Will a Goldendoodle Become the Next White House Pet?

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Move over, Sunny and Bo: Rumor has it that the next White House dog might be a goldendoodle named Patton.

Currently, President-elect Donald Trump does not own a pet—and if he doesn’t get one, he’s poised to become the first president in 150 years without some kind of cute animal residing at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. ready to get trotted out for some publicity-friendly pics.

Yet over Thanksgiving at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, FL, Trump apparently warmed to the idea of getting a dog after his close friend Lois Pope, an animal philanthropist, showed him a photo on her phone of the 9-week-old puffball Patton. All signs point to a love match: Patton was not only sired by an American military service dog, he was also named after the American general often praised by Trump.

“Hero dog,” Trump murmured approvingly, then encouraged Pope to show the photo to his son Barron, who was diverted from his computer game.

“I’d never seen such a big smile on anyone’s face,” Pope said of Barron to cbsnews.com, adding that she is unashamedly pushing the dog on the Trumps for the boy’s sake.

“He’s the one that I’m really doing this for,” Pope continued. “That’s going to be quite a transition for him. He’s only 10 years old, and his dad is going to be the leader of the free world.”

No pressure there, Trump! To be fair, he has some time to decide, since Barron might not move to the White House permanently until his school year ends in New York. Still, the boy will no doubt fly down to Washington, DC, often before then, and may be pining for some new friends. So what could be better than a military “hero” who can fetch on command?

Patton also has some other special assets. For one, goldendoodles—a cross between a between a golden retriever and a poodle—are hypoallergenic. And in that sense at least, Trump could end up following a tradition started by President Barack Obama, whose pooches Sunny and Bo hail from another hypoallergenic breed, Portuguese water dogs, because Obama’s daughter Malia suffers from dog allergies.

While there’s no word on whether Barron gets sneezy around dog fur, the benefits of hypoallergenic breeds definitely don’t end there. Another cool characteristic about hypoallergenic dogs is that they don’t shed much. Their coat is made of hair rather than fur, so it keeps growing instead of shedding. This means owners have to plan for frequent trims, but we’re sure the White House staff could find someone to take care of that.

Hypoallergenic breeds (which also include labradoodles, poodles, Malteses, bichon frisés, Cesky terriers, wheaten terriers, Chinese cresteds, and Bergamasco shepherds) are typically pricey, but their many perks on the allergy and housekeeping front explain why they’re so popular today. Many famous figures own them, including Ellen DeGeneres (who rescued a Maltipoo named Wolf), Janet Jackson (miniature schnauzer), and Vice President Joe Biden (labradoodle). Perhaps the most beloved breed among fabulous Hollywood ladies? The coton de Tuléar, owned by Barbra Streisand, Jane Fonda, and Catherine Zeta-Jones.

But what if the Trumps are cat people? They’re in luck: Many feline breeds like the Balinese, Cornish rex, and Siamese are considered hypoallergenic, too.

All of which means Trump has no excuse: It’s time to get a furry friend.

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