In the midst of a discussion about the economy, global uncertainty and homeland security, President-elect Barack Obama revealed something important about the type of dog that will soon be living within the walls of the White House.

It's either going to be a Labradoodle or a Portuguese Water Dog.

Speaking with George Stephanopoulos on ABC's "This Week," Obama said the choices had been narrowed to those two breeds, although the Labradoodle is really a hybrid (Labrador Retriever and Poodle) and is not recognized by the American Kennel Club. But the question came at the prompting of daughters Malia and Sasha, who accompanied their dad to the televised interview.

Here's how the exchange went:

STEPHANOPOULOS: Well, I got to tell you, you know, (Malia and Sasha are) out touring the museum right now, I heard they were taken straight to the first dog exhibit and while you were getting made up, they went into the control room and played director and producer. And they actually gave me a question they want me to ask you. You know exactly what it's going to be.

OBAMA: Uh-oh. Go ahead.

STEPHANOPOULOS: What kind of a dog are we getting and when are we getting it?

OBAMA: The -- they seem to have narrowed it down to a Labradoodle or a Portuguese water hound.

STEPHANOPOULOS: A medium sized.

OBAMA: Medium sized dog, and so, we're now going to start looking at shelters to see when one of those dogs might come up.

STEPHANOPOULOS: So, you're closing in on it?

OBAMA: We're closing in on it. This has been tougher than finding a commerce secretary.

Advocates of animal adoption will be glad to know that VP-elect Joe Biden plans to add to his litter - this time with a shelter dog.

Biden, who has been criticized for buying a German Shepherd puppy from a Pennsylvania breeder - notably a breeder who was later cited for several violations - now says he and his wife Jill are planning to get another dog, this time from a shelter.

Here's what he told George Stephanopoulos on the ABC Sunday morning news show "This Week With George Stephanopoulos":

"I've had German Shepherds since I was a kid and I've actually trained them and shown them in the past. So I wanted a German Shepherd, and we're going to get a pound dog, which my wife wants, who is hopefully a Golden [Retriever]."

Perhaps as a mea culpa to his many critics, Biden added that his family has always adopted animals in the past, including a cat. And he's glad that the Vice President's residence has a fenced yard with several acres so the new Biden dogs have plenty of room to play.

OK, we weren't among those who pounded on the new Veep just because he bought a dog from a breeder (we've done the same thing in the past). But it's good to know there will be two Biden dogs and that one of them will be adopted.

Lucky dog.