America’s leaders have long been admired not just for their policies and speeches—but also for their four-legged companions. From FDR’s faithful Fala to Biden’s energetic Commander, presidential dogs have often played a charming role in softening the public image of the men in charge. In fact, a tail-wagging friend in the White House is practically tradition. But while many presidents have shared the spotlight with their beloved pups, there’s one modern leader whose name might surprise you for its absence from this list. Dive in to discover the 15 most popular U.S. presidents and their dogs—and guess who didn’t make the cut. (Spoiler: He preferred gold-plated furniture to golden retrievers.)
George Washington and His American Foxhounds
When it comes to presidential dogs, we gotta start with the big guy himself. George Washington owned American Foxhounds named Sweet Lips, Scentwell, and Vulcan, and he actually created an entirely new dog breed that still exists today by cross-breeding his Black and Tan Coonhounds with French Hounds to create the American Foxhound. Think about that for a second – while he was building a nation, Washington was also creating the perfect hunting dog. One of his hounds, Vulcan, once stole a ham from the kitchen right before a dinner party, proving that even presidential pets can be total troublemakers.
These weren’t just pets lounging around the executive mansion – they were working dogs who helped shape American canine history. Washington’s love for his hounds was so deep that he named them with names that sound like they belonged in a Shakespeare play.
Abraham Lincoln and Fido – The Dog Who Stayed Behind
President Abraham Lincoln’s dog Fido has a legacy almost as special as our 16th president, and if you ever wondered why we commonly use the name “Fido” to refer to our dogs, it’s because of Lincoln’s famous pup who enjoyed long walks around town and accompanied Lincoln while running errands, but when Lincoln won the presidency, Fido had a tough time adjusting to the frequent visitors and constant travel, so the Lincolns made the difficult decision to send Fido to live with a friend. To give Fido some comfort from home, Lincoln sent his pup off with a custom-made couch that fit the president’s famously tall stature – talk about the perfect nap spot! Fido didn’t get to live in the White House and instead stayed in Springfield, Illinois. It’s pretty wild that one dog’s name became the generic term for all dogs, but that’s the Lincoln legacy for you.
Theodore Roosevelt and Pete – The Ankle-Biting Bull Terrier
President Theodore Roosevelt and his family were famous pet lovers who kept a menagerie of kangaroo rats, snakes, dogs, birds, ponies, and all manner of small animals, with the president preferring what he called “Heinz 57” dogs from multiple bloodlines, and one of his favorites was Skip, a short-legged Black and Tan mongrel terrier brought home from a Colorado bear hunt. But let’s talk about Pete, the Bull Terrier who made headlines for all the wrong reasons.
Pete was best known for biting White House staff and visitors’ ankles, and Roosevelt loved his furry friend – describing him as “ridiculously affectionate” – and often made excuses for Pete’s behavior, but eventually Teddy was out of excuses when a 1907 Washington Post article reported an incident where Pete chased a French Ambassador up a tree, so Pete was sent to live at a local doctor’s house but ultimately wound up back with the Roosevelts at their family home. Imagine being so naughty that you get kicked out of the White House but still end up back with your family because they love you too much!
Warren G. Harding and Laddie Boy – The First Celebrity Dog
The first White House dog to receive regular newspaper coverage was Warren G. Harding’s dog Laddie Boy, and this Airedale terrier basically invented the concept of a celebrity pet. Laddie Boy had his own chair in the Roosevelt Room for Cabinet meetings and became the first “celebrity” pet in the early 1920s, presided over the Easter Egg Roll, and once sat on a jury of children from a local nature club who put the White House owls on trial for murder (the owls were found innocent). Can you picture that scene – a dog sitting in on Cabinet meetings like he’s about to offer his opinion on foreign policy? Laddie Boy set the standard for all future presidential pets, proving that sometimes the most important member of the administration has four legs and a tail. This pup was living his best life in the 1920s, probably better than most humans at the time.
Franklin D. Roosevelt and Fala – The Most Famous Presidential Dog
Franklin D. Roosevelt had eight dogs while serving in the White House, but his Scottish Terrier Fala was by far the most famous and even grew so popular among Americans that he had his own secretary to sort his fan mail, and you can visit a statue of Fala and FDR at the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial in Washington, D.C., where Fala is not only the first presidential dog to be immortalized in statue form but also the only presidential pet to ever receive the honor.
Fala was treated like royalty in the White House, where he was served a bone on the President’s breakfast tray and slept on an exclusive chair at the foot of Roosevelt’s bed, and FDR loved showing off Fala’s tricks, including his most famous – curling his lip into a smile, and Fala was Roosevelt’s close companion until the end and even attended the president’s funeral. This little Scottish Terrier basically had better accommodations than most government officials and knew how to smile on command – what’s not to love about that?
Lyndon B. Johnson and Yuki – The Gas Station Rescue
President Johnson doted on Yuki, an abandoned stray found at a Texas gas station by his daughter Luci, and the sessions of the vagabond dog and the president singing together provide one of the most endearing images of a president and a pet. Yuki is believed to be the first rescue dog to live at the White House, and Johnson’s daughter Luci found him at a Texas gas station in 1966, where he was photo-bombing the President as he signed a bill in 1967. Picture this – a president of the United States singing duets with a scrappy little mutt who was literally picked up from a gas station. That’s the kind of heartwarming story that makes you believe in the American dream.
President Lyndon B. Johnson also caused controversy when he was photographed lifting his beagles, named Him and Her, by their ears, with some people not understanding the controversy since former president Harry S. Truman said “What the hell are the critics complaining about; that’s how you handle hounds,” though sadly Him died after being run over by the presidential limousine.
Richard Nixon and His Three-Dog Pack
President Richard Nixon’s most famous dog was Checkers who did not live at the White House, but the Nixons had three dogs well known in their day for their festive Christmas portraits – President Nixon’s Irish Setter King Timahoe, Tricia Nixon’s Yorkie Pasha, and Julie Nixon’s Poodle Vicki. Richard Nixon owned a Cocker Spaniel named Checkers, a Yorkshire Terrier named Pasha, a Poodle named Vicky, and an Irish Setter named King Timahoe. Now here’s the thing about Checkers – this dog never actually lived in the White House, but he became famous because of Nixon’s “Checkers speech” where he basically saved his political career by talking about his family dog.
The gift was a black-and-white cocker spaniel, Checkers, given to his daughters, and although there had been talk of Nixon being dropped from the ticket, following his speech he received an increase in support and Mamie Eisenhower reportedly recommended he stay because he was “such a warm person”. Talk about a dog changing the course of American history!
Gerald Ford and Liberty – The Oval Office Regular
David Hume Kennerly, a friend and the president’s official photographer, gave President Gerald Ford a golden retriever puppy named Liberty, and while a White House pet, Liberty gave birth to eight puppies and her popularity with the American public soared, with seven of the puppies given to good homes and one donated to the Leader Dogs for the Blind to serve as a Seeing Eye dog. In his memoir “A Time to Heal,” Ford wrote about first meeting Liberty: “Delighted, I grabbed the pup, put her on my lap, then got down on my hands and knees and played with her on the rug. That was a joyous experience, and I knew that Betty would be just as thrilled as I was to welcome the new addition to our family”. Liberty wasn’t just hanging around the residential quarters either – she was a regular in the Oval Office, probably the only dog in history to witness presidential decision-making up close.
Jimmy Carter and Grits – The Dog Who Didn’t Last
To welcome Amy Carter to her new home, a mixed breed/Springer Spaniel puppy born on the day Jimmy Carter was elected president was given to Amy by her Stevens Elementary School teacher Verona Meeder, and Amy named the dog Grits, but Misty Malarky Ying Yang, the Carter’s Siamese cat, was not fond of the addition to the Carter pet family, so in September of 1979, Grits was returned to his original owner, though during his stay at the White House, the dog did PR work with a veterinarian to launch a drive against canine heartworms.
Poor Grits – imagine being so disliked by the family cat that you get sent back to your original home. At least he got to do some good work promoting canine health awareness during his brief White House stint.
Ronald Reagan and His Canine Companions
Throughout their lives President Ronald Reagan and First Lady Nancy Reagan coddled a menagerie of critters ranging from horses to dogs to cows to goldfish. Ronald Reagan owned a Bouvier des Flandres called Lucky and a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel named Rex, plus he also had four other dogs that lived on his ranch – a Golden Retriever, Irish Setter, Belgian Sheepdog, and Siberian Husky. When First Lady Nancy Reagan was away, the president often wrote in his diary: “Rex and I are lonesome, Rex and I are roommates again, and Upstairs and waiting for Nancy’s return and here she is. Me and the dog are very happy”.
Rex was basically Reagan’s emotional support dog before that was even a thing. Initially, the Reagan White House was a dogless one, but that didn’t last long when they welcomed Lucky, a black Bouvier des Flandres who was eventually sent to live at Reagan’s ranch in Santa Barbara because she was getting too large and rambunctious for 1600 Pennsylvania Ave.
George H.W. Bush and Millie – The Author Dog
George Bush owned an English Springer Spaniel named Millie (the “author” of a dog memoir called “Millie’s Book”) and Ranger, one of Millie’s pups. Millie was the first presidential dog to “write” a New York Times Best Seller, and “Millie’s Book: As Dictated to Barbara Bush” describes a day in the life of the president from a First Dog’s point of view and benefited nonprofit literacy organizations, and the Bush family loved Millie dearly, and so did the rest of the country – especially those in the Bush’s hometown of Houston, TX, where citizens petitioned for five years to open Millie Bush Bark Park, the town’s first dog park, within George Bush Park.
After living a quiet leisurely life in the White House for the first year, Millie gave birth to six puppies and became a media sensation, landing First Lady Barbara Bush, Millie, and her six puppies on the cover of Life magazine, and she went on to dictate “Millie’s Book,” a best seller chronicling a typical day with her master, which earned almost $900,000 in royalties that were all donated to the Barbara Bush Foundation for Family Literacy. Not only was Millie famous, but she was also a philanthropist!
Bill Clinton and Buddy – The Lab Who Fought With a Cat
Bill Clinton moved into the White House with Socks, a tuxedo cat, who in 1991 was reported to have jumped into the arms of Chelsea Clinton after piano lessons while the Clintons were living in Little Rock, Arkansas, and he was later joined in 1997 by Buddy, a Labrador Retriever, during Clinton’s second term, though the two pets reportedly did not get along, with Clinton later saying “I did better with the Palestinians and the Israelis than I’ve done with Socks and Buddy” while Hillary Clinton said Socks “despised” Buddy at first sight.
Buddy and Socks, fought like true siblings, and in fact, their feud became a well-known part of White House living during the Clinton’s stay, with the furry pair even becoming the subject of the book “Dear Socks, Dear Buddy: Kids’ Letters to the First Pets,” penned by First Lady Hillary Clinton, which recounted the enormous amount of fan mail that the famous pets received from their loving fans around the country. When the President of the United States says he had better luck negotiating Middle East peace than getting his pets to get along, you know there’s some serious drama happening in the White House!
George W. Bush and His Scottish Terrier Stars
George W. Bush owned an English Springer Spaniel named Spot (daughter to Millie) and two Scottish Terriers named Miss Beazley and Barney. Well known to Americans as a web cam media star, Barney was a gift to President George W. Bush in 2000, and in December 2002, the dog wandered through the White House with a lipstick sized video camera attached to his collar, recording the dog’s eye view of the White House Christmas decorations launched on the White House web site, with his web cam adventures “Barney Cam,” “Barney Reloaded,” and subsequent annual installments becoming a popular Christmas tradition for the Bush administration.
Barack Obama and the Portuguese Water Dogs
Barack and Michelle Obama were without pets prior to the 2008 election but promised their daughters they could get a dog when the family moved into the White House, and they selected Bo, a Portuguese Water Dog, partly due to Malia Obama’s allergies and the need for a hypoallergenic pet, with the puppy being a gift from Senator Ted Kennedy and later joined by Sunny, a female of the same breed. Barack Obama welcomed two Portuguese Water Dogs, Bo and Sunny, into his family after his inauguration.
In 2008, the first photo of Bo went viral on social media, with Bo eventually becoming so popular that he was the subject of four books, was made into a plush toy sold on the White House online gift shop, and had an official schedule, and like FDR’s famous dog Fala, Bo travelled the world with the First Family on Air Force One and met many world leaders, plus he loved to join Michelle Obama at her children’s book readings and quickly stole the show. By 2016, photo opportunities and public appearances featuring Bo and Sunny, the unruly-looking Portuguese water dogs adopted by the Obama family, were in such high demand that the pair needed their own official White House schedules. These dogs were so popular they needed their own personal assistants – now that’s living the dream!
Joe Biden and His German Shepherds
Joe and Jill Biden moved into the White House with two German Shepherds, Champ and Major, with Major being the first shelter dog in the White House while Champ returned to Washington, having joined the Biden family during Joe Biden’s tenure as vice-president. Joe Biden and his wife Dr. Jill Biden restored the tradition of presidential pets to the White House on Jan. 20, 2021, with their two German Shepherd Dogs Champ, 12, and Major, 2, with Joe Biden having promised Jill he would get a dog after the 2008 election if Barack Obama won, and Jill Biden then attached pictures of different dogs to the seats of Biden’s campaign plane for him to see, and he acquired the puppy from a breeder in Pennsylvania named Champ (born October 2008) by his granddaughters, while Major (born January 2018) was the first rescue dog to reside in the White House.
President Donald Trump-No Dog
Ok, we had to mention President Trump as our “guess who” candidate. So why does President Donald Trump have no dog in the White House? Former President Donald Trump stands out as the first U.S. president in over a century not to have a dog—or any pet—in the White House. He candidly explained at a 2019 rally, “I don’t have any time…It feels a little phony,” suggesting that maintaining a pet would clash with his image and agenda
According to his ex-wife Ivana, Trump “was not a dog fan,” and his discomfort around dogs reportedly stems from germaphobic tendencies. Reddit users also pointed out that his habit of using “dog” as a political insult reflects a deeper dislike:
“Trump doesn’t like dogs. I don’t trust people who don’t like dogs.”
While these perspectives together help explain why the White House currently remains pet-free one should give the President some leeway in criticism, after all, not everyone is a pet person. His daughter Ivanka does have a Pomsky named winter often showcased on social media
Andrew Alpin from India is the Brand Manager of Doggo digest. Andrew is an experienced content specialist and social media manager with a passion for writing. His forte includes health and wellness, Travel, Animals, and Nature. A nature nomad, Andrew is obsessed with mountains and loves high-altitude trekking. He has been on several Himalayan treks in India including the Everest Base Camp in Nepal.
