Happy Inauguration Day! In honor of President Obama and his dog-to-be, this post lists the 25 presidents who had dogs.
George Washington
had 10 Hounds (Fox and/or Basset): Mopsey, Taster, Cloe, Tipler, Forester, Captain, Lady Rover, Vulcan, Sweetlips and Searcher
Thomas Jefferson
had a sheep dog and is the President who instituted the first dog license.
James Monroe
had a Spaniel possibly named Buddy.
- Abe Lincoln’s dog Fido. Possibly the first First Dog ever photographed.
Abraham Lincoln
Had at least 2 dogs called Fido and Jip.
Ulysses S Grant
brought a Newfoundland dog named Faithful to the White House. Faithful belonged to Jesse Grant, the son of President Grant.
Rutherford Hayes
had an English Mastiff called Duke, two German Shepherd dogs named Hector and Nellie and a Greyhound called Grim.
Grover Cleveland-was believed to have owned a Poodle.
- President Harrison’s Collie, Dash
Benjamin Harrison-had a dog called Dash.
Theodore Roosevelt
had a Pitbull Terrier (Pete), a Chesapeake Retriever (Sailor Boy), a Terrier (Jack), a mutt (Skip) and a Spaniel called Manchu.
- Stubby, decorated war hero
Woodrow Wilson
did not own a dog whilst he was President, but met and shook the paw of Stubby, a Pit Bull and the most decorated war dog in US history. Wilson famously said: “If a dog will not come to you after having looked you in the face, you should go home and examine your conscience.”
- President Wilson with Laddie Boy and two unknown boys
Warren Harding
had an Airedale called Laddie Boy and a Bulldog called Oh Boy. Laddie Boy who had his own chair to sit on at cabinet meetings.
Calvin Coolidge
had at least 12 dogs (and a raccoon):
Terrier (Peter Pan)
Airedale (Laddie Buck/Paul Pry)
2 White Collies (Oshkosh/Rob Roy and Prudence Primm)
Shetland Sheepdog (Calamity Jane)
2 Chows (Tiny Tim and Blackberry)
Brown Collie (Ruby Rough)
Yellow Collie (Bessie)
Bulldog (Boston Beans)
German Shepherd (King Kole)
Retriever (Palo Alto)
- First Lady Coolidge with two of her dogs
- President Hoover and his favorite dog, King Tut
Herbert Hoover
had at least 9 dogs
2 German Shepherds (King Tut and Pat)
2 Fox Terriers (Big Ben and Sonnie)
Scotch Collie (Glen)
Eskimo Dog (Yukon)
Wolfhound (Patrick)
Setter (Eaglehurst Gillette)
Elkhound (Weejie)
- Franklin Roosevelt and Fala
Franklin D. Roosevelt
had at least 7 dogs:
German Shepherd (Major)
2 Scotch Terriers (Meggie and Fala)
Llewellyn Setter (Winks)
English Sheepdog (Tiny)
Great Dane (President)
Mastiff (Blaze)
Fala was star of an MGM Hollywood movie about the typical day of a dog in the White House. Fala also became an honorary army private. He received this honor by contributing one dollar to the war effort setting a trend for the rest of the US. Fala is depicted in the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial.
- Ike with Heidi the Weimeraner
Harry Truman
had Spaniel called Feller and an Irish Setter named Mike. President Truman is attributed with the following quotes: “If you want a friend in Washington, get a dog,” and “Children and dogs are as necessary to the welfare of the country as Wall Street and the railroads.” Unfortunately he didn’t keep Feller or Mike in the White House for long.
Dwight D. Eisenhower
had a Weimaraner named Heidi.
- The Kennedy’s and their dogs
President John F. Kennedy
had the following dogs:
Welsh Terrier – Charlie and Pushinka
German Shepherd – Clipper
Irish Cocker Spaniel – Shannon
Irish Wolfhound – Wolf
Terrier – White Tips, Blackie and Streaker
?-Butterfuly and too many more pets to name!John F. Kennedy was the first president to request that his dogs meet the presidential helicopter when the president arrived at the White House.
- Johnson and Yuki
Lyndon B. Johnson
had 7 dogs:
mutt – (Yuki)
5 Beagles – Beagle, Little Beagle, Him and Her and J. Edgar
White Collie – (Blanco)
- The Nixons and their dogs
Richard Nixon
had 4 dogs
Spaniel (Checkers)
Irish Setter (King Timahoe)
Terrier (Pasha)
Poodle (Vicky)
- Ford and his Retriever, Liberty
Gerald Ford
had a Golden Retriever called Liberty.
Jimmy Carter
his daughter Amy had a mutt named Grits for a short time.
- Reagan, Lucky, and Margaret Thatcher
Ronald Reagan
had two dogs, a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel called Rex and a Bouvier des Flandres called Lucky, pictured here. Lucky was eventually sent to live in California leaving just Rex, the little Cavalier King Charles Spaniel at the White House.
George H W Bush
had 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.
Bill Clinton
had a chocolate Labrador called Buddy
President George W Bush
President George W Bush’s dogs include a Scottish terrier named Barney and an English springer spaniel named Spot. Spot was son to Millie, George H.W. Bush’s dog, when George H.W. Bush was President.