Former President Calvin Coolidge once said, “Any man who does not like dogs and want them about does not deserve to be in the White House,” and nearly every fellow commander in chief before and after him has taken such advice to heart. In fact, more dogs have taken up residence at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue than presidents, first ladies and presidential children combined, with rough estimates reaching 250 pooches — or nearly 1,000, including family pets outside of elected terms as well. Take a look at the top 10 most famous first Fidos!
10. Skip Roosevelt
President Theodore Roosevelt had several dogs during his lifetime, including a bull terrier named Pete who notoriously chased the French ambassador through the White House and tore out the bottom of his trousers. However, it was Roosevelt’s mongrel Skip that not only earned a special place in his heart, but on the 26th president’s horse as well. Roosevelt would scoop up Skip and place the short-of-stature pooch on his saddle during hunting trips. Eventually, the pup learned how to jump up onto horses on his own, and was even spotted riding alone on the back of Roosevelt’s son’s pony!
9. Charlie Kennedy
The Kennedys were animal lovers through and through. Not only did they build a special play area on the White House lawn where the children could bond with family pets, but JFK was also the only president to formally request that his dogs greet him when he arrived home via helicopter. Though they would go on to own many pets, the Kennedys moved into the White House in 1961 with only Charlie by their side, a Welsh Terrier who loved to swim with the president. Charlie was also top priority in terms of safety, perhaps as Kennedy’s way of saying thanks to man’s best friend for providing great comfort and relief from the intense stress during the Cuban Missile Crisis.
8. Heidi Eisenhower
The “I Like Ike” slogan helped secure Dwight D. Eisenhower’s place as the 34th president of the United States, and while his dog Heidi was also definitely among his supporters, Heidi felt quite the opposite about Ike’s wife Mamie. The feisty Weimaraner would jump on Mrs. Eisenhower anytime she approached the president, and went on to demonstrate her disregard by “decorating” a diplomatic reception room rug worth $20,000. Mamie and the housekeeping staff spent the entire night trying to get the stain out to no avail, so both the rug and the dog were banished – one permanently, and the other until she learned how to mind her manners
7. Liberty Ford
Responding to the president’s special signal with a wag of the tail, Gerald Ford’s trusty Golden Retriever was known for her help in keeping Oval Office meetings short. Liberty’s other claim to fame involved an incident that nearly became a Secret Service crisis. One evening when Liberty’s regular caretaker was unavailable, the president offered to handle dog duty, which involved a late-night “business” trip to the South Lawn. When Ford took the dog out, he neglected to notify security, inadvertently locking the duo out of the White House until Ford was able to alert guards to let them back in
5. Him and Her Johnson
Though LBJ had many dogs before, during and after his White House tenure, Him and Her were the most famous of the bunch. This pair of beagles joined Johnson on the campaign trail in 1964. Though Johnson once drew criticism for his handling of the pups when he lifted Him by his ears while attempting to get the beagles to do a trick in front of a group on the White House lawn, the former president insisted he meant no harm. Him and Her were frequently photographed walking and playing with LBJ, and even made the cover of LIFE magazine.
4. Checkers Nixon
Checkers was a household name before the former president even stepped foot in the White House, thanks in large part to Nixon’s reference to his pooch during a 1952 speech in response to allegations of accepting illegal campaign contributions as the running mate of Dwight D. Eisenhower. The tactic worked, securing Nixon’s career (temporarily at least) as well as Checker’s notable place in history
2. Fala Roosevelt
FDR’s beloved Scottish Terrier was first named “Big Boy” but renamed “Murray the Outlaw of Falahill” (or “Fala” for short) after one of the former president’s Scottish ancestors. Fala traveled with his master constantly, both stateside and overseas, whether by train, car, or boat. One of the most famous trips, in 1944, to the Aleutian Islands created a flurry of rumors that Fala was accidentally left behind, prompting Republicans to accuse FDR of spending millions of taxpayers’ dollars in sending a destroyer back for the dog. The president defended his Scottie vehemently during what would become his famous “Fala speech” delivered to the Teamsters Union. The popular pup received thousands of fan letters and even needed a secretary to answer his mail. Most notably, Fala was the only presidential pet to be included in a national monument; a statue of the dog stands by his master’s side at the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial in Washington, D.C
Read more: http://www.care2.com/greenliving/top-10-presidential-pups.html#ixzz27iE8nccN
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