February 17, 2020
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:
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)
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)
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)
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 – Feller
Irish Setter – Mike
Weimaraner – Heidi
John F. Kennedy: 35th U.S. President (1961-1963)
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)
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)
Poodle – Vicki
Terrier – Pasha
Irish Setter – King Timahoe
Cocker Spaniel – Checkers (1952–1964)
Gerald Ford: 38th U.S. President (1974-1977)
Golden Retrievers – Liberty and Misty (Liberty’s puppy born in the White House)
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)
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 Spaniels – Millie (January 12, 1985 – May 19, 1997); First Dog of the United States) and Ranger (one of Millie’s puppies)
Chocolate Labrador Retriever – Buddy (1997- January 2, 2002); First Dog of the United States)
George W. Bush (R): 43rd U.S. President (2001-2009)
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 Dogs – Bo (born October 9, 2008; first Dog of the United States) and Sunny (born June 11, 2012).
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)