Presidential dogs: famous White House dogs through history

Part 1

Early presidential dogs

George Washington kept many dogs and was an avid fox hunter. He crossbred his Black and Tan Coonhounds with French hounds to help create the American Foxhound, and he had more than twenty dogs with names such as Sweet Lips, Tipsy, and Drunkard. If you enjoy naming your own dog something playful, you are following a long tradition. Abraham Lincoln's dog Fido was a mixed breed who accompanied him on errands before the family moved to the White House. Because the Lincolns worried Fido would struggle with the crowds and travel of Washington life, they sent him to live with a friend under strict conditions, including never tying him up alone outdoors and always letting him inside when he scratched at the door.

Part 2

Theodore Roosevelt's household of animals

Theodore Roosevelt's six children kept a wide range of pets, including snakes, dogs, cats, a badger, birds, and guinea pigs. Among the dogs was Pete, a Bull Terrier known for being ridiculously affectionate but also for biting staff and visitors. In 1907 Pete reportedly chased a French ambassador up a tree, and afterward he was sent away to live with a local doctor before eventually returning to the family home. If your own dog has an excitable streak around visitors, you are not the first to deal with it.

Part 3

Fala and the politics of a Scottish Terrier

Franklin D. Roosevelt's Scottish Terrier Fala was born in 1940 and was a gift from Roosevelt's cousin Margaret Stuckley. Roosevelt rarely went anywhere without Fala, and the dog received so much fan mail that he had his own secretary to sort it. In 1944, rumors spread that Fala had been left behind on a trip to the Aleutian Islands and that Roosevelt sent ships back to retrieve him at taxpayer expense. Roosevelt responded with a speech defending his dog, later called the Fala speech, which reportedly helped his reelection campaign. Fala also donated toys to promote scrap rubber collection during the war effort. He stayed close to Roosevelt until the end and attended the president's funeral.

Part 4

Checkers and Nixon's televised defense

Richard Nixon was accused of hiding a secret slush fund while running for vice president under Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1952. He gave a televised speech, later called the Checkers speech, named after his Cocker Spaniel, and admitted he intended to keep the dog regardless of the criticism. Checkers had been a gift from a supporter during the campaign and was given to Nixon's daughters. After the speech, support for Nixon increased and he stayed on the ticket. You might wonder if a dog could really change a political outcome, but this story suggests it can at least shift public sympathy.

Part 5

Cold War diplomacy and a Soviet gift

John F. Kennedy's dog Pushinka arrived at the White House as a gift from Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev. Pushinka's mother had flown into space and returned safely, and Jackie Kennedy asked about puppies after admiring her during a state dinner. Pushinka was examined before being welcomed into the family to make sure she carried no listening devices. Kennedy kept Pushinka even though he had a dog allergy, because he believed pets were an important part of childhood for his children. She later had a litter of puppies while living at the White House.

Part 6

Modern presidential dogs you may recognize

If you have followed recent administrations, some of these dogs may already be familiar to you. Lyndon B. Johnson caused controversy when he was photographed lifting his beagles, Him and Her, by their ears, though former president Harry Truman defended the practice as simply how you handle hounds. Bill Clinton's cat Socks and later his Labrador Retriever Buddy reportedly did not get along, and Clinton joked that he had done better with the Palestinians and the Israelis than with his own pets. George W. Bush's dog Spot was the offspring of his father's dog Millie and was the first animal to live in the White House under two different administrations, born there in 1989 and dying there in 2004. Barack and Michelle Obama chose a Portuguese Water Dog named Bo partly because of their daughter Malia's allergies, and Bo was a gift from Senator Ted Kennedy. Bo was later joined by a second Portuguese Water Dog named Sunny. Joe and Jill Biden brought two German Shepherds, Champ and Major, into the White House, and Major was the first shelter dog to live there. Champ died in 2021 at the age of thirteen, and the Bidens later welcomed a German Shepherd puppy named Commander, a gift from Joe Biden's brother.

• George Washington kept American Foxhounds and helped shape the breed.
• Franklin D. Roosevelt's Fala became famous enough to inspire his own speech and later a statue.
• Richard Nixon's Checkers became the namesake of his Checkers speech.
• John F. Kennedy's Pushinka arrived as a Cold War gift from the Soviet Union.

Looking back at these stories, you can see how a dog's presence often says something warm and human about the person beside them. Whether your own dog rides along on errands like Fido or simply naps nearby like Fala at the foot of the bed, these small routines are part of what makes a dog part of the family.