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Obama's unlikely quest for a non-allergenic dog
U.S. president-elect Barack Obama is barking up the wrong tree if he thinks he'll be able to move into the White House with a perfectly non-allergenic First Family dog.
Such a dog does not exist, say allergists and veterinarians, commenting on the fact that the Obamas are searching for a dog that won't aggravate 10-year-old Malia Obama's allergies.
The American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (AAAAI) tried Wednesday to correct misconceptions about the matter, with the announcement Wednesday that there is "no truly hypoallergenic dog."
"It is a common misconception that people are allergic to a dog's hair, and it is falsely believed that dogs that shed less will not cause a reaction," the AAAAI said
"However, allergies to pets are caused by protein found in the animal's saliva and skin glands which gets deposited on the hair. These proteins are carried on microscopic particles through the air as an invisible aerosol. When inhaled, they trigger reactions in allergic people. As all dogs secrete these proteins, there is no allergy-free dog."
But some breeds are considered less allergenic. Those with less or no hair are easier to groom frequently to allow for dander reduction and removal.
Dr. John Dean, head of the division of allergy at B.C. Children's Hospital, said he was pleased the organization is correcting a commonplace fallacy.
"I never give advice about which dogs might be better for patients," Dean said in an interview.
"A dog is a dog is a dog. And if someone has major problems and gets allergic reactions such as hives to any dog, then he or she would be mad to get a dog.
"But the White House is a big place, so maybe the Obamas could leave the dog at one end," he joked.
"Essentially, for a dog to be truly hypoallergenic, it would have to be tongue-less as well as hairless," Dean said, while acknowledging that there may be breeds that are less allergenic, either because they produce less protein or because they are frequently groomed, permitting the allergy-causing proteins to be washed off, providing temporary respite to allergy sufferers.
He said studies have shown that allergic children can coexist with dogs if they are exposed to them very early in life. But once they move away to go to college and live in dorms without dogs, they will lose that tolerance and their allergy symptoms can resurface "with explosive reactions" when they are exposed again to dogs.
Dr. Jeff Grognet, a Parksville veterinarian who is president of the B.C. Veterinary Medical Association, said hairless dogs are less likely to cause allergic reactions because it's so easy to bathe them and the dander falls off them.
"With cats, what people are most allergic to is the protein in their saliva, and because they groom themselves so frequently, you will get exposed to that protein when you inhale it or when you have contact with the cat. With dogs, the dander in their hair collects and when you rub against it, you'll have a reaction if you are allergic.
"Bathing them every day could make them relatively hypoallergenic, but are they truly? There's no such thing. They may be less allergenic or, as they might say on Monty Python, not tremendously allergenic."
Grognet said there is no list of dogs proven scientifically to be less allergenic but there are lists of short-haired and hairless dogs that people like the Obamas could use for their selection process. Dogs with double coats, such as German Shepherds, should be out of the question, he said.
At his first post-election news conference, Obama said the debate over what breed the family will get is a major family issue and he expressed doubts about whether a dog obtained from a shelter will satisfy the requirement for a non-allergenic breed.
"Obviously, a lot of shelter dogs are mutts like me," said the president-elect, whose mother was white and father was black.
To minimize allergy symptoms, the AAAI offers these tips:
* Keep pets out of the allergic person's bedroom. Animal dander collects on pillows which can worsen symptoms during the night.
* Bathe animals weekly to reduce the amount of dander.
* Replace carpeting with hardwood or other solid surfaces for easier cleanups.
* Air filters (HEPA) may help clean the air.
* It may also be helpful to wash bedding and clothing in hot water.
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Even the leader of the free world has his weak spots. President Obama's is his daughters.
When Sasha – "our little precious pea" – was just three months old, she was hospitalized with life-threatening meningitis, Obama said at an unprecedented White House Internet town-hall meeting Thursday.
"Very dangerous," the President said, responding to a health-policy question from a nurse in the audience. "The doctors did a terrific job, but frankly it was the nurses that were there with us when she had to get a spinal tap, and all sorts of things that were just bringing me to tears."
The result: Sasha, now 7, got better, and Obama will always appreciate RNs.
"I'm biased toward nurses," he said. "I just like nurses."Comment
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So how does Alec Baldwin's 30 Rock character Jack Donaghy make amends for his admittedly misguided job last season with the Bush administration?
"I would like Michelle Obama on 30 Rock," Baldwin told Hollyscoop.com at the premiere of Lymelife on Wednesday at the 14th Annual Gen Art Film Festival in New York.
Baldwin, who turns 51 on Friday, says he's more interested in getting the First Lady on the show than her husband because, "the President is on TV every day, all day. So we want to get something different."
Such a VIP appearance would not be uncharacteristic for the Emmy-winning NBC sitcom, which has attracted mega celeb guests like Oprah Winfrey, Jennifer Aniston and Jerry Seinfeld, and political figures including Al Gore, James Carville and New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg.
When asked what role Michelle Obama would play, Baldwin teased: "I think my character falls in love with Michelle Obama, of course." He jokingly added, "You know, if it doesn't work out with Barack ..."
Last season, Baldwin's Donaghy briefly worked in a dead-end position as director of Homeland Security Crisis And Weather Management, under a character played by Matthew Broderick. Donaghy eventually got himself fired by declaring that he’d funded a "gay bomb" that makes enemy soldiers want to have sex with each other.Comment
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With a high-five for a young singer and a hug for as many schoolgirls as she could reach, First Lady Michelle Obama proved an inspirational presence to a group of teens in a London high school Thursday.
At the all-girl Elizabeth Garret Anderson Language School, the First Lady delivered her first major address of the European tour, then turned to some of the performers who had entertained her and embraced all those onstage.
After hearing students tell of the school – as well as sing, dance and perform dramatic scenes from Shakespeare's The Tempest – Mrs. Obama got up to speak to the girls, who responded with whoops and whistles. Of the stage acts that preceded her, the First Lady said, "Wow. I can't follow that."
Mrs. Obama, wearing a Jason Wu dress and Junya Watanabe cardigan, added, "I am just very touched and moved by all of you. My husband – you know him? – he is going to be very jealous of my afternoon. He's meeting with important people, but it's not as much fun as being here."
Of her surroundings, Mrs. Obama said, "These girls are terrific. The school is phenomenal, and you all should be very proud of what you have created … You are precious and you touch my heart."
Her voice cracking slightly, she repeated, "You touch my heart."Comment
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In a move that caused some jaws to drop, First Lady Michelle Obama sealed a special new relationship when she and Queen Elizabeth put an arm around each other Monday evening.
The intimate moment at Buckingham Palace, where the Queen was holding a reception for world leaders, came towards the end of the Obamas' first day in London – a day heralded by media and public alike as a roaring success.
The two women stood side by side and appeared to look down as they were chatting. As they did, TV cameras caught the Queen placing her hand on the back of Mrs. Obama, who returned the gesture for a brief moment.
While protocol for a formal gathering may dictate that no one touches the monarch, a spokesperson for the Queen told Inside Edition, "It's obvious that it was a mutual sign of affection and appreciated between the Queen and Michelle Obama. There is no offense. The reception was an informal occasion. There's no breach of protocol."
Moving forward, Buckingham Palace advises that with future encounters, "The only recommendation is that you do what you would naturally feel in that environment."
Earlier, the First Lady had curtsied to the Queen when they first met at an audience and swapped gifts of an iPod (from the Obamas to the royals) and framed photograph (vice-versa).
The President told Her Majesty, "Thank you so much for having us." To Prince Philip, he added: "It's a wonderful honor."
Mrs. Obama said a few moments later: "I really enjoyed our meeting."
Dinner Menu
Later, the Obamas separated for a dinner at the prime minister's residence at 10 Downing Street, where they dined – in separate rooms – on a Jamie Oliver-prepared meal featuring "best of British" baked organic salmon, shoulder of Welsh lamb and a traditional Bakewell tart with homemade custard for dessert.
Thursday morning, as the President got down to the business of the G20 Summit, his wife headed for a tour of the Royal Opera House in Covent Garden. There, a gaggle of office workers watched as her motorcade swept into Bow Street. Some saw a memory of another era. "She is smart, beautiful, elegant and strong - like Jackie Kennedy," Mil Vukovic, a government relations manager at the Design Council, says.
"This is a new era of hope. People in the U.K. are looking up to both of them. They are a tremendous boost to the world."Comment
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With London conquered, Michelle Obama and her husband rapidly began winning Continental hearts in the French city of Strasbourg Friday. Whisked from Air Force One to the city's gilded Rohan Palace, the Obamas came face-to-face with their glamorous equals – French President Nicolas Sarkozy and his wife Carla Bruni-Sarkozy.
While the political world focused on the NATO summit, the press was riveted by a fashion summit of the world's two chicest first ladies. Michelle Obama wore a brilliant Thakoon three-quarter length black mantilla coat festooned with red poppies and tied at the neck. Bruni-Sarkozy, a former model for Chanel, donned a demure, bell-sleeved taupe suede coat with a large neck bow and a slim matching belt.
The former cover girl, who towers over her husband, diplomatically wore ballerina flats for the occasion.
'Happy to See You'
Warmly exchanging double kisses, the two first ladies stepped next to greet each other's husbands. And when President Obama asked Bruni-Sarkozy a question, all she could respond over the cries of the roaring crowd, was "They're happy to see you!"
President Obama took that as an invitation to approach the barricades and shake the outstretched hands of his fans and exchange kisses. President Sarkozy, whose popularity has fallen in recent polls, sprang to join in the glad-handing.
Once inside the palace courtyard, Bruni guided Michelle Obama through the brief but strict protocol to view the French Garde Republicaine as they played the American and then the French national anthems. Then came lunch: guinea fowl stuffed with foie gras, coquilles Saint-Jacques and the green spring asparagus, a local delicacy.Comment
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M. Obama! C. Bruni-Sarkozy! One explosive fashion showdown
This is totally silly/ridiculous, but let's play along...
OMG! Right this minute, all over the world, people's brains are exploding. You know why? Because Michelle Obama and Carla Bruni-Sarkozy were photographed together, in France, while wearing clothes!
As part of their ongoing European tour, President and Mrs. Obama met with French President Nicholas Sarkozy and his wife Carla Bruni-Sarkozy this morning. Michelle wore a Thakoon floral-print coat, kitten heels, and pretty diamond earrings. The French lady pulled off a belted gray trench by Dior and black flats. Because both women are considered international fashion icons, the world is dying to know: Who looked better?
I'm torn. I kind of think both jackets are too busy, though I feel Michelle looks better in her little heels and made more of an effort with her hair.
But I am really not into those girlish pink flowers. Oh, so confusing!
What do you guys think?Comment
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A mother's pride shines through as Marian Robinson speaks about the historic role now being played on the world's stage by her daughter, Michelle Obama.
While Robinson, 71, admits that what Obama, 45, faces is "overwhelming," the "first mother-in-law" also tells the May issue of Essence, on sale Friday, "I never doubted that she could do this. She is doing it with such grace and dignity. So I am just proud. I just hope she does what she wants to do."
In one touching – and amusing – revelation, when asked what her late husband, Fraser Robinson II, would make of this particular moment in history starring his very own offspring, Robinson replies: "You would not be able to shut him up! He would not be able to stand this. He would be beaming until you would just want him to stop talking."
Robinson says her husband, "bragged about Michelle and her brother, Craig, before they had even done anything. He always encouraged them, and when he talked about Craig and Michelle, you could just see a smile on his face whether it was there or not. He just enjoyed these two people."
Tender and Protective
The joint interview with the First Lady and Robinson – who resides with the Obamas in order to smooth the transition into Washington life for her granddaughters Sasha, 7, and Malia, 10 – took place in Michelle Obama's office inside the White House. Essence's editor-in-chief, Angela Burt-Murray, posed the questions and also observed the natural affection between the two women, who shared private jokes and were also very tender and protective of one another during their photo shoot.
As told by Obama, that mother-daughter dynamic has always been in place. "I always felt that my father and my mother were unconditionally rooting for me," says the First Lady. "And kids need that. Looking back, that played such a huge role in building confidence in me and my brother very early. Whether we succeeded or failed, we had two people who lifted us up and supported us. There was never anything that I could imagine that I would need that they wouldn't bend over backward to make sure that we had."
Having that "sense of security," says Obama, "allows you to take risks. People think that it comes from wealth or generations of access and success, but it doesn't. The security of your parents' love really gives you the foundation to think that you can fly. And then you do."Comment
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Forget about hunting for Easter eggs. The president's daughters have a much better treat in store this holiday weekend: a new dog!
After months of anticipation, a 6-month-old Portuguese Water Dog named Bo is now calling the White House home.
First, the name. According to the Washington Post, which published confirmation of the White House dog news Sunday, Malia, 10, and Sasha, 7, chose the name because their cousins have a cat named Bo and because Mrs. Obama's father was nicknamed Diddley, as in Bo Diddley. The dog is a gift from Sen. Ted Kennedy, who owns three dogs of the same breed, known for high spirits and said to be a good fit for kids with allergies (such as Malia). Kennedy had been lobbying the Obamas to get a Portuguese Water Dog (or PWD) for months.
Top Secret Meeting
The newspaper reports that the Obama girls are delighted – they've been waiting anxiously since their dad promised them a dog during his presidential campaign – and that the family, first-time dog owners, are still deciding where Bo will sleep and who will walk and feed him. Under a veil of secrecy, the Post reports, Bo actually made a trip to the White House earlier to meet the family. "The Meeting," as it was called by staffers, was a success.
But the highly-orchestrated canine delivery procedure didn't go without a few hitches.
First, news began to circulate that a Portuguese Water Dog by the name of Charlie had been selected for the First Family after a Web site called firstdogcharlie.com posted the information, and a photo, Saturday. The White House called the photo "bogus" and told news organizations (including PEOPLE) that the First Dog would make its debut Tuesday – although Bo, it is now apparent, was already at the White House over the weekend.
Dogged by Questions
Then there are the questions about the dog's origins that are sure to bedevil the Administration. The Obamas originally discussed rescuing a dog from a shelter. But valuable and highly-bred PWDs rarely show up at shelters. Bo is said to have lived with a family that decided not to keep him, but that won't likely satisfy animal rescue advocates who wanted the Obamas to take in a stray.
To help ease disappointment, according to the Washington Post, the family will make a donation to the District of Columbia Humane Society.Comment
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