HAIL TO ....

A new book First Dogs: American Presidents and Their Best Friends
by Roy Rowan, Brooke Janis, tempted Winnie and me to research and give a paw up and bow-wows to a few…

So, on Presidents’ Day, let's pay tribute to those 4-legged pups who staved off reporters with a well placed nip; listened to the endless rehearsals of the State of the Union address; stood on the front line in world crises; gave unconditional love as his master’s popularity polls dipped, and marked history in their unique way.



Franklin D. Roosevelt’s Fala - Scottish Terrier,
the most famous of his 7 dogs, accompanied him everywhere. All domestic and international travels and even met with Churchill.
Roosevelt taught Fala to stand up and salute when the Star Spangled Banner played.
The only known presidential dog to be so honored, Fala was buried next to Roosevelt’s grave.

Warren G. Harding’s Laddie Boy - Airedale Terrier, retrived any of Harding's golf balls hit in a tree.
He had his own hand carved chair to sit at cabinet meetings.
Celebrated his White House birthdays with other neighborhood dogs and served them dog biscuit cake.
Newspapers loved to publish mock interviews with the dog.
Laddie Boy, howled constantly the 3 days prior to the President's death at the Palace Hotel in San Francisco, knowing of his master's imminent demise.

When Laddie Boy died, newsboys collected 19,134 pennies to be remelted and sculpted into a statue that now resided at the Smithsonian Institution.

John F. Kennedy’s, Charlie - Welsh Terrier
Charlie, two claims to fame were peeing on the leg of anyone he didn’t like. The next part reads like a soap-opera...


In '57, Laika became the first animal launched into orbit. (This photograph shows her in a flight harness.)
Soon, Belka and Strelka followed suit.
One of Strelka's pups, Pushinka, born after her mission, was given as a present to Caroline Kennedy by Khruschev in 1961.
After a brief interlude with Pushinka, while Khruschev and Kennedy discussed the Cold War... the end result (*) *Butterfly, White Tips, Blackie, and Streaker - (offspring of Pushinka and Charlie).
The press aptly named them the “Cold War Couple”.

Lindon Baynes Johnson’s two beagles, Him and Her, put the" Prez" in the "dog house".
A world-wide outcry for animal cruelty was directed at Johnson and the White House when the press photographed him picking up a beagle by its ears. Johnson held fast to his claim that it didn’t hurt the dog. However, no one ever had the opportunity to turn the table on Johnson.

Calvin Coolidge, or should we say the First Lady, had a passion for white collies.
Grace Coolidge, loved to dressed and parade them at White House functions.
She commissioned her White House portrait to include the white collies.
For the sittings she wore a red gown so as to contrast the white collies. The President, not amused, suggested she wear a white gown and paint the dogs red. Headline: Cramped quarters in Coolidge's Dog House.

So, Hail to all the top dogs at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave.
They all left their mark.
Millie, who dictated her book to Barbara Bush.
The first, First Dog, Sweet Lips, named by George Washington.
Paws DOWN to:
The only former dogless president, Clinton.
AND, one former president, Chester A. Arthur, with no record of any pets. Remember him, bet your kibbles, you don't.

Ciao!