The White House’s Finest Selection of Canine Companions
Laddie Boy Harding
The first celebrity Presidential dog, Laddie Boy was an Airedale Terrier who, as you can see, was an absolute gentleman. His talents included, but were not limited to, fetching golf balls, hosting doggy birthday parties, and having his own hand-carved chair. Warren and Florence Harding were big advocates for animal rights, and often used Laddie as the “poster dog” for their cause. Side note: Does that guy in the photo not look like Tom Hanks, at least a little?
Rob Roy Coolidge
Yes, Rob Roy was indeed named after an alcoholic beverage, but don’t let that deter you. He was just as chivalrous as his predecessor Laddie, and had a penchant for showing off his dance moves to the paparazzi. The Coolidges had quite the menagerie of pets, but Rob Roy was their favorite, so he must have been pretty great. I mean, Calvin Coolidge himself described the white collie as a “stately gentleman of great courage and fidelity”. That’s something you can’t even say about most politicians today. We salute you, Rob Roy.
Fala Roosevelt
Probably the most famous Presidential Dog, Fala the Scottie (full name Murray the Outlaw of Falahill) was the ever-present best buddy of FDR. As you can see, he was very much with the times, enjoying rides in the convertible and nightly radio broadcasts. Fala has several notable achievements under his belt, including being an honorary private in the US Army, attending the Atlantic Charter Conference, and being immortalized next to his master in a statue in Washington, DC.
Pushinka Kennedy
Pushinka, which means “fluffy” in Russian, was a mixed breed given to Caroline Kennedy as a gift from Nikita Kruschev during the Cold War. Pushinka was of noble blood, being the daughter of a Soviet Space Dog, she had her very own passport when she was sent to the US (after being checked by the Secret Service to make sure she wasn’t some kind of Communist ploy to infiltrate the American government). In an ironically metaphorical Soviet-American alliance, Pushinka had puppies with the Kennedy’s dog Charlie in 1963, and as you can see she was quite a proud mother.
Him and Her Johnson
LBJ’s adorable beagles were exemplary American citizens, having the distinguished honor of being featured on the cover of Time magazine. Do not ask me why President Johnson chose to name his dogs Him and Her or why he did this to them, but despite the questionable treatment, all accounts say that these two greatly revered Lyndon B, even when the rest of America might not have been too happy with him. The duo was not quite as refined as their forerunners, however; Him once peed on a chair at one of the President’s ~super fancy~ dinners. Maybe he was trying to make a political statement on the condition of American diplomacy.
Liberty Ford
Originally named Streaker but changed for obvious reasons, Gerald Ford’s beloved golden retriever Liberty was a surprise gift from his daughter Susan. The shining example of American doghood, Liberty was a frequent visitor of the Oval Office, always available when the POTUS needed some puppy loving. When Liberty had puppies in 1975, photos of her offspring were so in demand that the White House made a stamp out of Liberty’s paw print to ‘sign’ all of the photos she sent out to her adoring fans.
Rex Reagan
Ronald and Nancy Reagan’s King Charles Spaniel Rex really lived it up during his tenure at the White House. Rex, named after former White House Chief Usher Rex Scouten (what an odd honor, to have a dog named after you), was given to the Reagans as a Christmas gift in 1985. Rex had some very important roles to fill as First Dog, including turning on the power switch to light the Presidential Christmas Tree, showing off the latest canine sweater fashions, and being the perfect excuse for President Reagan to dodge reporters while out on for walks.
Millie Bush
Millie Bush has quite the resumé. A bestselling author (read her book, Millie’s Book: As Dictated to Barbara Bush, I’m sure it’s a great read) and doting mother to five little Springer Spaniels, Millie Bush was a well known national figure during the late 80’s and early 90’s. Besides being a published writer and attending fancy brunch parties with Barbara Bush, Millie also made cameos on several TV shows and has a dog park dedicated to her memory in Texas.
Buddy (and Socks) Clinton
Described as Bill Clinton’s “one loyal friend in Washington”, Buddy the chocolate labrador arrived at the White House in 1997. He and his arch-nemesis, Socks the cat (who deserves to be in this list if not only for this photo) competed for the spotlight during the Clinton administration. Hillary Clinton wrote a book called Dear Buddy, Dear Socks, which included photos and excerpts from letters written by children to the Presidential pets.
Spotty, Miss Beazley, and Barney Bush
George W’s spaniel Spot Fetcher (a nod to Rangers shortstop Scott Fletcher), known as Spotty to the First Family, was the son of former First dog Millie. Spot was an bird avid hunter, and despite the photo above, he was described as very “dignified”. Feisty Scottish terrier Barney joined the Bush family in 2000 and instantly became a media star. He had his own official webpage and was followed around by the “Barney Cam”, which captured everyday moments at the White House from the First dog’s point of view. After the death of Spot, Barney’s niece Miss Beazley came to live with the Bush family. The two Scotties were inseparable and died within a year of each other; Barney in 2013 and Miss Beazley in 2014.
Bo and Sunny Obama
Your current First pets are Bo and Sunny, two Portuguese water dogs. You may remember that Barack Obama promised his daughters he’d get them a puppy if he won the Presidential ticket, and like any good dad, he followed through on that promise. Bo (the fashionable young lad in the sunglasses on his trip to Hawaii) was given to the family in 2009 and immediately gained quite a following on social media. Bo’s little sister Sunny (the all black one who always has her tongue sticking out) joined the family in 2013. Sunny is a little more rambunctious than her brother, which may be due in part to the fact that she didn’t receive any special training like Bo did. Notable accomplishments of the Obama dogs include meeting Pope Francis, and avoiding a kidnapping plot.
Who will be the next Presidential pet? You’ll just have to tune in on November 8 for that election thing to find out whose owner gets the ballot.