Bo Obama: the true story of the Obama family's Portuguese water dog
See Bo Obama's real story – guest starring your dog.
If you're curious about Bo Obama, here is the short version, told for you and your own dog. Bo was a Portuguese water dog who lived at the White House with the Obama family from 2009 to 2017. He was a gift from Senator Ted Kennedy, who loved the same breed and arranged for his own breeder to place a puppy with the family. Malia's allergies helped steer the choice toward a hypoallergenic breed, and Bo died of cancer in 2021.
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The story in 5 parts
A short version first. The full story, with every detail, is further down.
Part 1
Who was Bo Obama
Bo was a male Portuguese water dog, born on October 9, 2008, and given to the Obama family as a pet.
Part 2
Life at the White House
Once he settled in, Bo appeared often in official White House photos with the family.
Part 3
Bo's role in public life
He met the White House press corps on the South Lawn just after his arrival, romping around for reporters and photographers.
Part 4
Why Bo mattered beyond politics
After Bo's introduction, the breed enjoyed its biggest publicity boom since it arrived in the United States in the late 1960s.
Part 5
Bo's later years and death
Bo was First Dog from April 14, 2009, until January 20, 2017.
Read the full story
Part 1
Who was Bo Obama
Bo was a male Portuguese water dog, born on October 9, 2008, and given to the Obama family as a pet. He came from a breeder in Boyd, Texas, and was one of the same litter mates as Senator Kennedy's own dog, Cappy. Kennedy gave the puppy to President Obama, and Bo came from the same litter as Kennedy's own dog, Cappy. The breed was chosen partly because Malia's allergies pointed to a hypoallergenic dog, since Portuguese water dogs don't shed. Bo made an initial visit to the White House in March 2009 and came to live there in April 2009.
Part 2
Life at the White House
Once he settled in, Bo appeared often in official White House photos with the family. The photo record shows him lying on a carpet, playing in the snow, riding along on errands, and following the president into the Oval Office. He became a familiar face in official photos, including snowy South Lawn scenes with Michelle Obama and the girls. At holiday time, White House pastry chefs decorated cookies shaped like Bo, and volunteers built a 4-foot statue of him out of pipe cleaners for a holiday display. Bo also had an obedience trainer, arranged through Kennedy, who worked with him before he arrived so he would behave well in his new home.
Part 3
Bo's role in public life
He met the White House press corps on the South Lawn just after his arrival, romping around for reporters and photographers. In August 2013, Bo was joined by a second Portuguese water dog, Sunny, a one-year-old female who had been born in Michigan. From then on the two dogs appeared together at events, in family photos, and even at a table setting prepared for a State Dinner.
Part 4
Why Bo mattered beyond politics
After Bo's introduction, the breed enjoyed its biggest publicity boom since it arrived in the United States in the late 1960s. Portuguese water dogs were historically used by fishers along the coast of Portugal, herding fish into nets and retrieving broken nets, aided by webbed feet built for swimming. Senator Kennedy himself had long been associated with the breed on Capitol Hill, bringing his own dogs, Sunny and Splash, to hearings and even writing a children's book narrated by one of them.
Part 5
Bo's later years and death
Bo was First Dog from April 14, 2009, until January 20, 2017. Michelle Obama later said the pandemic brought the household back under one roof, just as it had been the day they first got him. Bo died on May 8, 2021, in Washington, D.C., after a battle with cancer. Barack and Michelle Obama announced his death themselves, calling him a loyal companion and describing him as a constant, gentle presence in their lives for more than a decade. Michelle Obama added that he had been there for major moments, from Air Force One flights to the Easter Egg Roll and a papal visit, and that she was grateful he and the girls had so much time together at the end.
Things you might not know
- Bo made an initial visit to the White House in March 2009 and came to live there in April 2009.
- He became a familiar face in official photos, including snowy South Lawn scenes with Michelle Obama and the girls.
- Bo died on May 8, 2021, in Washington, D.C., after a battle with cancer.
Year by year
- October 9, 2008Bo was a male Portuguese water dog, born on October 9, 2008, and given to the Obama family as a pet.
- March 2009Bo made an initial visit to the White House in March 2009 and came to live there in April 2009.
- April 14, 2009Bo was First Dog from April 14, 2009, until January 20, 2017.
- August 2013In August 2013, Bo was joined by a second Portuguese water dog, Sunny, a one-year-old female who had been born in Michigan.
- May 8, 2021Bo died on May 8, 2021, in Washington, D.C., after a battle with cancer.
Questions people ask
Who gave Bo Obama to the Obama family?
Senator Ted Kennedy gave Bo to the Obama family.
Did Bo Obama have any special duties at the White House?
Bo appeared regularly at family events, in holiday photos, and alongside the president and first lady during press moments. He also had an obedience trainer who worked with him before he moved into the White House.
What happened to Bo Obama after the presidency?
Bo died of cancer on May 8, 2021, in Washington, D.C. He died of cancer on May 8, 2021, in Washington, D.C.
Is Bo Obama related to other presidential dogs?
Bo was one of several litter mates, and one of them, Cappy, belonged to Senator Ted Kennedy. Bo himself succeeded the Bush family's dogs Barney and Miss Beazley as the First Dog, and was later succeeded by Champ and Major, the Biden family's dogs.
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Sources
- Senator Kennedy & Bo. whitehouse.gov, Aug 28, 2009.
- Bo & Sunny | Barack Obama Presidential Library. www.obamalibrary.gov.
- Bo (dog) - Wikipedia. en.wikipedia.org.
- First dog Bo meets White House press corps - CNN.com. www.cnn.com.
- Obamas' New Pet: 5 Facts About the Portuguese Water Dog. Animals.
- Bo, First Dog. America Comes Alive, Jul 1, 2011.
- Obama family announces death of family dog Bo, the. CBS News.
Written by TimeWalkies EditorialLast updated How we research