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So, it seems every dog owner in America is now weighing in on probably the most important issue surrounding the election of Barack Obama: what kind of dog will the Obamas get? Typical America: this is definitely the crucial issue facing our country right now (I’m only half-kidding). I have bad news, though, for the Obama family. The best two dogs in America are already taken.

The country seems to be captivated right now by first dog fever! The American Kennel Club is weighing in, saying the Obamas should get a poodle. PETA launched an all-out campaign to convince the Obamas to adopt a shelter dog, rather than pay for a purebred pooch. He even took time out of his first news conference since the election to address the issue, saying the most email his website is getting right now are suggestions of what type of dog he should get. I think he needs to hear from one more voice: mine.

Here’s my advice to President-Elect Obama and his family: skip the breeders and the purebreds and get a shelter dog. Get the dog that’s been there awhile, not the adorable puppy that will have no problem attracting a family. Get a dog that’s a few months - or a few years - old, because they’re already “broken in” and, again, there’s less a chance they’ll be adopted by someone else. Get the dog who meets your gaze with yearning, rather than the adorable puppy that mesmerizes you with tricks and soft fur. In other words, get dogs like mine.

We got Chewy from a shelter just a day or two before he would have been put down. He was anti-social and terrified in the shelter - and, he was already four months old. He didn’t look like a puppy. But, turning that dog into the adorable, lovable mutt he is today is one of my life’s greatest accomplishments. I’ve never met a more loving dog. We got Roxie this summer at another local shelter. She’s five years old - and, her family just never claimed her. She had been there a couple weeks and probably did not have much time left. No dog kisses and loves like Roxie. She’s loving and caring to a fault. She’s also very smart and protective - and, we could not have asked for a better companion for Chewy. You can see the picture - these dogs are in love.

Sorry, Obamas. You may get a great dog to scratch up the floors and furniture in the White House. But, America’s best dogs are already taken.

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