water spaniel dog united states presidents barack obama bo

The Dogs Of The U.S. Presidents

Did you know that Presidents' Day is based around first president of the United States birthday? George Washington was born on February 22, 1732 and the holiday was originally established in 1885. It became known as Presidents' Day after the 1971’s Uniform Monday Holiday Act, which attempted to create more three-day weekends for the nation’s workers. To celebrate, we're taking a look at the dogs of the U.S. Presidents over the years:

George Washington: 1st U.S. President (1789-1797)

black and tan coonhound dog

American Foxhounds – Sweetlips, Scentwell and Vulcan (among others)
Black and Tan Coonhounds – Drunkard, Taster, Tipler, and Tipsy
Greyhound – Cornwallis (named for General Cornwallis)

Thomas Jefferson: 3rd U.S. President (1801-1809)

briard dog
Briards  – Buzzy and unknown name

James Monroe: 5th U.S. President (1817-1825)

siberian husky dog

Spaniel – Belonged to youngest daughter, Maria Monroe
Siberian Husky – Sebastian

John Tyler: 10th U.S. President (1841-1845)

 italian grehound dog
Italian Greyhound  – Le Beau

James Buchanan: 15th U.S. President (1857-1861)

toy terrier dog
Newfoundland  – Lara
Toy Terrier  – Punch

Ulysses S. Grant: 18th U.S. President (1869-1877)

newfoundland dog
Newfoundland  – Faithful
Mutt – Rosie

Rutherford B. Hayes: 19th U.S. President (1877-1881)

english mastiff dog
Cocker Spaniel – Dot
Newfoundland – Hector
English Mastiff – Duke
Greyhound – Grim
Miniature Schnauzer – Otis
Hunting Dogs - Juno and Shep
Unknown Breed – Jet

Grover Cleveland: 22nd & 24th U.S. President (1885-89/1893-97)

poodle dog
Poodle  – Hector
Dachshunds  – Unknown names

Benjamin Harrison: 23rd U.S. President (1889-1893)

collie dog
Collie  – Dash

Theodore Roosevelt: 26th U.S. President (1901-1909)

chesapeake bay retriever dog
Bull Terrier  – Pete
Manchester Terrier 
– Blackjack
Pekingese 
– Manchu
Saint Bernard 
– Rollo
Chesapeake Bay Retriever 
– Sailor Boy
Unknown Breeds  – Gem and Susan
Terriers  – Jack and Peter

Woodrow Wilson: 28th U.S. President (1913-1921)

airedale terrier dog
Airedale Terrier  – Davie
Bull Terrier  – Bruce

Warren G. Harding: 29th U.S. President (1921-1923)

english bulldog dog
Airedale Terrier  – Laddie Boy
Bulldog  – Old Boy

Calvin Coolidge: 30th U.S. President (1923-1929)

chow chow dog
White Collies  – Rob Roy (1922–1928) and Prudence Prim
Wirehair Fox Terrier  – Peter Pan (the Coolidge's first White House dog)
Airedale Terrier  – Paul Pry (half-brother of Warren Harding's Laddie Boy)
Shetland Sheepdog  – Calamity Jane
Chow Chows  – Tiny Tim and Blackberry
Collie  – Ruby Rouch
Boston Bulldog  – Boston Beans
Belgian Sheepdog  – King Cole
English Setter  – Palo Alto ("Palo"); given to Colonel Starling, chief of the Secret Service detail in the White House
Collie  – Bessie

Herbert Hoover: 31st U.S. President (1929-1933)

irish wolfhound dog
Belgian Shepherd (Malinois variety)  – King Tut
German Shepherd  – Pat
Fox Terriers  – Big Ben and Sonnie
Scotch Collie  – Glen
Eskimo dog  – Yukonan
Irish Wolfhound  – Patrick
Setter  – Eaglehurst Gillette
Norwegian Elkhound  – Weegie

Franklin D. Roosevelt: 32nd U.S. President (1933-1945)

great dane dog
Scottish Terrier  – Fala (1940–1952)
German Shepherd  – Major (formerly a police dog from the New York State Police)
Scottish Terrier  – Meggie
Llewellyn Setter  – Winks
Old English Sheepdog  – Tiny
Great Dane  – President
Bullmastiff  – Blaze

Harry S. Truman: 33rd U.S. President (1945-1953)

cocker spaniel dog
Cocker Spaniel  – Feller
Irish Setter  – Mike

Dwight D. Eisenhower: 34th U.S. President (1953-1961)

weimaraner dog

Weimaraner – Heidi

John F. Kennedy: 35th U.S. President (1961-1963)

german shepherd dog
Poodle  – Gaullie 
Welsh Terrier   Charlie
Doberman Pinscher  – Moe
Unknown Breed  – Pushinka (gift from Soviet Union Premier Nikita Khrushchev, puppy of Soviet space dog Strelka)
Irish Cocker Spaniel  – Shannon
Mutt (mix of Irish Wolfhound and Schnauzer)  – Wolf
German Shepherd  – Clipper
Mutts  – Butterfly, White Tips, Blackie, and Streaker (offspring of Pushinka and Charlie)

Lyndon B. Johnson: 36th U.S. President (1963-1969)

beagle dog
Beagles  – Him and Her, Edgar, and Freckles
White Collie  – Blanco
Mutt  – Yuki; famous for "singing duets" (howling) with the President for White House guests

Richard M. Nixon: 37th U.S. President (1969-1974)

irish setter dog
Poodle – Vicki
Terrier  – Pasha
Irish Setter  – King Timahoe
Cocker Spaniel  – Checkers (1952–1964)

Gerald Ford: 38th U.S. President (1974-1977)

golden retriever dog
Golden Retrievers  – Liberty and Misty (Liberty’s puppy born in the White House)

Jimmy Carter: 39th U.S. President (1977-1981)

afghan hound dog
Border Collie mix  – Grits (given to his daughter Amy by her teacher, but quickly returned after snapping at several White House visitors)
Afghan Hound – Lewis Brown
 

Ronald Reagan: 40th U.S. President (1981-1989)

cavalier king charles spaniel dogs
Bouvier des Flandres  – Lucky
Cavalier King Charles Spaniel  – Rex (December 16, 1984 – August 31, 1998); First Dog of the United States
Golden Retriever  – Victory
Irish Setter  – Peggy
Siberian Husky  – Taca
Belgian Sheepdog  – Fuzzy

George H. W. Bush: 41st U.S. President (1989-1993)

springer spaniel dog
Springer Spaniels  – Millie (January 12, 1985 – May 19, 1997); First Dog of the United States) and Ranger (one of Millie’s puppies)

Bill Clinton: 42nd U.S. President (1993-2001)

chocolate labrador retriever dog

Chocolate Labrador Retriever – Buddy (1997- January 2, 2002); First Dog of the United States)

George W. Bush (R): 43rd U.S. President (2001-2009)

scottish terrier dog
English Springer Spaniel  – Spot "Spotty" Fetcher (March 17, 1989 – February 21, 2004); named after Scott Fletcher; one of the puppies from George H. W. Bush's dog, Millie
Scottish Terriers  – Barney (September 30, 2000 – February 1, 2013) and Miss Beazley (October 28, 2004 – May 17, 2014)

Barack Obama (D): 44th U.S. President (2009-2017)

portuguese water dog obama
Portuguese Water Dogs  – Bo (born October 9, 2008; first Dog of the United States) and Sunny (born June 11, 2012).

Joe Biden (D): 46th U.S. President (2021-present)

Major German Shepherd Biden Rescue Shelter Dog White House

German Shepherds Champ born (October 2008 - June 2021); Major (born January 2018; first rescue and shelter dog to ever live in the White House); Commander (September 2021)

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