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• Bo Obama, "First Dog of the United States", a six-month-old Portuguese Water Dog officially arrived at the White House on April 14, 2009.

  On April 13, 2009, official White House photographer Pete Souza captured a widely-publicized photo of Barack Obama running with Bo through the halls of the White House.The Huffington Post: Bo The Puppy Runs With Obama

  On April 14, 2009, CNN release the debut video of the Obama family and their new pet. Bo was a gift from Senator and Mrs. Ted Kennedy.CNN Video: Obama Dog Makes Debut (Time: 1:11)

• Fast Facts

  1. Dog belonging to the Obamas
  2. Breed: Portuguese Water Dog
  3. Born: c. October 2008
  4. Adopted from a Texas kennel
  5. Bo is a gift from Ted Kennedy's familyABC News: Obama Girls Name Their New Puppy 'Bo'
  6. The Kennedys will present the dog to the Obamas on April 14, 2009
  7. Bo is related to Portuguese Water Dog owned by the KennedysABC News: Obama Girls Name Their New Puppy 'Bo'
  8. Obama had promised daughters he would get dog if elected president
  9. Named after Bo Diddley and Michelle Obama's father, nicknamed "Diddley"
  10. Other names considered: "Moose" and "Frank"People.com: Michelle Obama: White House Dog Coming Soon!
  11. During Obama's presidential acceptance speech, he announced that his daughters would be getting a dog
  12. Obama's search for a dog was complicated by the fact that Malia, the elder Obama daughter, is allergic to dogs
  13. Turkish Water Dogs are said to be non-allergenicAKC: Portuguese Water Dog Breed Standard

• Breeder vs. Rescue

  The Obamas had originally planned to adopt a rescued dog from a shelter.People.com: Michelle Obama: White House Dog Coming Soon! The Best Friends Animal Society, a no-kill shelter in Utah, had set up a website called Obamafamilydog.com to urge the family to adopt a shelter dog, rather than buy a pedigreeNewsday.com: Obama Family Dog First on the List (November 5, 2008) "They were looking at shelters but in the end the Kennedys learned of this litter mate of their dog who needed a home," said a spokesman for Michelle Obama. "They wanted to give the girls a gift—and here we are!"Chicago Sun-Times: It's Bo, the Portuguese water dog for Obama daughters (April 12, 2009)

• Related Pages on Mahalo

  Obama Dog | Barack Obama | Malia Obama | Bo Diddley | Michelle Obama | Portuguese Water Dog

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