The Top First Dog
By NewHampster on January 25, 2009 at 5:20 AM in Current Affairs
Laddie Boy with his biscuit birthday cake. Laddie boy was the owner of Warren and Florence Harding.
According to an article at Smithsonian, there had been many pets in the White House but Laddie Boy became a celebrity who’s fame has not been matched, even in the age of television and radio.
Though there were many presidential pets before him, Laddie Boy was the first to receive regular coverage from newspaper reporters. “While no one remembers him today, Laddie Boy’s contemporary fame puts Roosevelt’s Fala, LBJ’s beagles and Barney Bush in the shade,” says Tom Crouch, a Smithsonian Institution historian. “That dog got a huge amount of attention in the press. There have been famous dogs since, but never anything like this.”
During their time in the White House, from 1921 to 1923, the Hardings included their dog in almost every aspect of their daily lives. When Harding golfed with friends, Laddie Boy tagged along. During cabinet meetings, the dog sat in (perched on his own chair). At fundraising events, the first lady frequently had Laddie Boy make appearances. The dog was such a prominent White House personality that the Washington Star and the New York Times seemed to run stories about the terrier almost daily in the months after Harding took office.
This is really a good read to set things in perspective before we have the onslaught of the most beautiful, most loving, best behaved glorious dog to ever grace the Oval Office now or forever onward for eternity.
The Full Article at Smithsonian Magazine
ps. even hamsters love dogs and I am very much a dog lover who at the current moment is between owners. when my next owner finds me I’ll let you know.
When the Hardings were away, Laddie Boy was left to the care of White House kennel master Wilson Jackson.
Cross posted from Partizane
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Looks like the dog that lived next door when I was in kindergarten, Brock. He used to follow me to school and hang out by the classroom window. That was, ummm… 1952?
Caused some inconvenience for his dear humans, who as I recall were a couple of very nice matronly older ladies who were sisters. (Everyone seemed old to me then, but If I could make a picture from my mind’s eye, you’d agree.) They drove a pickup truck with “GMC” on the tailgate. I was puzzled for a long time why my initials were on that tailgate.
Our very small three-year-old family dog had been killed by a car a year earlier.
Sorry… I’m babbling.
aw…that’s pretty sweet. Your initials on their tailgate. Too funny. Sorry about about your other little dog. I lost one in April. Only had him about 7 1/2 years. He had been mistreated. I babied that dog like there was no tomorrow. When he died in his sleep, I cried for a month. I kept his ashes and still get choked up about him. He was pretty special.
Airedale Terrier, a cutie. I am a dog lover too. That’s great that they involved the dog in their activities and didn’t just use it for a prop and leave it behind.
That’s a cute story! I loved the old pics. Is that an actual public sidewalk in front of the White House? crazy! I wonder why Mrs. Harding didn’t give the dog to Mr JAckson. He seemed to always be with the pooch!
What’s the hold up on the Obama’s selecting a dog? Perhaps they’ve already vetted a dog and are sending him to a Dog Boot Camp or Camp Obama before allowing him on the WH grounds. I’m sure the Obamas couldn’t tolerate a dog who might bark inappropriately or engage in other politically incorrect behavior.
they’re waiting on the dog shelter to get a Portuguese Water Hound….
They are probably not going to get a dog. Obama is just too busy now don’t ya know? The MSM will never tell you and he will break his promise to his kids and no one will think any worse of him because he is the messiah. Narcissists are known for breaking promises!
That photo in front of the White House is amazing. I love the story about Laddie. Thanks for sharing it.
The New Yorker cover (December 8, 2008) is hilarious:
http://news.spreadit.org/barry-blitt-new-yorker-cartoonistbarack-obama-vetting-dogs/
Check it out!
awesome cover thank you
Hey, Hampster! Good pics!
Another dog in the White House?
BO isn’t house-broken yet!
Sit, speak, roll-over!
Thank you.
New Hampster, I bet you like Irish Setters, right?
personally i like all dogs. they aren’t the problem. if you see an unruly dog, look at the owner. i know there are dogs more prone to “violence” but with proper training, that is handled.
Great find. I posted it on my blog, The Obama Dog Blog…
http://dreamdogsart.typepad.com/the_obamas_dog/2009/01/laddie-boy-most-popular-presidential-pet-ever.html