Bo (dog)
 Official White House portrait of the First Dog | |
| Other name(s) | First Dog[1][2][3][4] Charlie (by previous owner) |
|---|---|
| Species | Canis familiaris subsp. aquaticus |
| Breed | Portuguese water dog |
| Sex | Neutered 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[5] |
| 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)[6] 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) is the current pet of the Obama family, the First Family of the United States,[8] and is a neutered[9] male Portuguese Water Dog, or Portie.[10] President Barack Obama and his family chose the dog after months of speculation about the breed and identity of the animal.[11] The final choice was made in part because Malia Obama's allergies dictated a need for a hypoallergenic breed, although no hypoallergenic breed is 100% safe for allergics.[12] The White House has referred to him as the First Dog, a term also used in the media going back through several administrations.[1][2][3][4]
Breed background
The Portuguese Water Dog is a fairly rare breed; 48 entrants for Portuguese Water Dogs were made to Britain's Crufts competition in 2009[13] and the author of The New Complete Portuguese Water Dog, Kitty Braund, believes number of Porties in North America to be about 50,000.[14] Although some breeders claim they are a hypoallergenic dog breed, there is no scientific evidence to support this claim.[12]
Breeding and original owners
Bred by Art and Martha Stern of Boyd, Texas, one of Bo's nine other siblings is Senator Ted Kennedy's Portie named Cappy (Amigo's Captain Courageous); the litter was named "Hope and Change" in honor of Obama's victory.[15][16][17] Bo was purchased by someone (a person unknown to the public) from the breeders, but eventually the new owner returned him to the Stern family; when buying the dog, the original purchaser had signed a contract requiring him to return the dog to the breeder if things did not work out. Bo was enrolled on January 5, 2009 with Kennedy's obedience trainer Dawn Sylvia in Hume, Virginia.
Media attention as Obamas select a First Dog
At his first press conference as President-elect, Obama was questioned by reporters about which breed the family was looking to acquire; he replied, "our preference would be to get a shelter dog, but, obviously, a lot of shelter dogs are mutts like me."[18] He also noted "Malia is allergic, so it has to be hypoallergenic. There are a number of breeds that are hypoallergenic."[18]
In response to a question his daughters pressed George Stephanopolous in early January to ask of their father on air, 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."[19] 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 had been reported to have visited the family some weeks earlier[20] 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 the White House on Tuesday, April 14. 2009;[21][22][23] Immediately after he arrived, the family staged a photo op with Bo on the property's South Lawn.[24] At the conference, Obama was asked if he would allow Bo inside the Oval Office, to which he responded: "of course."[24] He also gave a nod to President Harry Truman's famous quote, "If you want a friend in Washington, get a dog."[24] The White House website was later updated to include official pictures of the dog along with biographical details.[3]
Biographical details
Listed by the name Amigo's New Hope with American Kennel Club's breed registry[25] and given the name Charlie by his original owners,[26] the puppy received his current name from President Obama's two daughters, Malia and Sasha, in part after their cousins' cat and Michelle Obama's father's nickname Diddley; the dog is a namesake of deceased singer Bo Diddley.[23]
In June 2009 the White House released a "baseball card" for Bo which displayed 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 cards are available by sending a self-addressed, stamped envelope to the White House.[27][28][29]
Disputed rescue heritage
The Obama family originally seemed to emphasize their desire for an adopted shelter dog, but made no firm commitments.[30] In the summer of 2008, Best Friends Animal Society, an animal welfare organization, gathered 50,000 signatures on a petition asking the family to adopt a shelter animal.[31]
As Bo is a gift from the Kennedy family, he is not a shelter dog. Some dog experts such as Cesar Millan state that Bo could be considered part of a larger group known as rescue dogs, as he was unsuccessful in his first home, when plans for him to provide companionship to an older female dog went awry because he irritated the dog through attempts to suckle.[21][32] The Obamas have pledged to donate to the District of Columbia Humane Society to show their support for shelter dogs.[33]
Some criticism has arisen from animal welfare supporters because Bo was not adopted from a shelter.[31] 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.[34]
Reactions by and in the media
The Washington Post's Manuel Roig-Franzia, granted exclusive initial access to Bo to the print media, wrote in description of the puppy's appearance, "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."[35] At the pet's introduction to the full media contingent, the size of the press corps present was rumored to rival that at Queen Elizabeth II's arrival for a visit with George Bush in 2007.[36]
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), a group generally opposed to the keeping of animals as pets, made a notable media gaffe when they not only characterized the family's choice to accept the gift of a puppy from a family friend "disquieting," but also publicly urged the President to have Bo neutered, even though the dog had been neutered before the Obamas received him. [9] [37]
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.[38]
Immediately upon the addition of a dog to the First Family, four children's books and a plush toy depicting the pet were slated for publication or manufacture.[39][40][41][42][43][44][45][46][47]
See also
References
- ^ a b "Bo Obama Knows Popularity as the First Dog - FOX23 News - The 10 O'Clock News". FOX23 News. Retrieved 2009-04-26.
- ^ 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 http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/09/04/12/Meet-Bo-the-First-Dog/
- ^ a b Cooper, Helen (April 12, 2009). "One Obama Search Ends With a Puppy Named Bo". The New York Times. Retrieved April 18, 2009.
Other Web sites, which have been tracking the saga of the selection of the first dog, were in a frenzy over the weekend.
- ^ "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.
- ^ "New Obama puppy Bo knows Texas". Fort Worth Star-Telegram. 2009-04-13. Retrieved 2009-04-13.[dead link]
- ^ "Meet Bo, the First Dog". whitehouse.gov. 2009-04-12. Retrieved 2009-04-13.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ a b 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) - ^ "The White House — Blog Post - Meet Bo, the First Dog". Whitehouse.gov. Retrieved 2009-04-26.
- ^ "World | Americas | Obama family 'picks first puppy'". BBC News. 2009-04-12. Retrieved 2009-04-26.
- ^ a b "Hypoallergenic Dogs". vetinfo.com. 2009. Retrieved 2009-04-14.
- ^ "PORTUGUESE WATER DOG". Crufts. 2009. Retrieved 2009-04-17.
- ^ "U.S. first family puts Portuguese water dog on the map". .canada.com. 2009-04-15. Retrieved 2009-04-26.
- ^ "PROMISES, PROMISES: Is Obama dog a rescue or not?". Breitbart.com. 2009-04-13. Retrieved 2009-04-26.
- ^ "Bo Obama, Portuguese Water Dog, First Pup? His breeder tells his backstory". examiner.com. 2009-04-13. Retrieved 2009-04-13.
- ^ Posted by Mary Corey at 11:55 PM. "Unleashed: Bo Obama's other name: 'Amigo's New Hope' - A blog for animal lovers on pets, dogs, cats, shelters and animal rescue - baltimoresun.com". Weblogs.baltimoresun.com. Retrieved 2009-04-26.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ a b "Chewing over Obama's 'mutt' reference - 2008 Presidential Campaign Blog - Political Intelligence". Boston.com. 2008-11-10. Retrieved 2009-04-26.
- ^ "Obama: Finding Puppy "Tougher Than Finding A Commerce Secretary" (VIDEO)". Huffingtonpost.com. 2009-01-13. Retrieved 2009-04-26.
- ^ "The First Puppy Makes a Big Splash". washingtonpost.com. Retrieved 2009-04-26.
- ^ a b "PROMISES, PROMISES: Is Obama dog a rescue or not?". News.yahoo.com. Retrieved 2009-04-26.
- ^ "A Shaggy-Dog Story: How Bo Wound Up With the Obamas". Mobile.washingtonpost.com. 2009-04-13. Retrieved 2009-04-26.
- ^ a b PopWatch Blog: The First Puppy Makes a Big Splash
- ^ a b c Huffington Post article: "Up Close and Personal with Bo Obama".
- ^ 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.
- ^ St. Clair, Stacy (2009-04-13). "Obamas' dog: Meet Bo, the Portuguese water dog". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 2009-04-13.
- ^ http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/Bo-The-Portrait-the-Baseball-Card/
- ^ http://blog.newsweek.com/blogs/thegaggle/archive/2009/06/19/official-portrait-of-first-dog-bo-released.aspx
- ^ http://www.nbcwashington.com/around_town/the_scene/Bos-Rookie-Card-Sure-to-be-Collectors-Item.html
- ^ Greene, Nick (2009-04-15). "Obamas criticised for breaking promise of adopting dog from shelter". Telegraph. Retrieved 2009-04-26.
- ^ a b Los Angeles Times article: "Bo is no political animal".
- ^ Vinzant, Carol (2009-04-16). "5 Things You Don't Know About First Dog Bo - Barack Obama". People.com. Retrieved 2009-04-26.
- ^ "Obama puppy: Portugese water dog Bo is Obama puppy". baltimoresun.com. 2009-04-13. Retrieved 2009-04-26.
- ^ "Second-Chance Dog Heads to the White House" (press release). Humane Society of the United States.
- ^ http://www.theinsider.com/news/2003457_Obama_Dog_Bo_Diddley_Obama_Puppy_First_Dog_Photos_Video
- ^ A royal welcome for first dog Bo at White House - USATODAY.com
- ^ "PETA urges Obama to snip Bo the first dog." U.S. News & World Report.
- ^ The Portuguese Water Dog Club of America, Inc
- ^ Irvine, Chris (2009-04-16). "Bo Obama to star in children's book". Telegraph. Retrieved 2009-04-26.
- ^ April 17, 2009 (2009-04-17). "Quick Takes - Los Angeles Times". Latimes.com. Retrieved 2009-04-26.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ "You've met Bo the Dog; It's time for Bo the Book - MSN Entertainment News". Entertainment.msn.com. 2009-04-22. Retrieved 2009-04-26.
- ^ "First Dog books: Not all depict Obama family's choice of Portuguese water dog Bo". chicagotribune.com. 2009-04-19. Retrieved 2009-04-26.
- ^ Arts, Briefly - First Dog Gets His First Children’s Book - NYTimes.com
- ^ "First Books About First Dog - 2/26/2009". Publishers Weekly. Retrieved 2009-04-26.
- ^ "New Books - Chicago magazine - April 2009 - Chicago". Chicagomag.com. Retrieved 2009-04-26.
- ^ "Pet Rescue Examiner: Bo, the first puppy stars in children's book". Examiner.com. 2009-04-15. Retrieved 2009-04-26.
- ^ "Toy company Ty, fresh from Sasha and Malia Obama doll controversy, introduces Beanie Bo | L.A. Unleashed | Los Angeles Times". Latimesblogs.latimes.com. 2009-04-20. Retrieved 2009-04-26.
