WASHINGTON - President Barack Obama and his family welcomed their new dog Bo to the White House and showed him off around the grounds.
The 6-month-old Portuguese water dog made his debut Tuesday afternoon in front of reporters and photographers. And the Obamas even walked him over near the fence on the White House South Lawn.
Said the president: "He's got star quality.":rooooooolleyes:
First lady Michelle Obama did most of the walking, with Bo on a leash. But daughter Malia took a turn, too, as Bo took off running.
Although Bo will be granted entry into the Oval Office, the president said the pooch won't be sharing his bed, adding that he and the family want to be "responsible dog owners."
"The only concern we have is apparently Portuguese water dogs like tomatoes Michelle's garden is in danger," President Obama joked.
The arrival of the pup fulfills Obama's promise during the presidential campaign to get his two daughters a puppy.
"We're very pleased with Bo," he said.
The dog's biography
The White House will be the puppy's fourth home in his six months of life. He was born in Texas, then moved to his first owner's home in Washington, D.C., then spent nearly a month with Sen. Edward Kennedy's dog trainer in Virginia, and now is moving to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.
At 6 months, Bo is still very much a "goofy puppy" and like many Portuguese water dogs, may still be that way up to age 2 or even 4, said Stu Freeman, president of the Portuguese Water Dog Club of America. "A puppy is a puppy and these are very active puppies," he said.
"Since `Bo' sounds like `no' we would recommend that they work with a trainer to consult on the best commands to give the dog. So the trainer may recommend either hand signals for `no' or perhaps saying `stop' instead," Okas said. "The dog could become very confused if it thinks its name is being called when it's actually being told to stop a certain behavior."
Also, at least in the early days, the Obamas should set and carry out the dog's routine themselves, "Dog Whisperer" Millan said.
The 6-month-old Portuguese water dog made his debut Tuesday afternoon in front of reporters and photographers. And the Obamas even walked him over near the fence on the White House South Lawn.
Said the president: "He's got star quality.":rooooooolleyes:
First lady Michelle Obama did most of the walking, with Bo on a leash. But daughter Malia took a turn, too, as Bo took off running.
Although Bo will be granted entry into the Oval Office, the president said the pooch won't be sharing his bed, adding that he and the family want to be "responsible dog owners."
"The only concern we have is apparently Portuguese water dogs like tomatoes Michelle's garden is in danger," President Obama joked.
The arrival of the pup fulfills Obama's promise during the presidential campaign to get his two daughters a puppy.
"We're very pleased with Bo," he said.
The dog's biography
The White House will be the puppy's fourth home in his six months of life. He was born in Texas, then moved to his first owner's home in Washington, D.C., then spent nearly a month with Sen. Edward Kennedy's dog trainer in Virginia, and now is moving to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.
At 6 months, Bo is still very much a "goofy puppy" and like many Portuguese water dogs, may still be that way up to age 2 or even 4, said Stu Freeman, president of the Portuguese Water Dog Club of America. "A puppy is a puppy and these are very active puppies," he said.
"Since `Bo' sounds like `no' we would recommend that they work with a trainer to consult on the best commands to give the dog. So the trainer may recommend either hand signals for `no' or perhaps saying `stop' instead," Okas said. "The dog could become very confused if it thinks its name is being called when it's actually being told to stop a certain behavior."
Also, at least in the early days, the Obamas should set and carry out the dog's routine themselves, "Dog Whisperer" Millan said.
