Porties are known to be precocious and energetic dogs. And true to his breed, Bo, the new First Puppy, just couldn't wait until his official Tuesday debut to introduce himself to the world. Well, truth be told, it wasn't his fault. The Washington Post, who was promised the First Dog story after the New York Times got the White House garden exclusive, ran the story about the new First Puppy today after a mysterious website FirstDogCharlie.com leaked a photo of the Obama dog online.
No one knows who leaked the story, but the telltale lei links the dog originally named Charlie (actually he was originally named something else -- and I am working on that story) to the photos of the Obamas meeting the girls back in March. The lei is a nice touch, a way to charm the President who is from Hawaii.
The Washington Post has some sweet details about Bo's first visit which was a surprise to the girls and referred to at the White House as "The Meeting" ...
- The girls named it Bo -- and let it be noted that you learned that here first. Malia and Sasha chose the name, because their cousins have a cat named Bo and because first lady Michelle Obama's father was nicknamed Diddley, a source said. (Get it? Bo . . . Diddley?) (Note by Moira: BO are also Barack Obama's initials.)
- Bo's a handsome little guy. Well suited for formal occasions at the White House, he's got tuxedo-black fur, with a white chest, white paws and a rakish white goatee.
- Bo charmed the first family, a source who was there said. He sat when the girls sat, stood when the girls stood. He made no toileting errors and did not gnaw on the furniture. Bo has, after all, been receiving lessons in good behavior from the Kennedys' dog trainers. These lessons have been taking place at a secret, undisclosed location outside Washington.
- When the president walked across the room during the visit, Bo followed obediently.
Awwww.
The Los Angeles Times is also running this photo of Bo...
And here is the leaked photo from FirstDogCharlie.com...
Now, it will be interesting to watch the Obamas, none of whom have ever owned a dog, go from being just people to being dog people. Every dog owner knows exactly what I mean. Becoming the First Family is nothing compared to becoming a dog owner...welcome to the greatest club in the world!
Do Portuguese Water Dogs eat linguiça?
See
http://notionscapital.wordpress.com/2009/04/12/bo-obama-first-dog/
Posted by: Mike Licht | 04/12/2009 at 02:26 PM
Okay, how cute is that dog?!
Posted by: Denene@MyBrownBaby | 04/13/2009 at 06:02 AM
... for all pet owners or concerned parents of human or animal kids out there.....
just don't believe all you hear from experts without checking facts!
Dr. Nestle may be great but just like all of us she doesn't (can't) know all of it. She doesn't seem to know or want to acknowledge that organic certification for pet foods already exists (there are no specific pet food standards yet but certified organic pet foods follow still the relatively high standards for certified organic human foods to the iota) and she doesn't seem to know that raw food is the best food animals (and we 'smart' humans) evolved on so successfully. Perhaps, if we'd not kill all the nutrients before we ate our food, we would be healthier and less immune suppressed, so that we'd even be able to survive contact with "terribly dangerous" raw foods without getting sick!.....
My take home messages:
1. Don't heat your (pet's) food to a degree where its nutrients degrade!
2. Don't 'blindly' believe people which don't stay on top of their expert experience or just seem to be resistant to learning about new things...
3. Don't fall prey to pet food manufacturers that claim to sell you organic pet foods. If their food isn't *certified* organic you only have the word of the manufacturer and not the assurance by an unbiased third-party that substantiates that a manufacturer's organic (hormone-free, GMO-free, antibiotic-free, even human grade where applicable etc.) claims are true...
The link you see when you click on "Rosie" will show you companies that are paying members of the Organic Trade Association (OTA) and not all of them sell you certified organic (think: 'USDA organic' seal) pet foods. So you'll have to check their sites.
If you don't see 'certified organic' claims and or the USDA organic seal, keep on looking for a food that has been verified to be (certified!) organic.
Check for the USDA organic seal and *certified* organic claims even if you see a lot of promises of organic , antibiotic-free, hormone-free, GMO-free,.... human grade, etc.
If you don't see *certified* organic claims or the USDA organic seal, you may fall prey to 'smart' marketing scams that takes the health of your pet and your wallet on a ride.
Oh yes, I should mention that only certified organic claims are regulated and enforced by the US government while all other 'organic' claims are free for grabs and can be legally ab-used in the pet food industry.
Posted by: Rosie | 04/13/2009 at 10:49 PM
I (a pet food manufacturer) could not have said it better.
Certified organic pet foods exist and only certified organic pet food claims are verified by an independent and USDA-accredited organic certifying agency.
Currently, organic certification of pet foods follows exactly the same regulations as they exist for certified organic human foods.
P.S. Careful consumers - 'USDA approved' or USDA facility' does NOT equal 'USDA organic' (read more at http://www.onestaorganics.com/blog)
Posted by: Heidi | 04/13/2009 at 11:01 PM