Peruvian hairless dog, or Viringo breed photo (Reuters)
Peruvian dog lovers say they have the ideal pet for US President-elect Barack Obama and his family, the hairless dog, or Viringo breed.
Mr. Obama last week promised his two daughters a puppy but Malia is allergic to most dogs.
I love you both so much, and you have earned the new puppy that’s coming with us to the White House," Obama told Malia, 10, and Sasha, 7, during his victory speech in Chicago.
Ever since President Hoover there have been dogs at the White House.
As a Washington guessing game, trying to predict what breed of dog the Obamas will select doesn’t rank up there with whom the president-elect will pick for his Cabinet, but anticipation about a new first dog is high nonetheless.
Members of the Peruvian Hairless Dog club say the breed, the only one native to South America, would be perfect as the dogs cause no allergies. The y have a four-month-old puppy in mind, currently nicknamed Ears.
The head of Peru’s Friends of the Hairless Dog Association, Claudia Galvez, says she believes Ears would be the perfect choice for the Obamas.
On Monday, Claudia Galvez sent a letter to the US embassy in Lima to inquire whether the president-elect and his family would be interested in giving a home to Ears at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.
"They do not cause any type of allergy and are very friendly and sweet," Ms. Galvez was quoted as saying by Reuters.
"We want to give a male puppy to Obama’s daughters, so they get to experience all the joys of having a dog but without any allergies."
The Hairless Dog, or Viringo breed, is believed to date back some 3,000 years and the breed is depicted in pre-Hispanic ceramics.
The dogs are very smart, independent, demanding, quick learners, and are loyal and good with children. They are friendly with other dogs but can be protective as well. These dogs do not like to be alone, but when trained, can do well. It is a dog that can be indoors or outdoors. They are agile and fast. Despite its assets, the primitive nature of the dog doesn’t make it a good dog for beginners. It needs an owner that understands dog language.
According to the FCI breed standard, the most important aspect of its appearance is its hairlessness. The dog may have short hair on top of its head, on its feet, and on the tip of its tail. In Peru, breeders tend to prefer completely hairless dogs. The full-coated variety is not recognized as a valid breed variation for show dogs. The color of skin can be chocolate-brown, elephant grey, copper, or mottled. Albinism is not allowed. The eye color is linked to the skin color. It’s always brown, but dogs with light colors can have clearer eyes than darker-skinned dogs. Peruvian Hairless Dogs vary in size: Miniature, 25 to 40 cm (10 to 16 inches) Medium (or medio), 40 to 50 cm (16 to 20 inches) Large (or grande), 50 to 65 cm (20 to 26 inches) The smallest weighs from 4 kg (9 lb) and the largest up to 25 kg (55 lb). Some kennel clubs consider the three to be separate breeds. The dogs should be slim and elegant, with the impression of force and harmony, without being coarse. The ears should be candleflame shaped and erect with the possibility to lay flat. Proportions of height (at withers) to length (withers to base of tail) are 1:1.
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