It is not the purpose of this column to keep watch over the kind and number of campaign promises kept versus broken. That is the purpose of almost every other column.

There is, however, one presidential promise that is relevant to this space: that of a new dog for the first family.

Back in November, Barack Obama made the promise heard 'round the world: Should the Obamas find themselves living in the White House come January, Sasha and Malia would get a dog as a reward for their patient understanding of excessive parental absence during the presidential campaign.

Well, the Obamas are in. And, after much ado, the breed of dog has been chosen: A Portuguese water dog is due on Pennsylvania Avenue shortly after Spring Break.

The good to be found in this story is that the Obamas set a model example of how to approach the notion of dog ownership:

— Recognize your limitations with respect to time, energy, space and environment.

— Be aware of any allergies among family members, and equip yourself to deal with them.

— Research several different breeds that best complement the needs of your family unit.

— Arrange to introduce the dog to its new home during a relatively calm time and after a vacation or period of absence, as opposed to right before you leave town or during the frantic holidays.

— Remember that you are embarking on a 15-year journey with this creature.

— Take your time.

After taking all of this into consideration, the Obamas settled on their water dog, a breed already beloved among the Kennedy clan and steadily gaining in popularity with the rest of the world, according to American Kennel Club statistics. "Temperamentally, they're supposed to be pretty good," said Michelle Obama in a recent People magazine interview. "From the size perspective, they're sort of middle of the road — it's not small, but it's not a huge dog. And the folks we know who own them have raved about them."

Apparently Sen. Kennedy's been talking. And some lovers of the breed are none too pleased with the word of mouth.

Think: the "101 Dalmatians" effect, the Taco Bell Chihuahua syndrome and, more recently, a "Marley and Me"-driven spike in Labrador sales. Skeptics wonder: What will Obama-mania do to the breed?

Will puppy mills specializing in Portuguese water dogs blossom in response to increased demand? Will parents cave in to pleas of, "But, Mommm! Sasha and Malia have one"? And what happens to all those Portuguese water puppies whose owners didn't study up on the breed, prepare to cope with allergies, understand the need for proper training or realize the amount of exercise they require?

With shelters already feeling the effects of today's strained economy, this isn't the time to breed more dogs or special order one on a whim. And it's never the right time to think of an animal shelter or rescue as a Plan B if the dog doesn't work out.

I only hope people are paying as close attention to the process the Obamas underwent in choosing their dog as they are to the breed of dog ultimately chosen.

Woof!

Dog trainer Matthew "Uncle Matty" Margolis is co-author of 18 books about dogs, a behaviorist, a popular radio and television guest, and host of the PBS series "WOOF! It's a Dog's Life!" Read all of Uncle Matty's columns at the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com, and visit him at www.unclematty.com. Send your questions to dearuncle.gazette@unclematty.com or by mail to Uncle Matty at P.O. Box 3300, Diamond Springs, CA 95619.

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