Canines across the country vie for position of Top Dog

The Christian Science Monitor breaks down the competition for the first family's new puppy:

There's the Martin County (Minn.) Humane Society's "Wema to the White House" Internet campaign in which a rescued Portuguese water dog was given the Swahili name for compassion and kindness to win Obama hearts. There's the Winnipeg Humane Society's gambit to get Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper to give Obama a labradoodle from a shelter-born litter of 11 when the new president visits in coming weeks. (The US Constitution is silent on the citizenship of a first dog). There's the Humane Society of the United States lobby of "high level" administration officials to take a look at its California labradoodle "spokesdog." And there are countless other canine orphans being offered up on rescue and shelter Web sites across the country.

Will it be a labradoodle or a water dog? Examiner.com says:

Despite the intense lobbying, "Labradoodles for Obama" has some formidable competition. Senator Ted Kennedy, the American Kennel Club, and the Westminster Dog Show, have all come out in favor of the Portuguese water dog.