Dogs have been a popular part of the presidential family since George Washington. Let’s go through some of the president’s furry best friends!
Grover Cleveland
He had a Cocker Spaniel with a brown coat and very long ears. His name was Gallagher!
Warren Harding
He had a terrier who was only 6 months old when he moved into the White House. His name was interesting: Laddie Boy.
Calvin Coolidge
He had a white collie that was named Rob Roy after a famous cocktail drink. He was also of course part of family portraits.
Herbert Hoover
He had a Belgian Shepherd who not only helped humanize and get Hoover elected by appearing in campaign photos, but also did not stop doing his duty after campaigning. He also patrolled the White House gates on a nightly basis. He had the fitting name of King Tut.
Franklin D. Roosevelt
The Roosevelts were a big fan of pets and even had 6 kids, so the White House was quite full during his presidency. And, to add to chaos, his German shepherd, Major, would chase the White house maids around the house. Joe Biden, our President-elect, is also bringing in a German Shepherd named Major, but hopefully he doesn’t also chase the maids around. Roosevelt also had a smaller pup that he would take with him on travels. She was a Scottish terrier named Fala!
Harry Truman
He did not have a long lasting relationship with his dog because he quickly realized he was’;t a fan of dogs and gave away Feller, his Cocker Spaniel, to a family physician to keep.
John F. Kennedy
John F. Kennedy was also a dog lover like Franklin D. Roosevelt. Nikita Khrushchev, a Soviet leader at the time, gave Kennedy a dog as a gift. Pushinka would stay at the White House ground while family and the rest of the first dogs went to the Cape. When I say rest of the dogs, I mean 8 other dogs aside from Pushinka. Just like Roosevelt, he also had a German Shepherd, but named Clipper!
Lyndon B. Johnson
Lyndon B. Johnson was a fan of beagles. He had two beagles, interestingly named Him and Her. he had an odd tendency to pull their ears. Some people were outraged by this and he issued an apology but also told reporters that he had done that since they were young and they seemed to enjoy it. LBJ’s daughter, Luci, was given two of his beagles, Freckles and Kimberly. He also had one more dog, a rescue he found at a gas station. He named this terrier mixed dog, Yuki!
Richard Nixon
He had three dogs of all different breeds. He had an Irish setter, a poodle, and a terrier. They were named King Timahoe, Vicki, and Pasha, respectively.
Gerald Ford
He had a golden retriever that was given to him by his daughter as a gift when the dog was a puppy. The dog, Liberty, eventually had 9 puppies of her own years later!