FOXNews.com Readers Pick the Labradoodle, by a Hair

The people have spoken. The change we need is a Labradoodle.

That's the preference of FOXNews.com readers who answered a poll that posed a simple question:  Should the Obamas adopt a Labradoodle or Portuguese water dog to be the next "first pet"?

Of the 1,878 respondents who voted, 59 percent recommended the Obamas fetch a Labradoodle, while 41 percent said they preferred the underdog.

President-elect Barack Obama said Sunday that the presidential pooch will be one of the two breeds, because both are non-shedding dogs -- a trait that is important because his 10-year-old daughter, Malia, is allergic.

"We're closing in on it," Obama said on ABC's "This Week," adding, "This has been tougher than finding a commerce secretary."

Obama had promised his two daughters that the first family would adopt a dog from a pet shelter and give it a home in Washington -- a promise that might be difficult to keep since the Obamas have narrowed down their search to two expensive breeds. Ordinary mutts need not apply.

But not everyone agrees that the Labradoodle is the ideal choice.

"We think they should get a dog that is hypoallergenic like the Portuguese water dog," Westminster Kennel Club representative David Frei told FOX News.

"They're great swimmers and very active dogs. President-elect Obama said he wanted a big rambunctious dog. He [the Portuguese water dog] is happy, silly, and bouncy," Frei said, though he added that the breed is "very hard" to train.