That poor puppy. This is what he/she or both have to look forward to.

[babylonsister]

In 1992, cameramen hound Socks, President Clinton's pet cat. Obama's much-hyped new puppy, beware!

(Photo by MIKE NELSON/AFP/Getty Images)

From here:
http://blogs.tnr.com/tnr/blogs/the_stump/archive/2008/11/07/photo-of-the-day-pet-edition.aspx

[MannyGoldstein]

1. I Expect That Obama Won't Let This Happen

He's cut from much different cloth than Clinton.

[babylonsister]

2. Hahaha.

I just had an image of President Obama running out of the Oval Office yelling at reporters to stay away from his dogs. And now I'm laughing, for real.
Inquiring minds are going to want to know!

[greendog]

4. You photographers get off my lawn!

:rofl:

[babylonsister]

5. ...

:rofl:

[gypsylud]

3. paparazz=idiot

[Auggie]

6. Hilarious photo

The expression and body language of the cat is priceless

[stuntcat]

7. lol poor little SOCKS

:loveya: :loveya: what a funny picture!!

[KittyWampus]

8. LOL! I hope they wait til after Christmas and after they are IN the WH. So much commotion isn't

ideal with a puppy. In fact, many shelters refuse to adopt out until after Christmas and prefer parents give a food bowl or leash with a promise to get puppy when Holiday festivities are over.

Think of all the turmoil of moving into the WH.

Maybe they should wait til February.

[northernlights]

14. they're waiting until spring...

the family agreement was they would get the puppy in spring, when housebreaking would be easier.

Trust them to make the right call EVERY time!

[rvablue]

18. They've already stated publicly they aren't getting the puppy til spring. n/t

[Medusa]

9. You know, I don't blame Barney for snapping at the guy

from Reuters. Damn paparazzi!

[ellie]

10. I remember Clinton

yelling at the reporters to leave a little girl's cat alone! I love Socks. What a great cat.

[riderinthestorm]

11. I don't know about your cats but mine are shameless attention whores

Mine would lap this up, rubbing against everyone and begging shamelessly for attention.

That said, dogs don't perceive "attention" in nearly the same way as cats imho. Out of the many, many dogs I've owned, I know I've had one that would have loved a crowd following her everywhere - the photographers would have instantly been added to her "pack", several others of my dogs would have simply ignored them all (after the initial friendly meet and greet), and one that would never tolerate that kind of hovering.

I do believe the Obamas are going to get some pretty expert advice here. I can't see them doing something stupid like buying/adopting a dog that couldn't stand strangers or people getting to close to it. The Obamas seem to actually really love their girls and I see them taking a lot of care in selecting a pet that would be compatible with their new lifestyle, and one that had the personality to be tolerant. No way would they get something nervous that could be so provoked and that may jeopardize the girls' pets' place in their life.

[Bryn]

12. Awwwwww That's sooo cute!

Socks looks like my kitty named Pinball. She passed away at age of 18 last March :(

[FarCenter]

13. Just have the Obama kids put lots of pictures up on the White House web site for free use

Remove the monetary incentive for the press photographers.

[Hepburn]

16. Cool idea....

...let them post a website with puppy pictures!

:hi:

[Occam Bandage]

15. I haven't yet met a puppy that didn't love attention from everyone.

[EffieBlack]

17. Oh thanks a lot - now my dog is begging to let HIM be the new White House puppy

He LOVES attention and affection and would believe he'd died and gone to heaven if people took his picture all day long. Now he thinks it would be big fun to go live at the White House.

Now I won't be able to do anything with him.

Thanks.

[CatWoman]

19. I was crazy about Socks

:loveya:

that cat sure had class

:loveya:

[demokatgurrl]

22. Me too...

My cat looks like socks, so it was like having a relative in the White House.

[truthisfreedom]

20. That cat isn't suffering.

Cripes.

[ecstatic]

21. LOL! nt

[jonnyblitz]

23. yes but how are you Obama groupies going to get a bazillion

puppy pictures to post all over DU if these people don't do this? you KNOW it's going to happen and you can't have it both ways.

[LisaL]

24. Hey no wonder Barney bit a journalist recently.

:rofl: