Wagging in the Whitehouse

The First Family has a dog!  Obama’s daughters named the six-month old puppy Bo, in honor of their grandfather whose nickname was Diddley. A gift from Massachusetts Senator Ted Kennedy, the First Pet is a male Portuguese water dog – a breed best known for its exceptional swimming and diving abilities.  Drive your car off a bridge, however, and you’re on your own.  

While sitting, rolling over and playing fetch are important tricks for Bo to master, training him not to hump visiting dignitaries legs will be the first order of business.  Thanks to Bob Barker, Bo will more than likely be neutered. 

B.A.R.K. is a team – made up mostly of Portuguese water dogs – that retrieves homerun balls that land in McCovey Cove, just over the right field wall of San Francisco’s AT&T Park on Sundays. The balls are auctioned off and the proceeds are given to a non-profit called Pets In Need.

During the 1952 Presidential campaign, Vice-President candidate Richard Nixon was under fire from the press for accepting improper gifts. One gift was a cocker spaniel that his daughter Tricia named Checkers. In what became known as the “Checkers speech”, Nixon addressed these gifts and said his girls loved the dog and that they were going to keep it. This won the hearts of dog-lovers everywhere and actually boosted Nixon’s profile while running for the Vice Presidential seat. A “Checkers speech” is now used to describe an emotional speech given by a politician. 

Former First Dogs