The Living Room: First Dogs of the USA

Hello dog lovers..

Aren't you curious about the first dogs? 25 of America's 42 Presidents have owned dogs as their pets. It's interesting to know a bit more about these first dogs, isn't it? Here are some of the famous dogs, i will put the list in chronological order, enjoy! ^^

George Washington (1789 - 1797)

The first US President owned at least 10 hounds called Mopsey, Taster, Cloe, Tipler, Forester, Captain, Lady Rover, Vulcan, Sweetlips and Searcher.

source : TIME Photos

Abraham Lincoln (1861-1865)

Abraham Lincoln owned at least two dogs, Jip and Fido. Fido was knifed to death in the street by a drunk who became angry when the dog jumped on him with muddy paws.

Fido
source : TIME Photos

source : Google Images

Warren G.Harding (1921-1923)

Warren Harding owned and airedale called Laddie Boy, and a bulldog called Oh Boy. Laddie Boy owned his own chair at cabinet meetings. The president also threw Laddie a birthday at the White House, inviting the neighbourhood dogs and they dined on dog biscuit birthday cake..

source : TIME Photos

Florence Harding & Laddie Boy
source : dogguide.net

Calvin Coolidge (1923-1929)
Calvin Colidge owned at least 12 dogs :

Peter Pan (terrier)

Rob Roy & Prudence Prim (white collies)

Laddie Buck (airedale)

Calamity Jane (Shetland sheepdog)

Tiny Tim & Blackberry (chows)

Ruby Rough (brown collie)

Bessie (yellow collie)

Boston Beans (bulldog)

King Cole (German sheperd)

Palo Alto (bird dog)

Mr.President, his wife Grace & Rob Roy
source : TIME Photos

a painting by Howard Chandler of Grace Coolidge & Rob Roy hangs in the Red Room of the White House today
source : thepoodleanddogblog

Growing up on a farm, the President remained an animal lover all his life. He once said, "Any man who does not like dogs and want them about does not deserve to be in the White House." The most famous was a white collie Rob Roy. Later they adopted Prudence Prim, a female white collie who ate breakfast cereal with the President every morning.

Calvin Coolidge with Rob Roy & Tiny Tim
source : Google Image

In his autobiography Coolidge wrote about Rob Roy:

He was a stately companion of great courage and fidelity. He loved to bark from the second story windows and around the South Grounds. Nights he reamined in my room and afternoons went with me to the office. His especial delight was to ride with me in the boats when i went fishing. So although i know he would bark for joy as the grim boatman ferried him across the dark water of the Styx, yet his going left me lonely on the hither shore...

Herbert Hoover (1929-1933)

Herbert Hoover owned at least 9 dogs :

King Tut (Belgian Sheperd)

Pat ( German Sheperd)

Big Ben & Sonnie (Fox Terriers)

Glen (Scotch Collie)

Yukon (Eskimo Dog)

Patrick (Wolfhound)

Eaglehurst Gillette (Setter)

Weejie (Elkhound)

Herbert Hoover & King Tut
source : TIME Photos

Herbert Hoover & King Tut
source : dogguide.net

Franklin D. Roosevelt (1933-1945)

Franklin D. Roosevelt owned at least 7 dogs :

Major (German sheperd)

Meggie & Fala (Scotch terriers)

Winks (Llewellyn setter)

Tiny (English sheepdog)

President (great dane)

Blaze (mastiff)

Fala was given to the president by his cousin, Margaret Suckley. Fala became the star of an MGM movie about the typical day of a dog in the White House. Fala also became an honorary army private, he received this honor by contributing one dollar to the war effort setting a trend for the rest of the US. Fala is depicted in the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial. Meggie the other Terrier was infamous as she once bit a senator. ^^

FDR & Fala
source : TIME Photos

Fala
source : dogguide.net

Harry S. Truman (1945-1953)

Harry S. Truman owned a mongrel called Feller, and an Irish setter named Mike. The President is attributed with the quotes: "if you want a friend in Washington, get a dog"

source : TIME Photos

source : dogguide.net

Feller was given to the President as a Christmas gift in 1947, but later the family gave it to a White House physician rather than keep it. Before long, the press began to deride the physician for taking the dog, causing him to hand Feller off to a Naval admiral. After several more hand-offs, Feller ultimately wound up living on a family farm outside Greenfield, Ohio, where he stayed happily until dying of old age.

Dwight Eisenhower (1953-1961)

Dwight Eisenhower owned a weimaraner named Heidi, shown here accompanying the President back to the White House after a press conference at the Executive Office Building, now named Eisenhower's honor. The President and his dog were photographed together often during his time in office. Similar pictures can be found in books and documentaries.

source : dogguide.net

John F. Kennedy (1961-1963)

JFK owned the following dogs :

Charlie & Pushinka (Welsh terrier)

Shannon (Irish cocker spaniel)

Wolf (Irish wolfhound)

White Tips, Blackie & Streaker (terrier)

JFK was the first President to request that his dogs meet the presidential helicopter when the President arrived at the White House. Pushinka which was the offspring of the Russian space dog Strelka, was given to the President by Soviet Premier Kruschev. Pushinka had 4 puppies who called "pupniks" by JFK. Shannon, the Irish cocker spaniel was given to JFK by The Prime Minister of Ireland.

Kennedy family with Shannon, Charlie & Wolf
source : TIME Photos

Lyndon B. Johnson (1963-1969)

Lyndon Johnson owned 7 dogs :

Yuki (mongrel)

Beagle, Little Beagle, Him, Her & J. Edgar (beagles)

Blanco (white collie)

Blanco was a gift. The President always shook hand with the dog whenever he left or returned to the White House. His favorite was the Beagle called Him, who was run over and killed on the White House grounds. Edgar Hoover gave him a dog to replace Him, which he named J. Edgar. Yuki the mongrel was famous for disgracing everyone present in the oval office including the Shah of Iran. Yuki also bit a White House police officer in the groin. Despite these indiscretions Yuki was honoured by his picture appearing on the front page of the Wall Street Journal.

Yuki sang with Johnson for David Bruce, the U.S. ambassador to Great Britain
source : TIME Photos

Lyndon Johnson with Him & Her
source : dogguide.net

Richard Nixon (1969-1974)

Richard Nixon owned 4 dogs :

Checkers (spaniel)

King Timahoe (Irish setter)

Pasha (terrier)

Vicky (poodle)

When he entered the White House a member of his staff gave him the Irish setter King Timahoe, which he named for the little village in Ireland where his mother's ancestors came from.

Richard Nixon with Vicky & Checkers
source : TIME Photos

Gerald Ford (1974-1977)

Gerald Ford owned a golden retriever called Liberty, who gave birth to nine puppies at the White House. It is said that President Ford had a special signal he used to get Liberty to wag his tail when he wanted to cut short the meetings in the Oval Office.

Gerald Ford & Liberty
source : TIME Photos

source : dogguide.net

Jimmy Carter (1977-1981)

Little is known about the dog Grits. It is said that the dog was a gift to Jimmy Carter's daughter Amy, by a teacher. Grits was eventually given back to the teacher, but the dog's stay in the White House was a memorable one, indeed!

source : dogguide.net

Ronald Reagan (1981-1989)

Ronald Reagan owned 2 dogs :

Rex (Cavalier King Charles spaniel)

Lucky (Bouvier des Flandres)

The President was photographed being dragged across the White House lawn by Lucky in the presence of Margaret Thatcher. An undignified image for the President of the USA. Later Lucky was sent to live in California leaving Rex at the White House.

Mr. President, his wife Nancy & Lucky
source : TIME Photos

George H.W. Bush (1989-1993)

George H.W. Bush owned a springer spaniel called Millie and her puppy named Ranger. Millie has been the subject of a book which has sold more copies than the autobiography of George Bush himself.

George H.W. Bush & Millie
source : TIME Photos

Bill Clinton (1993-2001)

Bill Clinton owned a labrador called Buddy. The TV cameras caught him relieving himself on the carpet! Buddy was barely in the White House a month before Newsweek proclaimed, "at last, a friend who can't testify against him"

source : TIME Photos

George W. Bush (2001-2008)

President George Bush owned a Scottish terrier named Barney, and an English springer spaniel named Spot. It was named after Scott Fletcher, a former Texas Rangers baseball player. Spot is the only dog to live in the White House during two administrations. Spot was born to Millie, George H.W. Bush's dog. Spot was given to George W.Bush who returned the Terrier to the White House for his term of office.

source : TIME Photos

Spot
source : dogguide.net

Barack Obama (2009-present)

From the beginning of his presidential campaign, Barack Obama promised to buy his daughters a dog whether he won the election or not. In January 2009, a black & white Portuguese water dog named Bo moved into the White House. It was a gift from Senator Edward M.Kennedy, who also owned one.