.jpg) Official White House portrait of the First Dog, 2009 | |
| Othernames | First Dog of the United States[1][2][3] Charlie (by previous owner) |
|---|---|
| Species | Canis familiaris |
| Breed | Portuguese Water Dog |
| Sex | Male |
| Born | Amigo's New Hope[4] (2008-10-09)October 9, 2008 Chicago, Illinois, U.S. |
| Died | May 8, 2021(2021-05-08) (aged 12) Washington, D.C., U.S. |
| Cause of death | Cancer |
| Known for | Pet of the Obama family |
| Training | Dawn Sylvia (Hume, Virginia) Can sit, present paw/shake, lie down, roll over, get off, wait[5] |
| Title | First Dog of the United States |
| Term | April 14, 2009 – January 20, 2017 |
| Predecessor | Barney andMiss Beazley |
| Successor | Champ andMajor |
| Owner | Obama family |
| Parents | Dam: Penny (Amigo's Phor What Its Worth) (Boyd, Texas) Sire: Watson (Valkyrie's Dr. Watson Is Here) (Ambridge, Pennsylvania)[6] Breeder: Julie Parker[7] |
| Appearance | Tuxedo/black and white |
| Named after | Obama girls' cousins' pet cat andBo Diddley |
Bo (October 9, 2008 – May 8, 2021) was a petdog of theObama family, thefirst family of the United States from 2009 until 2017.[2] PresidentBarack Obama and his family were given the malePortuguese Water Dog as a gift after months of speculation about thebreed and identity of their future pet.[2][8] The final choice was made in part because elder daughterMalia's allergies dictated a need for ahypoallergenic breed. Bo was occasionally called "First Dog".[1][2][3] In August 2013, Bo was joined bySunny, a female dog of the same breed.[9]
Bo was named by sisters Malia and Sasha after their cousins' cat, First LadyMichelle Obama's father, and as a reference to the R&B musicianBo Diddley. Bo's name was also Barack Obama's initials.
The Portuguese Water Dog is originally from the Algarve region of Portugal. Only 48 Portuguese Water Dogs were entered for Britain'sCrufts competition in 2009[10] and the author ofThe New Complete Portuguese Water Dog, Kitty Braund, believes there are about 50,000 in North America.[11] Due to its fleecy coat of minimally shedding hair,[12] the Portuguese Water Dog is considered ahypoallergenic dog breed.[13]
Bred by Martha and Art Stern of Amigo Portuguese Water Dogs in Boyd, Texas,[7] Bo was a son of Watson—of the Rader family in Pittsburgh's Ambridge suburb—and Penny, belonging to Art and Martha Stern. One of Bo's nine litter mates was SenatorTed Kennedy's dog named Cappy (Amigo's Captain Courageous). The litter was named "Hope and Change", in honor of Obama'svictory.[14][15]
Bo's original buyer is unknown, but eventually, they returned him to the Stern family. Purchasing Bo required signing a contract to return him to his breeder if things did not work out. Bo enrolled with Kennedy'sobedience trainerDawn Sylvia-Stasiewicz in Hume, Virginia, on January 5, 2009.[16]
At his first press conference asPresident-elect, Obama was questioned by reporters as to which breed the family was looking to acquire. He replied, "We have two criteria that have to be reconciled. One is that Malia is allergic, so it has to be hypoallergenic. There are a number of breeds that are hypoallergenic. On the other hand, our preference would be to get a shelter dog, but, obviously, a lot of shelter dogs are mutts like me. So—so whether we're going to be able to balance those two things, I think, is a pressing issue on the Obama household."[17]
George Stephanopoulos asked Obama on television in early January what kind of dog they would get, and when, saying that he was passing on a question from Obama's daughters who were sitting in the control room. Obama said "They seem to have narrowed it down to alabradoodle or aPortuguese water hound ... medium-sized dog, and so, we're now going to start looking atshelters to see when one of those dogs might come up."[18]
Much was made by the public and press about the family's search for a dog. On April 12, 2009, it was announced that the Obamas would soon accept a six-month-old Portuguese Water Dog puppy as a gift from Senator Kennedy. The dog was reported to have visited the family some weeks earlier[19] in a secret meeting to gauge compatibility and purportedly referred to by staffers as "The Meeting". However, the gift was not accepted until the dog officially arrived and moved in at theWhite House on Tuesday, April 14, 2009.[20]
Immediately after he arrived, the family staged aphoto op with Bo on the property'sSouth Lawn.[21] At the conference, Obama was asked if he would allow Bo inside theOval Office, to which he responded: "of course."[21] He also gave a nod to PresidentHarry Truman's quote "If you want a friend in Washington, get a dog."[21] The White House website was later updated to include official pictures and biographical details of Bo.[2]
Listed by the name "Amigo's New Hope" withAmerican Kennel Club's breed registry[22] and given the name "Charlie" by his original owners,[23] the puppy received his name from President Obama's two daughters,Malia and Sasha, in part after their cousins' cat andMichelle Obama'sfather's nickname Diddley; the dog is named for singerBo Diddley.[24][25]
In June 2009, the White House released a baseball card for Bo with his new official portrait on one side and tongue-in-cheek statistics on the other. Information included the facts that Bo's favorite food is tomatoes and that he does not yet know how to swim. The card was available by sending a self-addressed, stamped envelope to the White House.[26][27][28]
According to financial disclosure forms released by President Obama in 2010, Bo was purchased for $1,600, equivalent to $2,310 in 2024.[29]
It was announced in August 2012 that Bo was on a diet, though no other details were released. It was announced by the President during the Kids' State Dinner, where children from the states and territories who had won a contest to design healthy, appealing meals had lunch at the White House.[30]
The Obamas had voiced a strong desire to adopt ashelter dog but made no firm commitments.[31] In Summer 2008,Best Friends Animal Society, an animal welfare organization, gathered 50,000 signatures on a petition asking the family to adopt a shelter animal.[32]
Although Bo was a gift through a breeder, dog expertCésar Millán stated Bo could be considered part of a larger group known as "rescue dogs". He was unsuccessful in his first home when plans for him to provide companionship to an older female dog went awry; apparently, his attempts tosuckle irritated her.[20][33] The Obamas pledged a donation to the DC Humane Society in a show of support for shelter dogs.[34]
TheHumane Society of the United States released a statement thanking the Obamas "for taking in a second-chance dog" but discouraged employing breeders.[35]
The Washington Post's Manuel Roig-Franzia, granted exclusive access to Bo for his debut in print, described the puppy: "Bo's a handsome little guy. Well suited for formal occasions at theWhite House, he's got tuxedo-black fur, with a white chest, white paws and a rakish white goatee."[36]
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) described the family's choice to accept the gift of a puppy from a family friend as "disquieting" and publicly urged Obama to have Bo neutered, despite the dog having been neutered before the Obamas received him.[37][38]
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 the dogs' needs preclude their being left alone for long periods or boarded in kennels.[39]
Immediately upon Bo joining the First Family, four children's books and aplush toy depicting him were slated for publication or manufacture.[40][41][42]
On July 17, 2009,Ben Greenman, writing inThe New York Times as Bo, reflected on his first hundred days in office.[43]
In the final episode of theHistory Channel'sLife After People, aired March 16, 2010, the producers imagined what life would be like for Bo after the disappearance of humanity.[44] This program speculated that he would leave the White House and live off seafood from theChesapeake Bay.[45]
Bo was also shown onDogs 101, as part of segment about the breed.[46][47]
Bo appeared in the comic bookLockjaw and the Pet Avengers and on the television showsLate Night with Seth Meyers andEllen. On Meyers' show, Bo was the subject of a "Barney Cam" parody in which he is shown to be shamelessly manipulating White House staffers and guests (such as by finding and plantingcannabis in the bag of a speechwriter who refused to give him treats).[48]
Bo acquired the nickname "Bobama".[49][50][51]
On January 8, 2016, a man named Scott Stockert fromDickinson, North Dakota, was arrested for allegedly trying to kidnap Bo afterUnited States Secret Service Agents discovered a12 gaugepump action shotgun and abolt action.22 caliber rifle on the back of his pickup truck.[52]
On May 8, 2021, the Obama family confirmed that Bo had died ofcancer inWashington, D.C. at the age of 12.[53][54]
Other Web sites, which have been tracking the saga of the selection of the first dog, were in a frenzy over the weekend.
The President's dog must learn the ways of the wild.
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| Preceded by | White House pet dog April 14, 2009 – January 20, 2017 Served alongside:Sunny (since August 19, 2013) | Succeeded by |
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