The pooch to accompany the next First family to the White House would either be a 'Labradoodle' or else a 'Portuguese Water Hound' - that is what President-elect Barack Obama told George Stephanopoulos on This Week, ABC News!

Obama also told Stephanopoulos the family would soon commence their search for either of their preferred breeds "looking at shelters of greater Washington to see when one of those dogs might come up."

While delivering his election-night victory speech, Obama promised his daughters - Malia, 10, and Sasha, 7 - that when the family moves to the White House, they could have a puppy, a pound dog that they have been wanting. However, since Malia is allergic, the family needs a "hypoallergenic" dog.

Both the dogs, Doodle and Portuguese, with energy abound, are non-shedders - they do not cause as much reaction in allergy sufferers as most of the other dogs.

While the labradoodle is a fairly new, 1980s 'designer' cross-breed between a retriever Labrador and a poodle; the Portuguese water hound - or the Portuguese water dog, as it is actually called - is relatively older, 1200s pedigree pup, which, according to the American Kennel Club notes, "was prized by Portuguese fishermen for a spirited nature, and a robust build that allowed for a full day's work."

Stu Freeman, president of the Portuguese Water Dog Club of America opines that it might not be easy to find the two breeds in shelters particularly due to the reason that "rescue groups will always get word they're in shelters and save them."