Dogs in the White House

Nearly every US President had a pet in the White House, with the most popular being dogs. Below is a list of America's First Dogs.

JFK's dog Pushinka on the south lawn of the White House.

George Washington didn't live in the White House (it was under construction) but he did own 17 hound dogs during his two terms of presidency (1789-1797). He had 12 hounds named Captain, Forester, Taster, Cloe, Lady Rover, Searcher, Drunkard, Tipsy, Tipler, Mopsey, Vulcan and Sweet Lips, and five French hounds that were given to him by the Marquis de Lafayette to breed with his dogs so he could create a superior hunting dog - the American foxhound.

John Adams (1797-1801), the 2nd president, had two (possibly more) mixed-breed dogs named Juno and Satan. They were the first dogs to live at the White House.

It was several years later when the next dog came to the White House with James Monroe (1817-1825), the 5th president. It was a small black spaniel, believed to be named Buddy. It is also believed that he may have had a Siberian husky named Sebastian.

The next dogs to come to the White House was when John Tyler (1841-1845) became the 10th president. They were two wolfhounds, imported from Ireland, and an Italian greyhound named Le Beau, ordered from the consul of Naples. All were gifts to his wife.

Seven dogs came to the White House when Franklin Pierce (1853-1857) took office as the 14th president. They were small sized dogs, possibly Japanese Chins, and were given to the President by Commodore Matthew Perry after a successful signing of a treaty with Japan. Pierce kept one of the dogs, gave one to Jefferson Davis, Secretary of War (who would be seen carrying the little dog around in his pocket), and the rest to friends.

The next President to take office, James Buchanan (1857-1861) was gifted two dogs. One was a Newfoundland named Lara and the other a toy terrier named Punch.

Abraham Lincoln (1861-1865), the 16th president, had two dogs. One was his beloved dog Fido, who couldn't handle the stress of living in the White House so he was sent back to Springfield (Lincoln's hometown) to stay with a friend. The other, a small dog named Jip, joined the family after they moved into the White House.

The next dogs to come to the White House was with Ulysses Grant (1869-1877), the 18th president. One was a Newfoundland named Faithful that belonged to Grant's youngest son. The other was a black and tan dog named Rosie.

Rutherford Hayes (1877-1881), the 19th president, had many dogs while living in the White House. There was a Newfoundland named Hector, an English mastiff named Duke, two hunting dogs named Juno and Shep, a greyhound named Grim, a cocker spaniel named Dot, a miniature schnauzer named Otis, and possibly a small mixed-breed dog named Jet.

Following Hayes's presidency, another Newfoundland moved into the White House with James Garfield (1881). His name was Veto and twice, while there, he was a hero. On one occasion he held the reins of a horse on a rampage in the barn until someone arrived, and on the other occasion he alerted staff when the barn caught fire.

Grover Cleveland (1885-1889 & 1893-1897), the 22nd and 24th president, had many dogs while in office. There was a cocker spaniel, believed to be named Gallagher, a prize-winning St. Bernard named Kay, a French poodle named Hector, a collie, and several dachshunds and foxhounds.

Benjamin Harrison (1889-1893), who served as president between Cleveland's two terms, had several mixed-breed dogs, including a part collie named Dash.

Theodore Roosevelt (1901-1909), the 26th president, not only had a lot of dogs, he had a lot of pets! His dogs included Pete, a bull terrier, Rollo, a St. Bernard, Sailor Boy, a Chesapeake Bay retriever, Skip, a mixed-breed dog, Blackjack (Jack), a Manchester terrier, and Manchu, a Pekingese.

Dogs continued to live at the White House until 2017.

During William Taft's term (1909-1913), a small white dog given the name Caruso, was gifted to his daughter by famed opera singer Enrico Caruso.

Woodrow Wilson (1913-1921) had an Airedale named Davie, and just before the end of his second term, he was given a white bull terrier named Whitestock Service Man (aka Bruce) by a breeder who admired Wilson greatly.

Warren Harding (1921-1923) had an Airedale named Laddie Boy - the first dog in the White House to receive a lot of media attention. He also had a lesser-known bulldog named Old Boy (Ol' Boy or Oh Boy).

Calvin Coolidge (1923-1929) was another president who had a lot of pets, including many dogs. There were two white collies named Rob Roy and Prudence Prim, an Airedale named Paul Pry (the half-brother of President Harding's Laddie Boy), a fox terrier named Peter Pan, a Shetland sheepdog named Calamity Jane, two chows named Tiny Tim and Blackberry, a brown collie named Ruby Rouch, a "yellow" collie named Bessie, a bulldog named Boston Beans, a Belgian shepherd named King Cole and an English setter bird dog named Palo Alto.

Although Herbert Hoover (1929-1933) did not own a big variety of pets like Coolidge, he did own a lot of dogs. One was a Belgian shepherd named King Tut, who was said to have passed away due to stress while living at the White House - earning him the distinction as the presidential dog who "worried himself to death." Other dogs included Pat, a German shepherd (a gift from Captain Charles Mabbutt, intended to replace King Tut), Big Ben and Sonny, both fox terriers, Yukon, a Siberian husky, Patrick, an Irish wolfhound, Gillette, a Gordon setter (and prize-winning dog at the prestigious Madison Square Garden show), Weejie, a Norwegian elkhound, and possibly Glen, a Scottish collie.

Franklin Roosevelt (1933-1945) had several dogs, including Fala, a Scottish terrier who charmed the public and was mentioned in FDR's famous Fala Speech. Other dogs included Major, a German shepherd, Meggie, a Scottish terrier, Winks, a Llewellyn setter, Tiny, an Old English sheepdog, President, a Great Dane, and Blaze, an English bullmastiff.

Shortly after Harry Truman (1945-1953) was sworn in, his 21 year old daughter was given an Irish setter puppy, which she named Mike, by Postmaster General Robert Hannegan. Mike had a short stay at the White House. Later, Truman was gifted a cocker spaniel puppy named Feller - who he refused to keep, causing a public outcry.

Dwight Eisenhower (1953-1961) was given a Weimaraner (named Heidi) by the son of the Postmaster General. He loved her very much but had to send her to his farm in Pennsylvania after a costly mishap in the White House.

The two most well-known dogs that shared the White House with John Kennedy (1961-1963) were Charlie, a Welsh terrier, and Pushinka, a mixed-breed puppy of Strelka (Soviet space dog) that was given to the President by the Soviet Leader Nikita Khrushchev. The two dogs had a litter of four puppies named Butterfly, White Tips, Blackie and Streaker (two of the puppies were given to children who won a contest and two were given to family friends.) Other dogs included Gaullie, a French poodle, Shannon, a cocker spaniel, Wolf, an Irish wolfhound, and Clipper, a German shepherd.

Lyndon Johnson (1963-1969) had four beagles named Him, Her, Edgar and Freckles, a white collie named Blanco, and a rescued dog named Yuki.

Richard Nixon (1969-1974) had three dogs while President. The White House dogs included Vicky, a French poodle, Pasha, a Yorkshire terrier, and King Timahoe, an Irish setter.

Gerald Ford (1974-1977) had a beloved golden retriever named Liberty and one of her puppies (out of a litter of nine) named Misty.

Jimmy Carter's nine year old daughter Amy was given a border collie mix (born on the day Carter won the presidential election) named Grits. A couple of years later, the dog was returned to the teacher after her dog (Grit's mother) died. The family also had an Afghan hound named Lewis Brown while living in the White House.

Ronald Reagan (1981-1989) came to the White House without any dogs, but a few years later the March of Dimes poster child gave the First Lady a Bouvier des Flandres puppy which she named Lucky. When Lucky became "the size of a pony" and too much to handle at the White House, she was sent to live more freely at Reagan's California ranch. Soon after, they were given a Cavalier King Charles spaniel puppy as a Christmas gift. They named their new puppy Rex.

George H.W. Bush and First Lady Barbara came to the White House with their beloved Millie, an English springer spaniel who "wrote" Millie's Book: As Dictated to Barbara Bush - describing her life in the White House. Millie had a litter of puppies, and one remained with the Bushes at the White House. His name was Ranger.

A few years after coming to the White House, Bill Clinton (1993-2001) got a chocolate Labrador retriever puppy named Buddy - because, according to Clinton's spokesman, "It's the President's desire to have one loyal friend in Washington."

George W. Bush (2001-2009) had two Scottish terriers named Miss Beazley and Barney, and an English springer spaniel named Spot (an offspring of his father's dog Millie.)

Barack Obama (2009-2017) had two Portuguese water dogs. When Obama won the election, Senator Ted Kennedy gifted Bo to his two daughters. In 2013, Sunny joined the family. According to a White House blog post, she was "the perfect little sister for Bo."

Donald Trump is the first president in over 100 years to not own a dog (or any other pet). In 2016, a long-time friend of his wanted to give him a goldendoodle puppy named Patton, which she thought would be nice for his 10 year old son Barron, but Trump refused - saying he was too busy for a dog.

Soon, pets will once again grace the halls of the White House when Joe Biden takes office in 2021. He plans to bring his two German shepherds, Major (a rescued dog) and Champ, and a cat which he plans to adopt from a shelter."

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Caruso: A Pet Better Than Cows

Caruso was given to Helen, the daughter of William Taft (the 27th president of the US), because the White House cows weren't particularly fun pets.

Helen Taft holding Caruso, and President Taft

President Taft had a couple of pet cows named Pauline Wayne (or "Miss Wayne") and Mooly Wooly - the last cows at the White House. When Enrico Caruso (the famous Italian operatic tenor) performed for the Tafts, he gave the President's daughter Helen a little dog, thinking this would be a more appropriate pet for a young lady. Helen happily accepted the dog and named him Caruso. According to Mo Rocca in All the President’s Pets: The Story of One Reporter Who Refused to Roll Over, Caruso had a bark that was "like a high pitch tenor" and "howled La Traviata."

King Tut: The Dog Who Worried Himself to Death

King Tut helped Herbert Hoover become president, and is said to have died from the stress he had endured while being in the White House.

King Tut & Herbert Hoover

Campaign officials felt a photo of Herbert Hoover (who had never run for office) with his dog King Tut, a Belgian shepherd - commonly known as "police dogs" at the time, would help him win votes. The photo was circulated around the country, and Hoover did win with an overwhelming majority of votes.

That year when Hoover became president, the stock market crashed, causing the country to go into the Great Depression. King Tut was very protective of his family, and over time became overwhelmed with the many visitors to the White House. The stress proved to be too much when King Tut stopped eating, so President Hoover decided to send his dog to a quiet home. According to an article published on August 16, 1929, "Illness has forced King Tut, President Hoover's Belgian police dog to abandon his nightly practice of assisting the White House police in patrolling the grounds of the executive mansion. Tut was taken to the president's fishing preserve in Virginia over the last week-end and shortly after his return developed an ailment which veterinarians diagnosed as stomach trouble. It is thought to be of only a temporary nature and pending his recovery, the dog has been given a comfortable bed in a corner of the White House laundry."

King Tut never improved and passed away at the age of eight in late 1929, earning him the distinction as the presidential dog who "worried himself to death."

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President McKinley and the Mysterious Black Dog

It is reported that William McKinley had a parrot, roosters and cats as pets while in the White House, but no dogs. In fact, only one photo seems to exist of the President with a dog - a dog he didn't even know.

President McKinley (2nd on the right) and the black dog next to the man on the left.

The above photo was taken just hours before William McKinley was shot at the Pan American Exposition (World's Fair) in Buffalo, New York on September 6, 1901. Nobody knew who the black dog was that hung around with the men while they viewed Niagara Falls, but after McKinley died eight days after the shooting, the dog was regarded by the press as having been a bad omen.

Rob Roy and Prudence Prim: Coolidge's Two White Collies

President Coolidge and the First Lady loved animals and had a variety of them while in the White House, but their favorites were their two white collies Rob Roy and Prudence Prim.

President Coolidge, the First Lady, Rob Roy and Prudence Prim.

The First Lady, Grace Coolidge, bought Rob Roy from a breeder in Oshkosh, Wisconsin in 1922 after falling in love with a white collie she saw performing in a circus. The dog's name was originally Oshkosh, but the First Lady renamed the puppy Rob Roy, after a popular cocktail.

Rob Roy went with the Coolidge's to the White House and was known to lead the President to the Oval Office each morning in a stoic manner. He hated squirrels, had a tendency to bark often and did not like elevators. Every time he had to ride on the elevator he would cling to the floor, hanging on for dear life.

Rob Roy was the President's favorite pet. He would trick the dog into chasing animals on the screen during the showing of films at the White House, and even once ordered a Senator to give his sausage to the dog during breakfast.

Rob Roy is the first dog to be part of an official First Family portrait. In 1924, the First Lady insisted Rob Roy pose with her for her official White House painting. The portrait hangs on the south wall of the China Room in the White House, and was said to be Jackie Kennedy's favorite White House painting.

Prudence Prim, about one year old, arrived at the White House in 1925. The First Lady was particularly fond of the well behaved dog. She would dress her up in a beautiful bonnet and bring her to her garden tea parties where Prudence would greet each guest.

Rob Roy and Prudence Prim were best friends. Prudence died from distemper in July 1927 and Rob Roy passed away after an unsuccessful surgery for stomach problems in September 1928.

"I am unable to understand how anyone can get along without some sort of pet." -Grace Coolidge

"Any man who does not like dogs and want them about does not deserve to be in the White House." -Calvin Coolidge

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George Washington's Passion for Dogs

George Washington, the first President of the US, had a fondness for dogs and a creativeness in naming them.

George Washington is widely known as the father of the American foxhound. He had a fondness to all dogs from working dogs to lap dogs but hunting hounds were his passion.

Washington was an avid fox hunter. To create a new and better breed of hound, he spent several years crossbreeding his English hounds with his French hounds, leading to the American foxhound. He kept his hounds in a kennel close to his house where a creek ran through for the dogs to drink from, and everyday he would personally check on the dogs and visit with them.

Other dogs Washington owned included dalmatians, spaniels, terriers, sheepdogs and Newfoundlands. He was creative in naming his dogs, with names like Countess, Dutchess, Sweet Lips, Truelove, Tipsy, Tipler, Drunkard, Mopsey, Madame Moose, Venus and Vulcan.

Vulcan, one of his French hounds, was quite a character. He is described in Mount Vernon documents as being "so big a young boy could ride him like a pony, with powerful jaws and an insatiable appetite." One story says Vulcan went into the kitchen one day, sunk his teeth into a savory ham and ran off with it after the kitchen staff tried desperately to retrieve it. The lady of the mansion was not amused, but Washington "having heard the story, communicated it to his guests, and, with them, laughed heartily at the exploit of the stag-hound."

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Laddie Boy: Harding's Popular Dog

Laddie Boy became famous in history as the first dog in the White House to receive media attention making him a celebrity.

On March 5, 1921, the day after Harding's inauguration, the President interrupted a cabinet meeting to greet his new dog. The dog was a seven month old Airedale named Laddie Boy. That day a reporter from The New York Times wrote "With many manifestations of pleasure, the President led his new pet into his office, where he made himself at home." One week later the paper reported the dog's ability to bring the morning paper to Harding at the breakfast table. "The Airedale has been working on the stunt for several days but this was the first time he got through it without a hitch..." This was just the beginning of many news stories to come during Laddie Boy's time in the White House.

No presidential dog before or after Laddie Boy received as much press coverage as he did. Harding, who began his career as a newspaper man (and eventually owning the Marion Daily Star in Ohio), apparently knew a great story readers would enjoy thus allowing the press to report the life of his new companion.

Laddie Boy greets President Harding

President Harding and the First Lady loved animals and supported the humane treatment of all creatures. Laddie Boy did his share of charitable work, including leading an animal parade that benefited the Humane Education Society in Washington D.C. While editor of the paper in his earlier days, Harding wrote "Whether the Creator planned it so, or environment and human companionship have made it so, men may learn richly through the love and fidelity of a brave and devoted dog."

Instead of staying in the White House kennels, Laddie Boy had the run of the house. He spent most of his time with the Hardings and even had his own hand carved chair to sit on during cabinet meetings. Laddie Boy would greet visiting dignitaries on the front steps, retrieve golf balls for Harding when he made a misdirected shot, and was a big hit at the annual Easter Egg Roll on the White House lawn. On April 18, 1922 The New York Times reported "It wouldn't have been a children's party without Laddie Boy, who was the first resident of the White House to appear on the south portico. His keeper let him loose down the steps, but so many were the little hands put out to pat him that Laddie Boy raced back and spent the remainder of the morning sitting proudly on a table. There was almost as large a crowd of youngsters watching the Harding Airedale as there was around the five truckloads of bottled pop on the driveway."

When Laddie Boy turned two years old, he was given a party at the White House with neighborhood dogs. A birthday cake made of dog biscuits was sent from the Caswell Kennels in Toledo, Ohio (where Laddie Boy was born) which included a letter allegedly written by his father, Champion Tintern Tip Top, who wrote "It is hard to realize what a famous family member we have in you, Laddie Boy. If we did not see your pictures which appear so often in the newspapers and magazines it would be hard for us to realize that you have grown to doghood and are no longer the roistering young blade that we bade good-bye to long ago."

Not only did the media write about Laddie Boy, President Harding would write the press in Laddie's voice expressing the dog's opinions on things and about his life in the White House. One of those letters that appeared in The New York Times, February 1922, said "So many people express a wish to see me, and I shake hands with so many callers at the Executive Mansion that I fear there are some people who will suspect me of political inclinations. From what I see of politics, I am sure I have no such aspirations."

On August 2, 1923 President Harding died while on a trip in San Francisco, and Laddie Boy (who was almost always at his side) for some reason was left at the White House during their vacation. The following day the Associated Press reported "There was one member of the White House household today who could not quite comprehend the air of sadness which hung over the Executive Mansion. It was Laddie Boy, President Harding's Airedale friend and companion. Of late he has been casting an expectant eye and cocking a watchful ear at the motor cars which roll up on the White House drive. For, in his dog sense way, he seems to reason that an automobile took the Hardings away, so an automobile must bring them back. White House attachés shook their heads and wondered how they were going to make Laddie Boy understand."

The First Lady gave Laddie Boy to Harry Barker, a Secret Service agent who was like a son to her. She died the following year, and Laddie Boy lived a good life with the Barkers until his death on January 22, 1929. The New York Times reported that the "end came while the dog, ailing for many months of old age, rested his head on the arms of Mrs. Barker." Laddie Boy was buried at an undisclosed location in Newtonville, Massachusetts.

Shortly after President Harding's death, more than 19,000 newsboys around the country gave a penny each for a memorial to honor his death. The pennies were melted down and made into a life-size sculpture of Laddie Boy. Today, the sculpture is part of the collection of the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of American History.

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