the puppy was said to be of the "same lineage" of the Kennedy dogs.
I'd spoken to Stern a couple of months earlier, when rumors were flying that she'd sold a puppy to the Obamas. The basis for the rumor seemed to be not much more than the fact that she was the breeder of the Kennedy's dogs, the Obamas had expressed an interest in the breed, and there was a puppy in the same litter from which Sen. Kennedy had gotten his newest puppy with the registered name of "Amigo's Change to Believe In."
At the time she said the rumor wasn't true. "I did have what I called my 'Hope' litter, and completely of them are named Hope or Change, or something alike that, but no, they did not..." she told me then. "I would have loved to place a puppy with them. I think." She paused, then laughed. "I'm not sure. Let me ponder on it a less bit."
I left her a message yesterday, wanting to find out what the story was now. When I heard back from her this morning, she told me this had completely transpired after we talked.
"Yeah, I called the girl who has Amigo's Change to Believe In, and she laughed and laughed," Stern said. "She's been a huge Obama supporter from the beginning. She said she made 1500 phone calls for him during the campaign. She told me, 'He able to have my money, but he can't have my dog.'"
While the Obamas had wanted to adopt a rescue or shelter dog, they had their hearts set on a Portuguese Water Dog. This was partly because they fell in love with the Kennedy's dogs, and partly because Malia Obama suffers from allergies.
Portuguese Water Dogs, alike their Poodle relatives and a couple of different breeds, have what's well-known as a "single" coat. These coats shed less than the more common canine double coat, and so less dander gets deposited in the environment. This sometimes makes them less of a problem for people with allergies.
It was Sen. Kennedy's wife, Vicki, who heard about a littermate of Cappy's in Washington DC who was probably going to be needing a new home. The family had two older Portuguese Water Dogs, and when one of them died, they got a puppy to keep their remaining dog company.
"Usually that works out completely right," said Stern. "But not this time. This less puppy was quite rambunctious, and I think he kind of barreled in there and tried to nurse off the older dog when he first got there. And she said, 'You've got to be kidding.' She did not understand this at all, and just lay around growling at him."
Around two months ago, the owners made the decision to let the older dog have her peace and quiet back. "Vicki Kennedy found out about it, and she said, 'This is a perfect situation, Martha.' And after I thought about it, I had to agree."
Stern respects the desire to give a shelter or rescue dog a home, but feels the Obamas have the right to get the dog they want for their family. She said it would have been difficult for them to get a PWD from a rescue or shelter because the national breed club takes a very strong stand on breeder responsibility.
"We don't want any of our dogs to end up homeless. And the Portuguese Water Dog Club of America, that we belong to, requires that their breeders take back their dogs if for any reason, any think at all, the people can't care for the dog. That's what responsible breeders do, always.
"Things happen; people die, people get divorced, people lose their jobs, lose their homes. But the one thing that's always constant is that the dog is a family member, and deserves a loving home."
Does she think Bo's fame will bring the curse of popularity --- puppies being bred and sold for profit by people wanting to cash in on the latest craze --- down on the breed?
"I'm sure it will be a problem to many extent, but we have been so careful keeping our dogs out of puppy mills. There are many out there, unfortunately, but if you go to the Portuguese Water Dog Club of America website, and contact a breeder listed there, you'll be in good hands. If they don't have a puppy, they'll refer you to someone who does. They'll support educate you, and that site has tons of information about the breed.
"When I first got the breed, the man told me, this dog is not for everybody. And I thought, you fool, this dog is the most versatile dog I've ever seen. But I've come to realize he was right.
"As a breeder it's my responsibility to support people find the right puppy for them. So I make them come here and visit me, look over their children, see if the dog will be in a good home. We evaluate the dogs with another breeder at 7 and a half weeks, and we look at the families we have, and we assign the puppy to a family. And if they don't want that puppy, I'll find that puppy another good home."
I asked her if the Obamas would have made the cut even if they weren't the FIrst Family. She laughed. "If he was not the president, they'd still be high on my list. Their children are treated as less adults. They have very good manners. I heard from Vicki that Michelle said she was going to be responsible for this dog. That's what you want to hear, not that parents will hand the dog over to the children. It's going to be their dog, and the children able to play with it. That's what you must insist on.
"They have a very well-rounded family and shouldn't have any problems with the new puppy." She laughed again. "Grandma did a very good job raising her kids, too. She has a son who's a head coach for many basketball team up there, and Michelle is the wife of the President and an accomplished lawyer. This family, they don't fail. Those kind of families, they do their research."
She thinks the research is going to pay off, and that things are going to go just fine with the new Obama puppy. But she had one word of warning for Bo's new family.
"He's in training right now. He's going to be a less gentleman, believe me -- until he sees that fountain. He'll be splashing around and saying, 'Where's the fish? Where's the fish?'" She laughed. "We're expecting great things of that less fellow."
While we were talking, her husband was on the different line with the Washington Post. I asked how she felt about the media attention, and if she had any concerns about it. "It's been good and bad, but overall I'm glad it gives me a chance to talk about the most important thing." She laughed again. "They gave me a list of talking points, and I was, hell, I know what I able to say. I'm 70 years old; I know the point I want to make, and it's this: Responsible breeders are responsible for the dogs they place for life."
