Yeah, that was kinda my point. All that very personal and nasty snark, and it has no basis in anything in the history of the targets of it.

History in general these days seems to have well known people, smart and otherwise, getting dogs from pet stores and crappy breeders.

Also of well-known people who get dogs from decent to excellent sources, and are exemplary pet owners. E.g., the younger Bushes, and Ted Kennedy.

Of course, that doesn’t get nearly as much attention, because it just isn’t as much fun as sneering at the stupid ones.

That is all I was talking about. AKA not getting hopes up that they do the right thing.

Really, you did seem to be proceeding on the basis of “guilty until proven innocent, and no evidence for the defense will be entertained.”

“it gets deeply frustrating that people smart enough to know better rant on about the (correct) phrase “hypo-allergenic” as if it were the (incorrect) “non-allergenic.””

this is exactly what I’m afraid of. Otherwise smart people buying hype about whether the dog in question is non-, not hypo-. You can ask all the right questions, and get all the wrong reassurances. It happens. A lot.

The Obamas do seem to speak, and write, as if they know the meanings of words. And they don’t seem to be easily buffaloed.

BTW, I don’t know them to like or dislike them. I’m just yee of little faith when high profile people announce they will be getting a dog. :)

Um. You’ve been talking about them as if, simply because they’re famous, they must be shallow, greedy, and irredeemably stupid. That’s not “little faith”; that’s a rather profound faith—albeit of a rather popular kind, these days.

I wasn’t attacking them our their history. Geeze. History in general these days seems to have well known people, smart and otherwise, getting dogs from pet stores and crappy breeders. That is all I was talking about. AKA not getting hopes up that they do the right thing.

“it gets deeply frustrating that people smart enough to know better rant on about the (correct) phrase “hypo-allergenic” as if it were the (incorrect) “non-allergenic.””

this is exactly what I’m afraid of. Otherwise smart people buying hype about whether the dog in question is non-, not hypo-. You can ask all the right questions, and get all the wrong reassurances. It happens. A lot.

BTW, I don’t know them to like or dislike them. I’m just yee of little faith when high profile people announce they will be getting a dog. :)

That would make a statement and get the Obamas a great pet for their kids.

But then, I have an agenda :>)

PS Poodles are great dogs, one of my favourite breeds but I usually recommend active sporting types that require a lot of grooming, exercise and training for more experienced owners. People should start with something easier while they learn the ropes.

PPS I’m glad they aren’t going the ‘OK but if we get a dog you have to look after him’ route, since it’s always a huge mistake. It puts pressure on the kids and creates unnecessary strife with the dog becoming a gamepiece. The adults have to take the responsibility, let the kids do what they can. That way, they will love having a dog and the dog will get lots of input from everybody in the family.

They’re themselves, and they’re sounding like responsible prospective pet owners, and if you don’t like them, fine, but at least let’s try to refrain from attacking them for possibly at some time in the future doing something that they have not only not done in the past, but show zero signs of being likely to do in the future.

Hypo-allergenic dogs: Actual, for-real, hypo-allergenic breeds exist. Hypo-allergenic dogs. Not non-allergenic. People genuninely do need to be warned that non-allergenic dogs (or anything else) don’t exist; it gets deeply frustrating that people smart enough to know better rant on about the (correct) phrase “hypo-allergenic” as if it were the (incorrect) “non-allergenic.”

history :) And no, I don’t get to decide what’s proper, but I can hope they don’t get it from a pet store or buy into some of the false hype out there regarding hypoallergenic designer dogs.

Driving back from San Francisco over the weekend, I passed a station wagon with a “Romney 08” sticker on it.

And all I could imagine was that station wagon with the Romneys’ poor Irish Setter on top.

Really, really curious.

I mean, since it doesn’t come from anything they’ve either said, or done, with regard to pets.