Puppy love: rare breed offered to Obamas
Published 11 November, 2008, 10:21
The government in Peru has offered Barack Obama and his family a rare breed of dog after the president-elect promised his daughters a new puppy for the White House.
The uncommon South American breed is hairless and hypoallergenic. It is precisely for this reason that the dog has been offered to Obama as his older daughter Malia, 10, is allergic to most breeds.
The bald, jagged-toothed canine also comes with a rich history.
It dates back to around 750 A.D. in Peru. Some theories point to the dog being used for trade between Peru and Mexico for textiles. The Spanish may have also used it for food.
While there are both coated and hairless breeds, the Incans used to call them in their native language of Quechua 'Ca-Allepo' or 'dog without vestments'.
When the Spanish conquered Peru, legend has it that the dogs were found in Inca homes among orchids and the Spanish gave them the name 'Perros Flora' or 'flower dog'.
Over the years the name has stayed close to the original as the dog is known throughout Europe and the United States as the Peruvian Inca Orchid.
With the announcement that Obama would be getting a dog for his daughters, countless offers and suggestions for particular dogs have poured in. However, it could be the South American hairless hound that could be roaming the gardens of 1600 Pennsylvania soon.
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