Meet the "First Dogs" -- Including Bo Obama

The president's best friend has often been a pooch -- providing rough and tumble fun and companionship to offset the serious business of running the country. This year, the Newseum in Washington, D.C. explores that relationship, offering a closer look at the lives of the nation's "First Dogs." Cathy Trost, the director of exhibit development for the Newseum, spoke with Paw Nation:

The "First Dogs" exhibit is one of the Newseum's most popular shows. Were you surprised by the interest?
Everyone loves a good animal story. People want to know about our political leaders and the pets that humanize them.

So is the oft-repeated quote true? "If you want a friend in Washington, get a dog?"
The quotation is often attributed to President Harry Truman, but he probably didn't say it. In fact, he was given an adorable cocker spaniel as a gift in 1947 and gave it away almost immediately. But of all the White House pets – and there have been hundreds of them – dogs have definitely been the most popular.

How much of a factor has Bo Obama been in the popularity of the exhibit?"
I'm not sure anybody was really ready for "Bo-mania." When President Obama was elected and we heard he had made that pledge to his daughters that a puppy would be coming with them to the White House, we saved a prime spot. And boy, did they deliver one cute dog!


How much do we know about the daily lives of pets in the White House?
I'd love to know more. What we do see suggests a pretty pampered life. We got a dogs-eye view during the prior administration with President George W. Bush's "Barney Cam" videos. It was a nice way to give us a peek inside during the holiday season.

Barney didn't exactly end on a high note with the media. He tried to bite a reporter who got too close.
That was his way of saying he was done with the paparazzi. The truth is, some dogs don't make it inside the White House. Ronald Reagan's "Lucky" was banished to the ranch. He was too strong and pulled down Nancy Reagan a couple of times.

Any unusual pets in the historical mix?
Calvin Coolidge's family kept a pair of raccoons. And William Howard Taft complained that people were more interested in the cows he kept on the White House lawn than his dogs. Teddy Roosevelt had a one-legged rooster. Rutherford B. Hayes' family had a dog but also a goat, a peacock and a mockingbird.

Since you are a museum focusing on the media, where does "First Dogs" fit in that mission?
It's actually right on target. The media has helped turn a lot of these pets into national celebrities. It contributes to public approval ratings and how people feel about their presidents. There was Franklin Roosevelt's Scottish terrier "Fala," and Warren G. Harding's dog had its own chair at cabinet meetings. Their masters used some of them very cunningly to cultivate their own public image; others were really just devoted pets.

And then there was "Buddy," the chocolate Labrador that moved into the White House right around the time of the Monica Lewinsky scandal and the impeachment hearings.
His press secretary said President Bill Clinton wanted to have one loyal friend in Washington.

Tags: Bo Obama, Newseum, pet news, PetNews, PresidentialPets