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Bo (dog)
Encyclopedia
Bo is the pet dog of the Obama family, the First Family of the United States
. Bo is a neutered male Portuguese Water Dog
. President
Barack Obama
and his family were given the dog as a gift after months of speculation about the breed
and identity of their future pet. The final choice was made in part because Malia Obama's allergies dictated a need for a hypoallergenic
breed. The White House has referred to him as the "First Dog", a US cultural term occasionally used during recent administrations.
competition in 2009 and the author of The New Complete Portuguese Water Dog, Kitty Braund, believes there are about 50,000 in North America. Due to its fleecy coat, the Portuguese Water Dog is considered a hypoallergenic dog breed.
, Bo is the son of Watson of the Rader family in the Pittsburgh suburb of Ambridge, Pennsylvania
and of Penny who belongs to Art and Martha Stern of Boyd, Texas
. One of Bo's nine litter mates is the late Senator Ted Kennedy
's Portie named Cappy (Amigo's Captain Courageous); the litter was named "Hope and Change" in honor of Obama's victory
.
Bo was purchased by a person unknown to the public, 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
.
Bo has a brother named Rico, that is owned by a couple in Houston, Texas.
, Obama was questioned by reporters as to 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 mutt
s like me." He also noted "Malia is allergic, so it has to be hypoallergenic. There are a number of breeds that are hypoallergenic."
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." 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 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; Immediately after he arrived, the family staged a photo op
with Bo on the property's South Lawn
. At the conference, Obama was asked if he would allow Bo inside the Oval Office
, to which he responded: "of course" but had noted Bo had once defecated under his desk staining the oval office carpet. He also gave a nod to President Harry Truman's quote, "If you want a friend in Washington, get a dog." The White House website was later updated to include official pictures and biographical details of Bo.
's breed registry and given the name "Charlie" by his original owners, 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
.
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 is available by sending a self-addressed, stamped envelope to the White House.
According to financial disclosure forms released by President Obama in 2010, Bo has a value of $1,600.
In December 2010, Bo was permitted to accompany the Obama family to the guest house Plantation Estate
in Hawaii. Hawaii, which is rabies free, has strict quarantine rules of up to 120 days for dogs from outside the state. However in rules modified in 2003, dogs are permitted if they have had two rabies shots including one in the previous 90 days, pass a rabies blood test, and have a microchip implant
.
, an animal welfare organization, gathered 50,000 signatures on a petition
asking the family to adopt a shelter animal.
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. The Obamas have pledged to donate to the District of Columbia Humane Society to show their support for shelter dogs.
Some criticism has arisen from animal welfare
supporters because Bo was not adopted from a shelter. 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.
’s Manuel Roig-Franzia, granted exclusive initial access to Bo for the print media, described the puppy: "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."
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 the President to have Bo neutered, though the dog had been neutered before the Obamas received him.
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.
Immediately upon Bo joining the First Family, four children's books and a plush toy depicting him were slated for publication
or manufacture.
On July 17, 2009, the author Ben Greenman
, writing in The New York Times
as Bo, reflected on his first hundred days in office.
In the final episode of the History Channel's Life After People
, aired March 16, 2010, the producers imagined what life would be like for Bo after the disappearance of humanity. This showed that he would leave the White House, and live off seafood
from the Chesapeake Bay.
Bo was also shown on Dogs 101
.
The family was criticized for poor training of Bo by Dog Whisperer
host and professional dog trainer Cesar Millan
, based on photos where the dog was allowed to walk ahead while on a leash.
Bo has appeared in the comic book
Lockjaw and the Pet Avengers
.
First Family of the United States
The First Family of the United States is the unofficial title for the family of the President of the United States, who is both head of state and head of government of the United States. Members of the First Family consist of the President, the First Lady of the United States, and any of their...
. Bo is a neutered male Portuguese Water Dog
Portuguese Water Dog
The Portuguese Water Dog is a breed of working dog as classified by the American Kennel Club. Portuguese Water Dogs are originally from the Portuguese region of the Algarve, from where the breed expanded to all around Portugal's coast, where they were taught to herd fish into fishermen's nets, to...
. President
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
and his family were given the dog as a gift after months of speculation about the breed
Dog breed
Dog breeds are groups of closely related and visibly similar domestic dogs, which are all of the subspecies Canis lupus familiaris, having characteristic traits that are selected and maintained by humans, bred from a known foundation stock....
and identity of their future pet. The final choice was made in part because Malia Obama's allergies dictated a need for a hypoallergenic
Hypoallergenic
Hypoallergenic, meaning "below normal" or "slightly" allergenic, was a term first used in a cosmetics campaign in 1953. It is used to describe items that cause or are claimed to cause fewer allergic reactions...
breed. The White House has referred to him as the "First Dog", a US cultural term occasionally used during recent administrations.
Breed background
The Portuguese Water Dog is a fairly rare breed; only 48 Portuguese Water Dogs were entered for Britain's CruftsCrufts
Crufts is an annual international Championship conformation show for dogs organised and hosted by the Kennel Club, currently held every March at the National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham, England. It is the largest annual dog show in the world, as declared by Guinness World Records, and lasts...
competition in 2009 and the author of The New Complete Portuguese Water Dog, Kitty Braund, believes there are about 50,000 in North America. Due to its fleecy coat, the Portuguese Water Dog is considered a hypoallergenic dog breed.
Breeding and original owners
Bred by Julie Parker of Erie County, PennsylvaniaErie County, Pennsylvania
Erie County is a county located in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. As of 2010, the population was 280,566. Its county seat is the City of Erie.- Geography :...
, Bo is the son of Watson of the Rader family in the Pittsburgh suburb of Ambridge, Pennsylvania
Ambridge, Pennsylvania
Ambridge is a borough in Beaver County in Western Pennsylvania, incorporated in 1905 and named after the American Bridge Company. Ambridge is located 16 miles northwest of Pittsburgh, alongside the Ohio River. In 1910, 5,205 people lived in Ambridge; in 1920, 12,730 people lived there, and in...
and of Penny who belongs to Art and Martha Stern of Boyd, Texas
Boyd, Texas
Boyd is a town in Wise County, Texas, United States. The population was 1,099 at the 2000 census.-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 1,099 people, 407 households, and 306 families residing in the town. The population density was 382.1 people per square mile . There were 435 housing...
. One of Bo's nine litter mates is the late Senator Ted Kennedy
Ted Kennedy
Edward Moore "Ted" Kennedy was a United States Senator from Massachusetts and a member of the Democratic Party. Serving almost 47 years, he was the second most senior member of the Senate when he died and is the fourth-longest-serving senator in United States history...
's Portie named Cappy (Amigo's Captain Courageous); the litter was named "Hope and Change" in honor of Obama's victory
Barack Obama presidential campaign, 2008
Barack Obama, then junior United States Senator from Illinois, announced his candidacy for the presidency of the United States in Springfield, Illinois, on February 10, 2007. On August 27, 2008, he was declared nominee of the Democratic Party for the 2008 presidential election...
.
Bo was purchased by a person unknown to the public, but eventually the new owner returned him to the Stern family; when buying the dog, the original purchaser had signed a contract
Contract
A contract is an agreement entered into by two parties or more with the intention of creating a legal obligation, which may have elements in writing. Contracts can be made orally. The remedy for breach of contract can be "damages" or compensation of money. In equity, the remedy can be specific...
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
Obedience training
Obedience training usually refers to the training of a dog and the term is most commonly used in that context. Obedience training ranges from very basic training, such as teaching the dog to reliably respond to basic commands such as "sit", "down", "come", and "stay", to high level competition...
Dawn Sylvia, in Hume, Virginia
Hume, Virginia
Hume is an unincorporated community in Fauquier County, Virginia. Hume is located five miles south of Interstate 66's Exit 18 and is named for the local Hume family. It runs along Virginia State Route 688. It is located east of the Rappahannock County line...
.
Bo has a brother named Rico, that is owned by a couple in Houston, Texas.
Media attention as Obamas select the First Dog
At his first press conference as President-electPresident-elect
An -elect is a political candidate who has been elected to an office but who has not yet been sworn in or officially taken office. These may include an incoming president, senator, representative, governor and mayor.Analogously, the term "designate" An -elect is a political candidate who has been...
, Obama was questioned by reporters as to 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 mutt
Mixed-breed dog
A mixed-breed dog, also known as a mutt or mongrel, is a dog whose ancestry is generally unknown and that has characteristics of two or more types of breeds. A mixed-breed may be a cross-breed dog, a random-bred dog, or a descendant of feral or pariah dog populations...
s like me." He also noted "Malia is allergic, so it has to be hypoallergenic. There are a number of breeds that are hypoallergenic."
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
Labradoodle
A Labradoodle is a crossbred dog created by crossing the Labrador Retriever and the Standard or Miniature Poodle.-History:The first known use of the term "Labradoodle" was by Sir Donald Campbell to describe his Labrador/Poodle cross dog in his 1955 book, "Into the Water Barrier"...
or a Portuguese water hound
Portuguese Water Dog
The Portuguese Water Dog is a breed of working dog as classified by the American Kennel Club. Portuguese Water Dogs are originally from the Portuguese region of the Algarve, from where the breed expanded to all around Portugal's coast, where they were taught to herd fish into fishermen's nets, to...
... medium-sized dog, and so, we're now going to start looking at shelters
Animal shelter
An animal shelter is a facility that houses homeless, lost, or abandoned animals; primarily a large variety of dogs and cats.Parrots, for example, are the third most common pet owned by people...
to see when one of those dogs might come up." 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 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
White House
The White House is the official residence and principal workplace of the president of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., the house was designed by Irish-born James Hoban, and built between 1792 and 1800 of white-painted Aquia sandstone in the Neoclassical...
on Tuesday, April 14. 2009; Immediately after he arrived, the family staged a photo op
Photo op
A photo op , short for photograph opportunity , is an opportunity to take a memorable and effective photograph of a politician, a celebrity, or a notable event...
with Bo on the property's South Lawn
South Lawn (White House)
The South Lawn at the White House in Washington, DC, is located directly south of the mansion, and is bordered on the east by East Executive Drive and the Treasury Building, and on the west by West Executive Drive and the Old Executive Office Building, and along its curved southern perimeter by...
. At the conference, Obama was asked if he would allow Bo inside the Oval Office
Oval Office
The Oval Office, located in the West Wing of the White House, is the official office of the President of the United States.The room features three large south-facing windows behind the president's desk, and a fireplace at the north end...
, to which he responded: "of course" but had noted Bo had once defecated under his desk staining the oval office carpet. He also gave a nod to President Harry Truman's quote, "If you want a friend in Washington, get a dog." The White House website was later updated to include official pictures and biographical details of Bo.
Biographical details
Listed by the name "Amigo's New Hope" with American Kennel ClubAmerican Kennel Club
The American Kennel Club is a registry of purebred dog pedigrees in the United States. Beyond maintaining its pedigree registry, this kennel club also promotes and sanctions events for purebred dogs, including the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show, an annual event which predates the official...
's breed registry and given the name "Charlie" by his original owners, the puppy received his current name from President Obama's two daughters, Malia and Sasha, in part after their cousins' cat and Michelle Obama
Michelle Obama
Michelle LaVaughn Robinson Obama is the wife of the 44th and incumbent President of the United States, Barack Obama, and is the first African-American First Lady of the United States...
's father's nickname Diddley; the dog is a namesake
Namesake
Namesake is a term used to characterize a person, place, thing, quality, action, state, or idea that has the same, or a similar, name to another....
of deceased singer Bo Diddley
Bo Diddley
Ellas Otha Bates , known by his stage name Bo Diddley, was an American rhythm and blues vocalist, guitarist, songwriter , and inventor...
.
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 is available by sending a self-addressed, stamped envelope to the White House.
According to financial disclosure forms released by President Obama in 2010, Bo has a value of $1,600.
In December 2010, Bo was permitted to accompany the Obama family to the guest house Plantation Estate
Plantation Estate
Plantation Estate is a single-story wood frame Pacific Ocean-front house at 55 Kailuana Place in Kailua, Honolulu County, Hawaii that Barack Obama rented to be used as a Winter White House during Christmas break vacations in 2008, 2009 and 2010....
in Hawaii. Hawaii, which is rabies free, has strict quarantine rules of up to 120 days for dogs from outside the state. However in rules modified in 2003, dogs are permitted if they have had two rabies shots including one in the previous 90 days, pass a rabies blood test, and have a microchip implant
Microchip implant (animal)
A microchip implant is an identifying integrated circuit placed under the skin of a dog, cat, horse, parrot or other animal. The chips are about the size of a large grain of rice and are based on a passive RFID technology....
.
Disputed rescue heritage
The Obama family originally seemed to emphasize their desire for an adopted shelter dog, but made no firm commitments. In the summer of 2008, Best Friends Animal SocietyBest Friends Animal Society
Best Friends Animal Society, founded in its present form in 1984, is an American nonprofit 501 organization that is one of America’s best known animal welfare rescue groups. Best Friends works in outreach programs with shelters, other rescue groups and members nationwide to promote pet adoption,...
, an animal welfare organization, gathered 50,000 signatures on a petition
Petition
A petition is a request to do something, most commonly addressed to a government official or public entity. Petitions to a deity are a form of prayer....
asking the family to adopt a shelter animal.
As Bo is a gift from the Kennedy family, he is not a shelter dog. Some dog experts, such as Cesar Millan
Cesar Millan
Cesar Millan, is a Mexican-born American dog trainer. A self-taught expert, he is widely known for his television series The Dog Whisperer with Cesar Millan, now in its seventh season and broadcast in more than eighty countries worldwide...
, 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. The Obamas have pledged to donate to the District of Columbia Humane Society to show their support for shelter dogs.
Some criticism has arisen from animal welfare
Animal welfare
Animal welfare is the physical and psychological well-being of animals.The term animal welfare can also mean human concern for animal welfare or a position in a debate on animal ethics and animal rights...
supporters because Bo was not adopted from a shelter. The Humane Society of the United States
Humane Society of the United States
The Humane Society of the United States , based in Washington, D.C., is the largest animal advocacy organization in the world. In 2009, HSUS reported assets of over US$160 million....
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.
Reactions by and in the media
The Washington PostThe Washington Post
The Washington Post is Washington, D.C.'s largest newspaper and its oldest still-existing paper, founded in 1877. Located in the capital of the United States, The Post has a particular emphasis on national politics. D.C., Maryland, and Virginia editions are printed for daily circulation...
’s Manuel Roig-Franzia, granted exclusive initial access to Bo for the print media, described the puppy: "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."
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals is an American animal rights organization based in Norfolk, Virginia, and led by Ingrid Newkirk, its international president. A non-profit corporation with 300 employees and two million members and supporters, it claims to be the largest animal rights...
(PETA) described the family's choice to accept the gift of a puppy from a family friend as "disquieting" and publicly urged the President to have Bo neutered, though the dog had been neutered before the Obamas received him.
In anticipation of increased interest in the breed
Breed
A breed is a group of domestic animals or plants with a homogeneous appearance, behavior, and other characteristics that distinguish it from other animals or plants of the same species. Despite the centrality of the idea of "breeds" to animal husbandry, there is no scientifically accepted...
, 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.
Immediately upon Bo joining the First Family, four children's books and a plush toy depicting him were slated for publication
Publication
To publish is to make content available to the public. While specific use of the term may vary among countries, it is usually applied to text, images, or other audio-visual content on any medium, including paper or electronic publishing forms such as websites, e-books, Compact Discs and MP3s...
or manufacture.
On July 17, 2009, the author Ben Greenman
Ben Greenman
Ben Greenman is an American writer and magazine editor.-Biography:Greenman was born in Chicago, Illinois and raised in Miami, Florida. He attended Miami Palmetto High School and then Yale University where he worked on the Yale Herald...
, writing in The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
as Bo, reflected on his first hundred days in office.
In the final episode of the History Channel's Life After People
Life After People
Life After People is a television documentary series where scientists and other experts speculate about what the Earth might be like if humanity no longer existed, as well as the impact humanity's disappearance might have on the environment and the artificial aspects of civilization...
, aired March 16, 2010, the producers imagined what life would be like for Bo after the disappearance of humanity. This showed that he would leave the White House, and live off seafood
Seafood
Seafood is any form of marine life regarded as food by humans. Seafoods include fish, molluscs , crustaceans , echinoderms . Edible sea plants, such as some seaweeds and microalgae, are also seafood, and are widely eaten around the world, especially in Asia...
from the Chesapeake Bay.
Bo was also shown on Dogs 101
Dogs 101
Dogs 101 is a show that airs on Animal Planet. It is centered on Dogs and what they are like.- Plot :Dogs 101 features 6 breeds of dogs per episode. This show explains each breed of dog and features opinions by experts ranging from trainers to groomers to veterinarians...
.
The family was criticized for poor training of Bo by Dog Whisperer
Dog Whisperer
Dog Whisperer with Cesar Millan is a reality television series that features Cesar Millan's work with problem dogs. In the United States, the program airs exclusively on the Nat Geo WILD channel with season 8 expected to premiere in 2012....
host and professional dog trainer Cesar Millan
Cesar Millan
Cesar Millan, is a Mexican-born American dog trainer. A self-taught expert, he is widely known for his television series The Dog Whisperer with Cesar Millan, now in its seventh season and broadcast in more than eighty countries worldwide...
, based on photos where the dog was allowed to walk ahead while on a leash.
Bo has appeared in the comic book
Comic book
A comic book or comicbook is a magazine made up of comics, narrative artwork in the form of separate panels that represent individual scenes, often accompanied by dialog as well as including...
Lockjaw and the Pet Avengers
Lockjaw and the Pet Avengers
Lockjaw and the Pet Avengers is a four-issue comic book limited series published by Marvel Comics from July to October 2009. The series was written by Chris Eliopoulos with art by Ig Guara.-Plot summary:...
.