Americans are talking about President Obama’s new family member, the Portuguese water dog, Bo.  And Vice President Biden also recently acquired a German Shepherd pooch.  Dogs not only make loyal friends in the uncertain world of politics, they also constitute great public relations!  As Harry Truman (who owned several dogs) once said, “If you want a friend in Washington, get a dog.”

Indeed, who can forget George W’s inquisitive Scotch terrier, Barney, or Bill Clinton’s chocolate lab, Buddy?  George W’s parents had two Springer Spaniels, including Millie who has her own book (ghostwritten of course).

The history of presidential dogs goes all the way back to George Washington (1789-1797) who preferred hounds.  He had about 10 of them.  Washington named two of them Sweet-lips and Searcher.  Although Washington’s successor, John Adams, was not known as a dog owner, Adams’ successor, Thomas Jefferson instituted the first dog licence with his sheep dogs. 

Dog lover that Jefferson was, however, he was a tough farmer at heart.  Jefferson once had one of his sheepdogs hanged for attacking his sheep!

Abraham Lincoln’s beloved Fido also came to a brutal end, but not by Lincoln.  Fido left the White House grounds one night, got mud on his paws, and jumped up on an ill-tempered drunk.  The drunk stabbed Fido to death.

Several presidents owned packs of dogs that roamed the vast White House estate.  Such multiple dog owners include Teddy Roosevelt, Calvin Coolidge, Franklin Roosevelt, John Kennedy, and Richard Nixon.  Teddy Roosevelt’s family nearly turned the White House into a jungle with six energetic kids, chickens, ponies, and several dogs, including Pete, a pit bull terrier.  Pete nearly caused war with France when he ripped off the pants of the French ambassador!

Richard Nixon’s cocker spaniel, Checkers also caused controversy.  In 1956, Vice President Nixon was accused of taking bribes in the form of expensive gifts.  Nixon countered with his famous “Checkers speech.”  In the speech, Nixon told the American public that the only gift he accepted from a voter was the puppy Checkers.  He said that if he returned the dog, he would break his younger daughter’s heart.

Perhaps John Kennedy’s dog, Pushinka, was the most controversial presidential pooch.  In the middle of the Cold War, Soviet Premier Kruschev presented Kennedy with the cute mongrel, an offspring of the Russian space dog, Strelka.  When Pushinka had puppies, Kennedy called them “pupniks”–a takeoff on the word “Sputnik,” the infamous missile the Soviets launched in 1957.

From Washington’s Sweet-lips to Obama’s Bo, the presidents have had their best friends as well as their political liabilities!