In mid-October, you may have spotted the news that Joe Biden’s dog, Commander, was leaving the White House. The German Shepherd was removed after a number of biting incidents, including one that was severe enough to send a Secret Service agent to the hospital. German Shepherds are notoriously high-drive dogs, requiring constant physical exercise and mental stimulation to prevent destructive behavior.
President Biden is far from the first occupant of the Oval Office to introduce four-legged companions with him; in fact, of the 46 presidents to date, only three (James K. Polk, Andrew Johnson and Donald Trump) did not have presidential pets. The White House has seen a wide variety of dog breeds, each depending on the preference of their owner-in-chief.
In this article, we’ll look at the history of ‘First Dogs’ (or FDOTUS), including some of the more notable and famous pups who have spent time at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.
Do presidential dogs live a ‘normal’ life?
You might think it somewhat unlikely that a presidential dog could lead the same life as the average pet dog, yet surprisingly, the life of a White House dog can be strikingly similar to that of any other pup with owners who lead busy lifestyles.
The dog’s activities and the owner’s involvement depends on how actively involved the First Family can, or wish, to be; in the book Pets at the White House, historian Jennifer Pickens explains how President George H.W. Bush used to bathe his dogs in the presidential shower. Michelle Obama used to walk the First Family’s dogs on trails near Washington D.C., while the Kennedys would sneak out at night to walk their dogs down Pennsylvania Avenue.
However, one common misconception is that the Secret Service must protect ‘First Dogs’ with the same gusto and force as they would the First Family. Although members of the Secret Service are often seen handling or walking dogs belonging to the president and their family, the reality is that security afforded by the Secret Service only extends to humans. While the relevant statute (18 U.S. Code § 3056) does not define who is included in “immediate family”, the law is interpreted as referring to human family members, as is the case with other aspects of federal regulations.
The first presidential dogs
The history of presidential dogs dates back to the very founding of the United States. A keen fox hunter, George Washington was renowned for breeding and keeping American Foxhounds. Over the course of his life, Washington actually owned dogs from all seven AKC variety groups.
The distinction of the first dogs to actually live in the White House (although Washington selected the site and approved the design plans, he never actually lived there) goes to Juno and Satan, owned by John Adams – the second president.
Aside from the daughter of James Monroe owning a Spaniel, very little is documented about dogs staying at the White House in the late 1700s/early 1800s. During this time, it appeared that presidents had an eclectic taste in pets. Records state that everything from silkworms (John Quincy Adams), parrots (Andrew Jackson), sheep (Thomas Jefferson), grizzly bears (Jefferson again) and tiger cubs (Martin Van Buren) were kept as pets at the White House, but dogs were notable by their absence up until the mid-nineteenth century.
Did Abraham Lincoln own dogs?
Abraham Lincoln owned multiple animals – including dogs. This included Fido, a yellow mixed-breed dog who was owned by Lincoln prior to becoming president. In fact, Lincoln’s ownership of Fido popularized the name to such an extent that it is believed that is where the generic usage of Fido to describe dogs originated.
Animals continued to be kept at the White House in the period following Lincoln’s assassination. Subsequent presidents owned dogs, with Rutherford B. Hayes owning at least eight, including a Newfoundland, a Greyhound and a Miniature Schnauzer. Grover Cleveland owned three Dachshunds.
Among the myriad of pets owned by Theodore Roosevelt were Jack and Pete, two terrier-type dogs. Pete was believed to be Roosevelt’s favorite dog, although he was exiled from the White House in 1907 due to numerous incidents (including, but not limited to, biting policemen on several occasions; fighting another dog that crept onto the grounds of the property; and tearing the pants off of Jean Jules Jusserand, the French ambassador to the United States).
Twentieth century presidential pets
As the twentieth century progressed, so dog ownership among presidents gathered pace. Woodrow Wilson and Warren G. Harding owned Airedale Terriers, while Calvin Coolidge had a wide variety of breeds, including Chow Chows, Shetland Sheepdogs, English Setters and Belgian Sheepdogs.
Franklin D. Roosevelt owned a number of dogs – one even called President, a Great Dane. Roosevelt’s most famous dog was Fala, a Scottish Terrier gifted to the family at Christmas in 1940. Fala was able to perform tricks and was a constant source of interest for the media. Like the Bidens, FDR also owned a German Shepherd named Major; and just as happened with Biden’s GSD named Major, Roosevelt’s Major was found to be involved in a number of biting incidents that led to him being relocated away from the White House.
Post-war, presidents continued to own dogs, and media attention continued to focus on the four-legged companions living in the presidential quarters. Dwight Eisenhower owned a Weimaraner, John F. Kennedy owned a Poodle and a Welsh Terrier, and Lyndon B. Johnson owned Beagles. Perhaps two of the most notable presidential pets stem from this era; Richard Nixon’s Cocker Spaniel, Checkers, and Gerald Ford’s Golden Retriever, Liberty, both spent several years as members of the First Family.
Ronald Reagan owned several dogs during his presidency, including a Bouvier des Flandres, Lucky, and a King Charles Cavalier Spaniel, Rex.
The modern era of presidential dogs
The Clintons owned two pets during Bill Clinton’s tenure as president. One was a cat called Socks (who lived to be twenty years old), while the other was a Labrador Retriever named Buddy. Clinton obtained Buddy during the start of his second term; sadly Buddy would only live to be four years old, when he was unfortunately struck by a car and killed at the Clintons’ residence in New York in 2002.
George W. Bush owned a Springer Spaniel, Spotty, whose mother was Millie – a dog that Bush’s father had owned during his own stint as president. The Obamas brought a Portuguese Water Dog, Bo, with them to the White House; they added another dog of the same breed, Sunny, in June 2012.
The Bidens have owned three German Shepherds since moving into the White House. Champ was acquired in 2008, after Biden promised his wife, Jill, that they would get a dog after the 2008 presidential election (irrespective of the result). Champ passed away in 2021. The White House is currently a dog-free zone, as both Major and Commander have been removed from the residence after biting incidents.
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