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Sunny Obama Bites Visitor

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Many Americans aren’t happy about the Obamas leaving the White House – and Sunny Obama seems to agree. The normally good-natured, affectionate pooch bit a recent visitor in the face.

While visiting the Obamas, 18-year-old female bent down to kiss and pat the Portuguese Water Dog. Sunny apparently decided to end her term in the White House on notable (or should we say “notorious?”) terms, and reacted by biting the woman in the face. TMZ reports that the Obamas’ physician Dr. Ronny Jackson attended the woman and informed her that the small gash would need stitches and likely leave a scar.

The woman, upset about having a permanent reminder of the bite, took to social media to complain, posting pictures of her cheek with blood dripping from the gash, although she reportedly will not seek legal action.

With this incident, Sunny Obama joins the ranks of White House dogs like Barney Bush, who have not always reacted well to visitors. Sunny’s brother Bo has never bitten a visitor (or reporter) but Bo received intensive training while growing up. By the time Sunny came along, the woman who had trained Bo, Dawn Sylvia-Stasiewicz, had passed away. So while it is likely that Sunny has received some training, she’s a bit backwards compared to her sibling. In 2013, Sunny’s exuberance caused her to knock over a toddler visiting the White House, and she’s also been known to have “accidents” on the floors.

In a press conference on Friday, White House press secretary John Earnest was asked about the incident. He did not confirm, deny or release any new information, saying only that “I think both Bo and Sunny have been genuine ambassadors to the American people.” Earnest goes on to state that he has not heard of any other incident like this involving Bo and Sunny and that thousands of people have interacted with the dogs.

We’re certainly hoping that unnamed woman recovers well – but this serves as an excellent reminder for us all. Any dog, regardless of breed or temperament, should be respected. Any dog can bite if they’re afraid or feel threatened in any way. Even if our intentions are good – a pat, a hug, a kiss – dogs may struggle with having people in their personal space.

Sources:

http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/white-house-spins-on-behalf-of-obamas-dog-after-sunny-bites-visitor/article/2611813

https://presidentialpetmuseum.com/pets/president-obama-dog-sunny/

http://nypost.com/2017/01/12/sunny-obama-bit-a-white-house-guests-face/

http://www.tmz.com/2017/01/12/obamas-dog-sunny-bites-guest-face-white-house/

https://presidentialpetmuseum.com/pets/barney/

And the Next Presidential Pet Is … Newty the Pig-dog?

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Screenshot: Anna Massoglia

For a short time, Wikipedia told readers that the next pet at the White House will be “Newty the Pig-dog.”

Someone had jokingly edited Bo Obama’s Wikipedia page to add the name as Bo’s supposed successor. “Newty the Pig-dog” linked to a separate Wikipedia page for Newt Gingrich.

The text was quickly corrected, with the “Successor” line excised.

We’re certain President-elect Donald Trump wouldn’t think this was a very funny stunt, though some readers must have gotten a chuckle out of it.

So far, Trump has not announced plans for a pet to join him at the White House when he is inaugurated later this month. However, a donor has said she hopes to give the new president a goldendoodle puppy named Patton.

A Goldendoodle May Join the Trump White House

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Patton is a 9-week-old goldendoodle puppy. (Photo: Lois Pope)
Patton is a 9-week-old goldendoodle puppy. (Photo: Lois Pope)

President-elect Donald Trump has yet another “cabinet member” to nominate: first pet.

That role may soon be filled by an adorable 9-week-old goldendoodle (golden retriever/poodle designer hybrid) puppy named Patton, according to The Washington Post.

Lois Pope, a Trump booster from Florida, says she has offered to gift the puppy to Trump, and she’s confident the little doodle will canoodle with the next president soon enough. “I’m sure,” she told the Post.

“He said, ‘Go over there and show it to Barron,’” Pope recounts of her Thanksgiving weekend conversation with Donald Trump at his Mar-a-Lago home in Florida. Barron is Trump’s 10-year-old son with wife Melania. A “big smile came over” the boy’s face, Pope says.

Patton is named after the famous World War II general, whom Trump admires.

Barron Trump, 10, reportedly cried when he met the puppy. (Video still via: Celebrities TV)
Barron Trump, 10, reportedly cried when he met the puppy. (Video still via: Celebrities TV)

Hope Hicks, a spokeswoman for the incoming president, says “no decisions have been made” about pets, according to the Post. Trump does not currently have any pets.

Gifts of pets are quite common for U.S. presidents. Even if Trump does accept the puppy, it’s not known whether the cute ball of fur would be joining him at the White House. Melania and Barron are planning to stay in New York City through at least the spring of next year, so it’s possible Patton would stay with them at Trump Tower.

Regardless, Pope is convinced the puppy will ease Trump’s transition to the presidency — even though the pooch still needs to be house-trained.

“He’s a good boy,” she says. “A good boy.”

Does Donald Trump Have Any Pets? Not Yet. (UPDATED)

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Donald Trump does not have any pets that we're aware of. (Photo: Visions Of America LLC)
Donald Trump does not have any pets that we’re aware of. (Photo: Visions Of America LLC)

UPDATE! Dec. 6, 2016: A goldendoodle may very well join the White House next year. Details here.

This will be a pretty short article.

No, Donald Trump does not have any pets. (Rumors to the contrary have been debunked.)

He doesn’t have any dogs. He doesn’t have any cats. We’re not aware of any pets, including pet rocks. He doesn’t have any furry (or rocky) little ones to snuggle with.

We at the Presidential Pet Museum suspect this will quickly change when President-elect Trump gets to the White House. Why? Because every single presidency since Theodore Roosevelt’s (1901–09) has had a dog at the White House. So for that reason, we’re certain we’ll see a wagging tail soon after the inauguration.

The question is: What type of dog will Trump get?

  • Will it be a “Make America Great Again” all-around, ever-popular Labrador retriever?
  • A protective German shepherd?
  • Or perhaps a regal greyhound or poodle?

What do you think? Leave us a comment below!

First Lady Lets Kids Know How Much She Loves Bo and Sunny

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By: White House/Flickr
Michelle Obama says the dogs both love attention. By: White House/Flickr

A recent visit to the White House turned into a Q&A session as First Lady Michelle Obama left White House staff members’ kids with a greater appreciation for the role that pets play in our lives.

The children were there in honor of Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day.

The topic of conversation quickly turned to the current four-legged residents, Bo and Sunny.

Bo, 7, and Sunny, almost 4 — both of whom are Portuguese water dogs — have lived a life of canine royalty at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. Among their most notable events are being introduced to R2D2 of Star Wars fame and the pope.

Squeeze Them

When one boy asked Mrs. Obama, “What’s your favorite thing to do with your dogs?” the First Lady’s response brought chuckles from the other youngsters. “Just squeeze them,” she said, adding that the dogs could do just about anything they wanted — sit in her chair or on her lap, or just cuddle with her.

Making Bo and Sunny run and chase each other gets them moving and is a joy to watch, according to Mrs. Obama. She also shared her belief in why the two dogs love her so much: She gives them great massages.

Tricks? They Know a Few.

Another question, asked by a young girl, was if the dogs knew any tricks. The answer of “yes” brought more smiles from the excited faces in the crowd.

Michelle Obama conceded that even though both dogs know a few tricks, Bo knows the most. Keep in mind, he’s the oldest.

They will both heel, sit, or stay on command, with Bo even rolling over or speaking and giving a high-five. Sunny is an eager learner who just needs a little more one-on-one training.

One thing’s for certain: These pets know they’re loved — and with Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move! campaign, their future probably includes lots of walks and playtime. What better way to have fun with pets than spending quality time with them?

Source: The Dodo

Hillary Clinton’s Pets

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Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton has three dogs and no cats. (Photo: Flickr)
Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton has two dogs and no cats. (Photo: Flickr)

Hillary Clinton — former U.S. senator, former Secretary of State, wife of a former president, and now a frontrunner for president herself in 2016 — currently shares two dogs with her husband, Bill. Here are their stories.

Tally

Hillary Clinton got her toy poodle mix, Tally, after she fell hard for one belonging to a neighbor, according to an aide. “She just kept saying, ‘I want a little dog!’” the aide said, according to People.

Tally is more than a companion to the Clintons; she’s also a cheerleader for senior pet Seamus. “We got [Tally] to keep the Labrador company and to try to get the Labrador to be more energetic,” Hillary Clinton told People in 2011. “And she’s, like, bouncing all the time. And so we go on these walks and it’s great because the — our Lab, Seamus [now deceased], sort of starts off kind of like an old man, just kind of very ambling and slow. And Tally, our poodle, is like, jumping up and down and then Seamus gets some energy and off he goes.”

Despite some media reports to the contrary, we believe Tally is the black-and-white dog, the smaller of the Clinton dogs. She looks like a shih tzu/toy poodle mix, which we suppose would make her a “shih-poo.”

Here’s an August 2012 photo of the Clintons with Seamus and the dog we think is Tally. In other photos we’ve seen, this dog appears to have a docked tail.

Our best guess at Tally’s age: 6 years old.


Photo: Hillary Clinton with a dog in August 2015. We think this is Maisie.

Maisie

Maisie, the newest four-legged companion in the Clinton household, is a “curly-haired mutt,” as The New York Times puts it. She joined the family a few years ago, possibly in 2013. We believe Maisie is the medium-sized, solid-color, super-cute dog shown pictured above. She also appears to be a poodle mix.

Here are some photos of Bill Clinton and his son-in-law taking Maisie and Tally (again, we’re not certain which is which) to the dog run at Madison Square Park in New York City.

Unfortunately, we don’t know much about Maisie, but we do have a wild guess about where the name came from: Hillary Clinton is a big fan of the bestselling novel Maisie Dobbs, about a World War I field nurse turned detective. If we’re right about the name, and Hillary Clinton is reading this, maybe she’ll grant us an interview so we can learn more about these fascinating, possible future presidential pets!

What About Seamus? Sadly, He’s Passed On.

Born in February 2002, about a month after Bill Clinton’s other chocolate Lab, Buddy, was killed by a car, Seamus lived with the Clintons for many years before dying recently, apparently of old age, according to The New York Times.

Hillary Clinton bought Seamus, then a 4-month-old puppy, from a breeder in Maryland and presented him to her husband as a Father’s Day gift in June 2002. “He was surprised with the dog when he woke up on Father’s Day,” a spokesman told the Associated Press. “The dog helped wake him up.”

The puppy was no doubt a great comfort to the Clintons, who were still grieving the sudden, tragic loss of Buddy. Earlier in 2002 Bill Clinton had called Buddy’s death “by far the worst thing” to happen to him since he left the White House.

Seamus was a great nephew of Buddy, and his name itself was pretty much the definition of “replacement.”

Don’t Miss: All about Bill Clinton’s dog Buddy and the famous Socks the cat. Also, we answer the question: Does Donald Trump have any pets?

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