During Barack Obama’s acceptance speech in Chicago’s Grant Park and on the TV screens of the rest of America, he made a promise to his daughters- Sasha and Malia.
NOTE: This dairy concludes with a question, if you will indulge below and beyond the fold.
Obama said, "I love you both so much, and you have earned the new puppy that's coming with us to the White House."
This fathers promise, or pledge, guarantees a long honored white house tradition will continue keep alive ... and wagging. That is the introduction of a new family member- a pet.
Although this decision is not one that is pressing or requiring advisors, it portends to tell us a little about the president and his family. The type and temperament of a family's pet often offers insights into the type and temperament of the family. However, the history of first pets also offers a glimpse of the times during which the presidents served. Yes, even first pets are relative to the times, of course.
While many presidents took to heart President Harry Truman's admonishment -- "If you want a friend in Washington, get a dog" -- first pets have come in all shapes, sizes and species.
As the years have progressed, however, the eclectic list of exotic first pets has narrowed down to only the traditional dog and/or cat. The last president to adopt a first pet outside of this canine/feline dominance for the first families adoration was Calvin Coolidge who in the 1920’s had several unusual pets- raccoons (who he walked on a leash), a donkey, a bobcat, canaries, a goose and a mockingbird. John Quincy Adams was the first, sharing the white house bathtub with his pet alligator. The next, and arguably the strangest of all first pets, was Martin Van Buren who in the 1930’s briefly owned two tiger cubs which were gifted to the president from the Sultan of Oman. In close competition was the two grizzly bears that Thomas Jefferson briefly kept in a cage on the White House lawn.
The new White House pet will follow in the paw-steps of a menagerie of animals that have had the run of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue over the years.
Of America’s 43 presidents, 24 have added a dog to the family once in the White House.
1789 - 1797 George Washington owned 10 Hounds with names that closely mirrored those of Sarah Palin’s five children- Mopsey, Taster, Cloe, Tipler, Forester, Captain, Lady Rover, Vulcan, Sweetlips and Searcher.
1801 - 1809 Thomas Jefferson owned a sheep dog.
1817 - 1825 James Monroe owned a Spaniel.
1861 - 1865 Abraham Lincoln owned at least 2 dogs called Fido and Jip.
1869 - 1877 Ulysses S Grant brought a Newfoundland dog named Faithful to the White House.
1877 - 1881 Rutherford Hayes owned an English Mastiff called Duke, two German Shepherd dogs named Hector and Nellie and a Greyhound called Grim.
1885 - 1889 Grover Cleveland was believed to have owned a Poodle.
1889 - 1893 Benjamin Harrison owned a dog called Dash.
1901 - 1909 Theodore Roosevelt owned a Pitbull Terrier (Pete), a Chesapeake Retriever (Sailor Boy), a Terrier (Jack), a mongrel (Skip) and a Spaniel called Manchu.
1921 - 1923 Warren Harding owned an Airedale called Laddie Boy and a Bulldog called Oh Boy.
1923 - 1929 Calvin Coolidge
Calvin Coolidge owned at least 12 dogs- Terrier,Airedale,2 White Collies, Shetland Sheepdog, 2 Chows, Brown Collie,Yellow Collie,Bulldog,Police Dog, and a Bird Dog
1929 - 1933 Herbert Hoover
Herbert Hoover owned at least 9 dogs- 2 Police Dogs, 2 Fox Terriers, Collie, Eskimo Dog, Wolfhound,Setter, Elkhound
1933 - 1945 Franklin D Roosevelt
Franklin D. Roosevelt owned at least 7 dogs: German Shepherd,2 Scotch Terriers, Llewellyn Setter, English Sheepdog, Great Dane, Mastiff, and a
Fala
1945 - 1953 Harry S Truman
Harry S. Truman owned a mongrel called Feller and an Irish Setter named Mike.
1953 - 1961 Dwight D Eisenhower owned a Weimaraner named Heidi.
1961 - 1963 John F Kennedy owned Welsh Terriers - Charlie and Pushinka, a German Shepherd - Clipper, Irish Cocker Spaniels - Shannon, aIrish Wolfhound - Wolf, and 3 Terriers - White Tips, Blackie and Streaker
1963 - 1969 Lyndon B Johnson
Lyndon B. Johnson owned 7 dogs:
a Mongrel, 5 Beagles - Beagle, Little Beagle, Him and Her and J. Edgar, and a White Collie
1969 - 1974 Richard Nixon Richard Nixon owned 4 dogs, a Spaniel (Checkers), Irish Setter, Terrier, and a Poodle.
1974 - 1977 Gerald Ford owned a Golden Retriever called Liberty who gave birth to nine puppies at the White House.
1977 - 1981 Jimmy Carter owned a dog named Grits.
1980-1988 Ronald Regan owned a Spaniel named Rex.
1989 - 1993 George H W Bush
George H W Bush owned a Springer Spaniel called Millie and her puppy named Ranger. "Millie", the Springer Spaniel, has been the subject of a book which has sold more copies than the autobiography of George Bush himself.
1993 - 2001 President Bill Clinton
Bill Clinton owned a chocolate Labrador called Buddy, and a cat named Socks.
2000 President George W Bush owned two dogs, a Scottish terrier named Barney and an English springer spaniel named Spot.
*2009- President Barack Obama....
What will number 25 look like?
This dairy hopefully begs that, and these, questions... Which breed of dog will the Obama's add to their family, or which breed best compliments the temperment of the Obama family?
The stories and antidotes of the American Presidents and their Dogs are a plenty. The website for much of the information disseminated here offers more fascinating first pet reading..
Many of the photos used in this diary were borrowed from an online photo essay by Time, released today.
Update [2008-11-6 16:42:33 by CaptainTight]: Barney bites white house supporter today! A bad sign?
