The Obama Dog Blog

Class Writes To Pres. Obama For "Picture Of Bo"

A class of fifth graders in Florida are very happy after writing to President Obama, asking some questions about the First Fluff and requesting a photo.

Last week, the kiddos got a response from the White House!

 

{Photo via the White House Flickr} 

 President Obama wrote to the students, sent along a photo of him, Bo and Bo's biography. (What biography, we wonder? Bo, Commander In Leash? Bo Obama: The White House Tails?  Oh how we love a good pun! Or could it have been the only one I've read: First Dog?) 

Interesting tidbits about Bo include that he likes to eat tomatoes (which aren't good for dogs) and that he likes to nap by the First Daughters.

Awww....... 

You can read the whole article here. 

//s.

Got a Bo Obama tip? Send it my way via Twitter: @StephanieDahle

Basking Bo

Hello everyone! Thanks to Moira for letting me blog about our nation's First Fluff, Bo Obama. 

I had the honor of seeing Bo in person last fall as I visited D.C. and he was on an afternoon walk on the White House Grounds. 

It was love at first sight.

 

Other than that one brief and far-away encounter, I have no connection to this cutie, but that doesn't stop me from reading anything I can about him (and his family)!

So I'll be sharing with you whenever Bo makes headlines.

No surprise, he did yesterday-- in the official White House Pool Report. 

As it makes little sense to have a whole batch of reporters chronicling the daily life of the POTUS, they switch off reporting a batch of print, audio and video shared among the major news outlets. 

I like to read them because the reporters have fun with them. Yesterday's details were very cute:

"After the speech, the president surprised the pool by deciding to walk across Lafayette Square back to the White House. He did not wear an overcoat on this pleasant day (it was 50-degrees at the time of the walk)...Ten minutes or so before the president departed, his dog, Bo Obama, could be seen basking in the sun on the south lawn."

Thank you, Sam Stein. 

You have now usurped Edwin Chen as my favorite pool reporter.

//s.

Signing Off. Good Bye, Bo.

Dear Readers,

Bo is now a star.  He has massive press coverage throughout the world.  So, I have decided to wrap up my coverage of him here on The Obama Dog Blog.  I do this with mixed feelings, because I can see that he is going to fun to cover as he grows and exerts even more of his rambunctious personality on the First Family.  And because I have fallen in love with this sweet boy.  But my other blog, Dog Art Today, is growing and I cannot faithfully keep up with an active puppy too.  I also want to get back to making art.  Thank you for your comments, your tips, and your readership.  It has been an honor archiving the anticipation, the intrigue, and the arrival of Bo Obama.  Thank you for following my blog.

Best regards,

Moira McLaughlin

P.S.  The best photos of Bo I've found are at daylife.com.

Bo Visits the Hospital

Bo is not technically a therapy dog, but I am sure he brought the patients at Children's National Medical Center in Washington D.C. a lot of joy.  Mrs. Obama was there with the First Dog to read the children a Christmas story.

Photo credit: Official White House photo by Samantha Appleton, December 22, 2009.  Via SF examiner.com.

Bo Loves Snow

Bo experiences his first snowfall.  Adorable.

Photo credits: AP Photo December 20, 2009. Via daylife.

Bo Meets Oprah

Major dog love. Keep watching after Bo leaves to see gingerbread Bo and other candy dogs from past administrations.

Bo Obama's Ready for Santa

Bo Obama in his festive lei appears to be the perfect First Pup in the White House's Diplomatic Reception Room, December 3, 2009. This sweet dog never chewed on shoes or kept the President awake playing ball in the hallway all night.  Who's a gooood boy?

Official White House Photo by Samantha Appleton via Fox News.

Bo and Garden Star in Gingerbread White House

Excellent video courtesy WhiteHouse.gov.

Obama Wins Nobel Peace Prize on Bo's Birthday

AP photo of Bo Obama in the Rose Garden, June 2, 2009 via daylife.

The Today Show reports:

At a press conference today, President Obama took to the White House's Rose Garden to make his first public comments on being named the surprise winner of this year's peace prize and said it wasn't at all how he expected to wake up.

"Malia came in and said, 'Daddy, you own the Nobel Peace Prize, and it is Bo’s birthday.' Then Sasha added, 'Plus we have a three-day weekend coming up!' " he told reporters. "So it’s good to have kids to keep things in perspective," he added.

Happy Birthday Bo!  And congratulations Mr. President!

Almost First Dog by Sharon Montrose and Spencer Starr

On November 4, 2008 Barack Obama accepted the Presidency of the United States and promised his girls a puppy for their new home.  What would forever be known as the "Puppy Moment" kicked off a fairy-tale-like quest for the perfect Obama pet.  Dog lovers, historians, and trend-watchers tracked every hint and nod to a breed to see which one the the First Family would select.  Sally Quinn called it, "The best kept secret in Washington."  When word leaked out that it would be a Portuguese Water Dog, Porties across the country applied for the position.  Photographer Sharon Montrose and her husband Spencer Starr have uncovered the previously unpublished headshots and resumes of the pups who hoped they would find a home at the White House in their new book Almost First Dog: The Secret (Rejected) Portuguese Water Dog Applications.

As a blogger who followed the First Dog search from the start, I have spent hours seaching for Portie images, so I can say with authority this is the most beautiful collection of Portuguese Water Dog photos out there.  Porties are challenging dogs to capture on film.  Frequently their black curly hair hides their eyes or ruins exposures.  Studio shots look stilted for such a rambunctious breed and the action shots sometimes sacrifice the magic of their adorable faces.  Sharon somehow wrangled the greatness of the breed in these works of art while Spencer revels in the fun and absurdity the world had waiting for the arrival of Bo.  I highly recommend this book for any Portie owner or photography buff; obviously, it's the perfect gift for someone who is both.

Here are some highlights:

Click here to order your copy.

Also, visit Sharon's etsy shop and Spencer's etsy shop to see the stunning depth of talent in one couple.  Stop by Sharon's website for large, limited edition prints (phenomenal, really).  Sharon's blog is a treat too.