Be it a Republican or a Democrat, one thing all Presidents agree on is you need a Presidential dog. W. Bush has Barney. Ronald Reagan had Rex. Bill Clinton had Hillary. But Barack Obama? Well he has a serious conflict in making the first major decision of his administration:

Asked that question in his first news conference since being elected, Mr Obama said there were two priorities: to have a "hypoallergenic" breed that sheds less hair, because daughter Malia has allergies, and to have a rescue dog.

"Whether we're going to be able to balance those two things, I think, is a pressing issue on the Obama household," he said.  

The Obamas might also want to add docility to those considerations; a White House beat reporter was just bitten this week, reportedly by current First Dog Barney.  

(Though I don't know if he was the only suspect. I'd imagine there are a lot of people in the White House who'd like to bite a reporter.) 

Via