| During the election night Barack Obama said that he | | | | the Obamas' daughters, Malia and Sasha, from the |
| had promised their two girls a dog after the election | | | | Kennedys as they helped to line up Bo with Obamas. |
| and was to fulfill this promise as they had earned it. | | | | "This breed possesses a lot of energy, so without |
| President Obama said the new puppy must meet two | | | | training or a job to do, the Obama dog may entertain |
| prerequisites. They wanted it to be a rescued dog | | | | itself by running full-speed down the West Wing or |
| such as one from a shelter and the Obama dog had | | | | barking at Republicans," said animal behaviourist Mary |
| to be hypoallergenic as their daughter Malia had | | | | Burch of the American Kennel Club. |
| allergies. | | | | Cesar Millan, host of the National Geographic Channel's |
| On Sunday the 12th of April 2009, Obama accepted a | | | | "The Dog Whisperer" and co-founder with his wife of |
| six month-old Portuguese water dog named Bo as a | | | | a non-profit foundation to help abused dogs said Bo |
| gift from Senator Edward Kennedy of Massachusetts, | | | | could be considered rescued, since he was removed |
| ending months of debate about the best | | | | from a situation that wasn't working. |
| "hypoallergenic" breed for his family: Labrador or | | | | "To help Bo the Obama dog settle in, the Obamas |
| Portuguese water dog. Bo's breeders happen to have | | | | should walk him a lot in the early days to bond with |
| bred Senator Edward Kennedy's Portuguese water | | | | him, drain his energy and make him hungry for his |
| dogs. | | | | meals", Millan said. That will give the dog a routine and |
| Bo the Obama dog was given up by his first owner as | | | | help him see that the family is the source of his food, |
| a poor fit and is now with his second owners, the | | | | and he has to work for it, he said. |
| Obamas, but never spent time in a shelter or with a | | | | Conspiracy buffs might speculate that Bo the Obama |
| rescue group, Bo is a "quasi-rescue dog," says Wayne | | | | dog was meant for the Obamas all along. Was his |
| Pacelle, chief executive of The Humane Society of the | | | | adoption engineered to look like a rescue, or at least |
| United States. | | | | blur the line to head off criticism that the Obamas had |
| Katie McCormick Lelyveld, a spokeswoman for | | | | picked a purebred from a breeder? Bo the Obama |
| Michelle Obama said Bo the Obama dog is a gift to | | | | dog. |