Barack Obama has told reporters that he’ll get a dog for his daughters once the presidential campaign wraps up. So in the spirit of “doggie democracy,” the American Kennel Club has recommended five breeds for the Democratic candidate to consider, and is asking the public to vote for the breed they think the Obama family should select.

“The AKC has scoured all of the canine candidates to assess each breed’s credentials as potential first pet,” the organization reports. Because of Obama’s daughters’ allergies, AKC experts made the selection from a list of low-shedding dog breeds, and chose the nominees based on child-friendliness, temperament, activity level, and willingness to travel.

“Deciding what breed to get is as important as deciding whether to get a dog in the first place,” says AKC spokesperson Lisa Peterson.

The five nominated breeds are the Bichon Frise, Chinese Crested, Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier, Poodle, and Miniature Schnauzer.

Visit www.presidentialpup.com before August 19 to vote.

In a widely reported AP-Yahoo News poll, pet owners favored dog-, cat-, ferret-, and bird-owning Republican candidate John McCain over Obama 42 percent to 37 percent, with dog owners selecting McCain by a wide margin.