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Obamas pick Portuguese water dog


WASHINGTON: The Obamas have chosen a 6-month-old Portuguese water dog to be the first pet.

In what was one of the White House's most tightly kept secrets, President Barack Obama's daughters, 10-year-old Malia and 7-year-old Sasha, have settled on a pup they named Bo, The Washington Post reported in its online editions Saturday night.

The black-and-white puppy is a gift from Sen. Ted Kennedy of Massachusetts, who owns several Portuguese water dogs himself. Bo is scheduled to make his big debut Tuesday afternoon. Obama's daughters chose the name Bo because first lady Michelle Obama's father was nicknamed Diddley, the Post said. White House aides told that the office of the first lady arranged an exclusive deal on the dog story with the Post. They said the dog was not in the White House as of this evening.

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