 Official White House portrait of the First Dog | |
| Other name(s) | First Dog[1][2][3] Charlie (by previous owner) |
|---|---|
| Species | Canis familiaris subsp. aquaticus |
| Breed | Portuguese Water Dog |
| Sex | Male |
| Nation from | United States |
| Known for | pet of the First Family of the United States |
| Training | Dawn Sylvia (Hume, Virginia) Can sit, present paw/shake, lie down, roll over, get off, wait[4] |
| Predecessor | Barney |
| Owner | Obama family |
| Parent(s) | Bitch: Penny (Amigo's Phor What Its Worth) (Boyd, Texas) Sire: Watson (Valkyrie's Dr. Watson Is Here) (Ambridge, Pennsylvania)[5] Breeders: Art and Martha Stern |
| Appearance | tuxedo/black and white |
| Named after | Obama girls' cousins' pet cat and also Bo Diddley |
Bo (born October 9, 2008), also known as Bo Obama,[7] is the pet dog belonging to United States president Barack Obama and his family.[2] Bo is a neutered[8] male Portuguese Water Dog.[2] The Obamas received Bo as a gift following months of public speculation about the breed and identity of their future pet.[9] Bo has been referred to by the White HOuse and the media as the "First Dog", a term previously applied to other First Family pets.[2][1]
Breed background
editThe Portuguese Water Dog ("Portie") is a relatively rare breed, rescued from extinction in the 1970s and currently numbering about 50,000 in North America.[10] They are considered hypoallergenic[10] (a critical concern for the Obama family due to Malia Obama's allergies) due to their low amount of shedding, although it has not been scientifically proven that any dog is truly hypoallergenic.[11] Porties require regular washing and trimming to maintain their coats.[10] The breed is considered "high-spirited, intelligent and playful."[10]
Birth and origional adoption
editBo was bred by Art and Martha Stern's Amigo Portuguese Water Dog Kennels of Boyd, Texas.[12][13] His litter was named the "Hope and Change" litter in honor of Obama's campaign.[13] Bo's original name was Charlie; the kennel also registered him with the American Kennel Club under the name "Amigo's New Hope."[12][14][15] One of his litter mates was adopted by senator Ted Kennedy, Kennedy's third Portie from the kennel.[12][13]
Bo was originally acquired by a Washington family, but the puppy proved too rambunctious for their older dog and the family returned him to the breeder in March 2009 (per a contractual agreement to do so if the adoption did not work out well). Kennedy's wife Vicki found out about the situation and suggested that Bo would be a good dog for the Obamas.[12][13] Bo spent nearly a month in Hume, Virginia, with the Kennedys' dog trainer Dawn Sylvia before his move to the White House in April 2009. Officially, the dog was a gift from the Kennedy family to the president's daughters Malia and Sasha Obama.[13]
Adoption by the Obamas
editThe original announcement that the Obamas would be acquiring a dog came during Barack Obama's November 4, 2008, election night victory speech, in which he told his daughters, "I love you both so much, and you have earned the new puppy that's coming with us to the White House."[16] At his first press conference as President-elect, Obama was asked about what kind of dog the family would be seeking; he said their "preference would be to get a shelter dog, but, obviously, a lot of shelter dogs are mutts like me," which posed a problem because they needed a dog from a hypoallergenic breed.[17]
During a January 2009 appearance on ABC's This Week, George Stephanopolous asked Obama about the dog search, claiming Sasha and Malia had pressed him to bring up the question on the show. Obama said, "They seem to have narrowed it down to a labradoodle or a Portuguese water hound ... medium-sized dog, and so, we're now going to start looking at shelters to see when one of those dogs might come up."[18]
Bo's imminent arrival was leaked to the media on April 11, 2009, a few weeks after a secret "get-acquainted" meeting between the family and the dog at the White House.<ref="wp">Roig-Franzia, Manuel. "The First Puppy Makes a Big Splash". washingtonpost.com. Retrieved 2009-04-26.</ref> Following an official announcement on April 12, Bo moved in on April 14.[13] A press conference and photo op were staged for the event, as the Obama family gave Bo his first walk on the property's South Lawn.[19] When asked if Bo would be allowed inside the Oval Office, President Obama responded, "Of course." He also evoked a quote from President Harry Truman: "If you want a friend in Washington, get a dog."[19] The White House website was later updated to include official pictures and biographical details about Bo.[2]
The Washington Post's Manuel Roig-Franzia, granted exclusive initial access to Bo for the print media, described the puppy: "Bo's a handsome little guy. Well suited for formal occasions at the White House, he's got tuxedo-black fur, with a white chest, white paws and a rakish white goatee."[20]
Obama daughters gave Bo his name in part after their cousins' cat, also named Bo, as well as for their maternal grandfather, who is nicknamed Diddley after singer Bo Diddley.[21]
In June 2009, the White House released a baseball card for Bo featuring his official portrait on one side and tongue-in-cheek statistics on the other; information included that Bo's favorite food is tomatoes and that Bo does not yet know how to swim. The card is available by sending a SASE to the White House.[21][22][7]
Criticism of adoption
editThe Obama family had originally emphasized their desire to adopt a dog from an animal shelter, but had made no firm commitments. In the summer of 2008, the animal welfare organization Best Friends Animal Society gathered 50,000 signatures on a petition asking the family to adopt a shelter dog. According to an Obama spokeswoman, the Obamas had been in the midst of searching for a shelter dog when the Kennedys had offered Bo as a gift. The Obamas pledged to make a donation to the Humane Society to show their support for shelter adoption.
Some dog experts such as Cesar Millan have said that while Bo is not a shelter dog, he could be considered part of a larger group of "rescue dogs" as he was given up after his initial adoption. Bo's breeder has said she does not consider Bo to be a rescued dog.[13]The Humane Society of the United States released a statement on their website thanking the Obamas "for taking in a second-chance dog," but also encouraged the public to avoid going through breeders.[29] People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) called the family's choice and its presumed effect on the public "disquieting" and publicly urged the President to have Bo neutered, although he had already been neutered before the family acquired him. In anticipation of increased interest in the breed, the Portuguese Water Dog Club of America issued a statement requesting that members of the public considering obtaining the dogs "ensure that this breed fits their lifestyle," advising that Porties' needs preclude their being left alone for long periods or boarded in kennels.
Presence in popular culture
editImmediately upon Bo joining the First Family, four children's books and a plush toy depicting him were slated for publication or manufacture.[33]
On July 17, 2009, the author Ben Greenman, writing in The New York Times as Bo, reflected on his first hundred days in office.[34]
References
edit- ^ a b Dave, By (2009-04-20). "Vigilant press spots Bo, the first dog, out for a walk | csmonitor.com". Features.csmonitor.com. Retrieved 2009-04-26.
- ^ a b c d e "The White House - Blog Post - Meet Bo, the First Dog". Whitehouse.gov. Retrieved 2009-08-10.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
fd-fourwas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ "Obama Dog Trainer: Bo Already "Sits, Shakes, Rolls Over"". Usmagazine.com. 2009-04-15. Retrieved 2009-04-26.
- ^ "The Obama Dog Blog: Cappy's Breeder Rejects Obama Dog Connection". Dreamdogsart.typepad.com. 2009-04-15. Retrieved 2009-04-26.
- ^ Silva, Mark (2009-04-12). "Obamas' dog Bo:'Amigo's New Hope'". Swamppolitics.com. Retrieved 2009-10-19.
- ^ a b Iovino, Jim. "First Dog Bo's Portrait Out as Baseball Card". NBC Washington. Retrieved 2009-08-10.
- ^ Hess, Amanda (2009-04-13). "PETA Encourages Obamas to Neuter Neutered Dog". nbcwashington.com. Retrieved 2009-04-15.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ "World | Americas | Obama family 'picks first puppy'". BBC News. 2009-04-12. Retrieved 2009-04-26.
- ^ a b c d Ryan, Denise (2009-04-15). "U.S. first family puts Portuguese water dog on the map". .canada.com. Retrieved 2009-04-26.
- ^ "Hypoallergenic Dogs". vetinfo.com. 2009. Retrieved 2009-04-14.
- ^ a b c d Sung, Helena (2009-04-13). "Bo Obama, Portuguese Water Dog, First Pup? His breeder tells his backstory". examiner.com. Retrieved 2009-04-13.
- ^ a b c d e f g Theimer, Sharon. "PROMISES, PROMISES: Is Obama dog a rescue or not?". Associated Press. Retrieved 2009-04-26.
- ^ Silva, Mark (2009-06-21). "Bo was ready for his close-up". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2009-10-22.
- ^ Saul, Michael (2009-04-12). "First photos of First Dog: Obamas meet Bo, their new Portuguese Water Dog". New York Daily News. Retrieved 2009-04-13.
- ^ "Win to Deliver New Puppy for Obama's Daughters". Associated Press. 2009-11-05. Retrieved 2009-10-22.
- ^ Rhee, Foon (2008-11-10). "Chewing over Obama's 'mutt' reference - 2008 Presidential Campaign Blog - Political Intelligence". Boston.com. Retrieved 2009-04-26.
- ^ Weiner, Rachel (2009-01-13). "Obama: Finding Puppy "Tougher Than Finding A Commerce Secretary" (VIDEO)". Huffingtonpost.com. Retrieved 2009-04-26.
- ^ a b Theimer, Sharon. "First dog Bo makes himself at home". Washington Times. Retrieved 2009-04-26.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
wpwas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ a b Lee, Jess. "The White House - Blog Post - Bo: The Portrait, the Baseball Card". Whitehouse.gov. Retrieved 2009-08-10.
{{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|1=(help) - ^ Conolly, Katie. "The Gaggle : Official Portrait of First Dog Bo Released". Blog.newsweek.com. Retrieved 2009-08-10.