Bo (dog)
| Bo (dog) | |
|---|---|
Official White House portrait of the First Dog
(May 2009) |
|
| Other appellation(s) | First Dog[1][2][3] Charlie (by previous owner) |
| Species | Canis lupus familiaris |
| Breed | Portuguese Water Dog |
| Sex | Male |
| Born | Amigo's New Hope[4] October 9, 2008 Chicago, Illinois, United States |
| Nation from | United States |
| Known for | Pet of the First Family of the United States |
| Training | Dawn Sylvia (Hume, Virginia) Can sit, present paw/shake, lie down, roll over, get off, wait[5] |
| Predecessor | Barney |
| Owner | Obama family |
| Parents | Dam: Penny (Amigo's Phor What Its Worth) (Boyd, Texas) Sire: Watson (Valkyrie's Dr. Watson Is Here) (Ambridge, Pennsylvania)[6] Breeder: Julie Parker[7] |
| Appearance | tuxedo; black and white |
| Named after | Obama girls' cousins' pet cat and also Bo Diddley |
Bo[8] (born October 9, 2008) is a pet dog of the Obama family, the former First Family of the United States.[2] Bo is a neutered[9] male Portuguese Water Dog.[2]
Barack Obama and his family were given the dog as a gift after months of speculation about the breed and identity of their future pet.[10] The final choice was made partly because Malia Obama's allergies made a hypoallergenic breed necessary.
Bo was occasionally given the title "First Dog of the United States of America".[1][2][3] In August 2013, Bo was joined by Sunny, a female dog of the same breed.[11]
Adoption[change | change source]
The Obamas originally wanted to adopt a dog from an animal shelter, but made no promises.[12] In the summer of 2008, Best Friends Animal Society, an animal welfare organization, gathered 50,000 signatures on a petition asking the family to adopt a shelter animal.[13]
Bo is a gift through a breeder and is not a shelter dog. Dog expert Cesar Milan said Bo was part of a larger group known as "rescue dogs". He was unsuccessful in his first home when plans for him to be friends with an older female dog did not go well.[14] The Obamas pledged a donation to the DC Humane Society in a show of support for shelter dogs.
Some animal welfare supporters criticized The White House for not adopting a shelter dog.[13] The Humane Society of the United States released a statement thanking the Obamas "for taking in a second-chance dog," but also discouraged going through breeders.[15]
References[change | change source]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Dave, By (April 20, 2009). "Vigilant press spots Bo, the first dog, out for a walk | csmonitor.com". The Christian Science Monitor. http://features.csmonitor.com/politics/2009/04/20/vigilant-press-spots-bo-the-first-dog-out-for-a-walk/. Retrieved April 26, 2009.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 "The White House – Blog Post – Meet Bo, the First Dog". Whitehouse.gov. http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/09/04/12/Meet-Bo-the-First-Dog/. Retrieved August 10, 2009.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Cooper, Helen (April 12, 2009). "One Obama Search Ends With a Puppy Named Bo". The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/13/us/politics/13obama.html. Retrieved April 18, 2009. "Other Web sites, which have been tracking the saga of the selection of the first dog, were in a frenzy over the weekend."
- ↑ Silva, Mark (April 12, 2009). "Obamas' dog Bo:'Amigo's New Hope'". Swamppolitics.com. http://www.swamppolitics.com/news/politics/blog/2009/04/obamas_dog_bo_amigos_new_hope.html. Retrieved October 19, 2009.
- ↑ "Obama Dog Trainer: Bo Already "Sits, Shakes, Rolls Over"". Us Weekly. April 15, 2009. Archived from the original on March 4, 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20140304215249/http://www.sodahead.com/united-states/obama-dog-trainer-bo-already-sits-shakes-rolls-over/blog-59283/. Retrieved February 28, 2014.
- ↑ "The Obama Dog Blog: Cappy's Breeder Rejects Obama Dog Connection". Dreamdogsart.typepad.com. April 15, 2009. http://dreamdogsart.typepad.com/the_obamas_dog/2009/04/cappys-breeder-rejects-obama-dog-connection.html. Retrieved April 26, 2009.
- ↑ Sostek, Anya (April 14, 2009). "First dog's father from Ambridge". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09104/962604-57.stm. Retrieved June 11, 2011.
- ↑ "Bo Obama gets a playmate! Obamas adopt another dog". http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/bo-obama-playmate-obamas-adopt-dog-article-1.1431320. Retrieved January 21, 2017.
- ↑ Hess, Amanda (April 13, 2009). "PETA Encourages Obamas to Neuter Neutered Dog". nbcwashington.com. http://www.nbcwashington.com/news/local/PETA_Encourages_Obamas_to_Neuter_Neutered_Dog.html. Retrieved April 15, 2009.
- ↑ "World | Obama family 'picks first puppy'". BBC News. April 12, 2009. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/7995570.stm. Retrieved April 26, 2009.
- ↑ Feldmann, Lindie. "New little girl arrives at White House. Meet Sunny Obama. (+video)". Christian Science Monitor. http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/DC-Decoder/Decoder-Wire/2013/0820/New-little-girl-arrives-at-White-House.-Meet-Sunny-Obama.-video. Retrieved August 20, 2013.
- ↑ Greene, Nick (April 15, 2009). "Obama's criticized for breaking promise of adopting dog from shelter". London: The Daily Telegraph. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/usa/barackobama/5154973/Obamas-criticised-for-breaking-promise-of-adopting-dog-from-shelter.html. Retrieved April 26, 2009.
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 "Obama's will adopt, rather than buy, a dog". San Jose Mercury News. 11 May 2008. http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_10908907?source%253Dmost_emailed.26978592730A3B8C7F471EACE0DA4EF2.html. Retrieved February 24, 2015.
- ↑ Visitant, Carol (April 16, 2009). "5 Things You Don't Know About First Dog Bo – Barack Obama". People. http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20272856,00.html?xid=rss-topheadlines. Retrieved April 26, 2009.
- ↑ "The HSUS Congratulates First Family on New White House Dog". Humane Society of the United States. April 12, 2009. http://www.humanesociety.org/news/press_releases/2009/04/first_family_dog_sm_041209.html. Retrieved November 5, 2012.
Other websites[change | change source]
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Bo (dog) |
| Honorary titles | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Barney George W. Bush's Scottish Terrier |
White House pet dog April 14, 2009–January 20, 2017 Served alongside: Sunny |
Succeeded by Vacant |
