The White House dog is imminent! Michelle Obama sat down for an interview with People Magazine to talk dogs – the who, the where, the when and the names. The First Lady says that they have the dog all picked out, and the dog will be arriving in April, after Sasha and Malia’s spring break. This is not sitting well with the first daughters, who seem to be pushing for a hard, fast and early date on Operation: Puppy.

So when the Portuguese Water puppy comes – the same breed that Sen. Ted Kennedy has and loves – the issue, the familial controversy becomes the name. So far, according to Michelle, the names most commonly mentioned are “Moose” and “Frank” – both are pretty funny names for a dog. Michelle doesn’t care for “Moose”, but I think that’s a charming name for a dog.

The whole world, it seems, wants to know: What kind of dog are the Obamas getting and, for goodness sake, when?

Speaking to PEOPLE at the White House recently, Michelle Obama leaned in and confided: “You’re getting some scoops here.”

So, when? In April, Mrs. Obama says – after she and the President take daughters Malia, 10, and Sasha, 7, on a vacation for spring break.

Here’s a sample of a typical family conversation on the matter: “So Sasha says, ‘April 1st.’ I said, ‘April.’ She says, ‘April 1st.’ It’s, like, April!,” Mrs. Obama recalls. “Got to do it after spring break. You can’t get a new dog and then go away for a week.”

And what kind of dog will soon be frolicking on the South Lawn? Mrs. Obama says the family is looking for a rescue Portuguese Water dog who is “old enough” and a “match” for the family dynamic.

“Temperamentally they’re supposed to be pretty good,” she says of the breed that Sen. Ted Kennedy has also lobbied for (he has two Water dogs of his own). “From the size perspective, they’re sort of middle of the road – it’s not small, but it’s not a huge dog. And the folks that we know who own them have raved about them. So that’s where we’re leaning.”

The only thing still up in the air is the name. And Mom’s not feeling it with some of the names her girls have come up with.

“Oh, the names are really bad. I don’t even want to mention it, because there are names floating around and they’re bad,” Mrs. Obama says with a laugh. “You listen and you go – like, I think, Frank was one of them. Frank! Moose was another one of them. Moose. I said, well, what if the dog isn’t a moose? Moose. I’m like, no, come on, let’s work with the names a little bit.”

Asked if she can believe the public interest in her family dog search, Mrs. Obama shakes her head. “Okay, that’s surprising,” she says. “One of the things I didn’t anticipate is the level of the excitement about the dog. I knew my kids were excited. They’ve been excited for years. They’ve even calmed down, because they feel like, ‘They said we’re going to get one, so let’s just shut up about it.’ ”

Diplomatically, and careful not to insult enthusiastic dog-lovers, she adds: “It’s all great and gracious attention. People are just being as helpful as you can imagine. So I know that we will find the perfect breed. And we’ll find people who are caring folks who will help us find the dog of our dreams.”

From People

I’m not sure what Michelle is talking about in regards to the size. Portuguese Water dogs can get pretty big, especially for two young girls who have never had a dog. According to Wikipedia, they weigh from 40 to 60 pounds.

I’m really happy that the Obamas are getting a bigger dog, and that probably has a lot to do with President Obama’s personal opinion. He said in a CNN interview during the transition that no small dogs would be considered, so my guess is the Dad-in-Chief laid down the law with his girls. No “girly” dogs in the White House. Only big, manly dogs named “Moose”.

Cute yawning puppy image from Ber’Zophus’ Flickr. Sasha and Malia are shown “returning to the White House after a weekend trip with their parents to Chicago, on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, February 16, 2009.” (UPI Photo/Kevin Dietsch/Newscom)