Why First Dog Bo Obama Matters

The US public has been kept in the dark about the new White House dog. Until now. Now the word is out along with a photo of first dog: Bo Obama.

As Sasha and Malia Obama, along with dog lovers and animal lovers around the country celebrate the news, former House Republican Speaker Newt Gingrich grumbles: "Who cares?"

Gingrich adds that its great that the Obama family now has a dog. It's great that the kids are adjusting, but
"Who cares?"

It seems that a lot of people care, Newt. Over the last few months, the news media frenzy surrounding what kind of dog the Obama family would finally get has been a happy distraction from daily depressing news.

Despite depressing news about the economy, the violence of the two wars, and the Somali pirates, the search for Bo Obama has brought us unexpected joy. It has give those who have followed the Obama's search, a daily upbeat attitude. That's because, by contrast, the US, the news media has a formula for frontpage news: "If it bleeds, it leads."

However there is no violence, anger or upset here. The the search for the "perfect" dog has been long and drawn out and has steadily overcome the daily diet of negative news. Six month old Portuguese water dog, Bo Obama has directly challenged the negative news media, and won. Our desire to follow this news to its happy outcome has won.

Perhaps our steadfast interest in the outcome of the search is because at the deepest level of our knowing, we know that a dog can act as a daily guide to unconditional love.Give a dog food and shelter, and it will return love in abundance.

And it's *unconditional* love.

Who else in your family will literally jump for joy when you return home each day? Who will shows such an outpouring of love, simply because you showed up?

In my family, I have three dogs. As I drive up the dirt driveway to my hilltop house, I can hear them begin their long seranade of howling, barking and yapping. My welcome home is an ungainly chorus from mixed breed mutts.

The Hounds of Hell? Rather, their off tune, chaotic howling seems to me more like the Hounds of Heaven, with their multiple, always humorous, sounds of unfettered joy.

Yes, they wag their tails too. Which leads to a question: How are you greeted when you return home each day?