Um, excuse me, Mr. President, but..."girlie dog?"

Exactly what is a "girlie dog?"

Here's the scoop - Mr. President (have to stop calling him Barack now that he's official, I guess), was talking with Barbara Walters and...he accused her of having a "girly dog" when she tried to convince him to get a Havanese pup, like hers.

"They're the sweetest dogs," she apparently gushed (I'm getting this from the Huffington Post, where of   writer Billy Kimball was a bit insulted by Obama's remark that Barbara Walters' dog was "girly" - note, he spelled girlie wrong!). To which the President's answer reportedly was, "It like, sits in your lap and things? It sounds kinda like a girly dog."

Hmmm... at the danger of bringing down the wrath of Billy Kimball who was pretty vocal in his objection to the comment "girly dog," I remember a conversation with a good blogger friend of mine last year, over the phone; she being in CA and me being in NY, and neither of us ever having laid eyes on the other.

"I have to go walk the dog," I said.

"Oh, you have a dog," she said. "What kind of dog is it?"

"She's a big'un," I said. "A cross between a Shepard and a Lab."

"Oh," she said, with a laugh, "a REAL dog."

So, there you have it. Some people do consider little yappity-dogs kinda girlie.  And, big, rambunctious dogs "real" dogs. Others don't.

Now that we are sadly dogless, I admit that I am reassessing my view of dogs. I would definitely consider a Havanese. After all, Wabby Wibby, also known as Pandora, she of the "I'm the Queen of the house" status (being a cat), seldom cuddles or wants to be around us - unless we deign to do her bidding (which usually includes food, hers or ours, she isn't really fussy).

A Havanese might be just the thing. Mr. President, might I suggest you broaden your horizons? Offer Malia and Sasha two dogs - a fun, rambunctious one they can chase all over the White House (laughable image, if you think of it - what if it runs into...the Chief of Staff or the VP or a foreign dignitary?), and a cuddly one that soothes your nerves after a long day dealing with the country's woes.

Two girls, two dogs. What could be better? What kind of dog DO YOU own???