MOOSE Obama
February 26, 2009 by Elizabeth
Filed under I've got a bone to pick
Hey, I like the name Moose! As of this writing there are 362 dogs named Moose on dogster.com and I don’t doubt they’re all fine animals and a credit to the name.
In case you don’t know what I’m talking about, in a recent interview with People Magazine, first lady, Michelle Obama, announced that daughters, Malia and Sasha, will be getting their longed-for new dog after spring break. The likely addition to the presidential household will be a Portuguese Water Dog. What’s not yet clear is the canine’s name.
Portuguese Water Dog
As it’s to be their dog, the youngest Obamas are tasked with deciding the pup’s soubriquet. So far, their mother isn’t too impressed…
“Oh, the names are really bad. I don’t even want to mention it, because there are names floating around and they’re bad,” Mrs. Obama says with a laugh. “You listen and you go – like, I think, Frank was one of them. Frank! Moose was another one of them. Moose. I said, well, what if the dog isn’t a moose? Moose. I’m like, no, come on, let’s work with the names a little bit.”
Doesn’t this sound just a teensy bit elitist? Moose seems really down-to-earth and normal, although one Moose has attained a certain rock star status – the dog who played Eddie in the sitcom, Frasier. As for Frank, one of my dearest and best friends (two-legged variety) is called Frank. He’s 87 years old, a survivor of the Battle of Guadalcanal and one of the finest people you could ever know. Any self-respecting pooch would be proud to be dubbed Frank.
Of course there’s another aspect to this story. Suddenly a bunch of people will probably want a Portuguese Water Dog. Unfortunately, too many of them will be people who shouldn’t have any dog and the one pooch the Obamas rescue will be replaced by who knows how many others. And, more than likely, there will be unscrupulous breeders who start churning out as many dogs as possible, without concern for the animals’ welfare. But we’ll get into that another time. For now, I say let Sasha and Malia call the pup by any name they want.
