Thursday was “Take Your Child To Work Day” in America, and First Lady Michelle Obama celebrated by asking White House employees to bring their kids to the White House for some special treats. The kids got to spend time with the First Lady, and they even got to participate in a question-and-answer press conference with Michelle. Of course, the kids wanted to know everything about Bo, the new White House puppy. Take note, White House press corp! This is what America really wants to know.
Apparently, “Bobama” is a bad dog. This must said like it’s all one word, and his formal name – “Baddog!” Actually, Bobama is just a puppy, and he’s engaging in completely normal puppy comings and goings, with one notable exception. Bobama like to chew on feet. I’ve never heard of this. My late puppy (a beautiful English setter) loves to chew on objects – like shoes – but not feet. My puppy now (a not-so-pretty Chow-Newfie-some-other-stuff mix) loves to sleep on my shoes or my feet, but he never chews on them. Puppies and adult dogs love to chew to sharpen their teeth, but to chew on feet? Get that dog a bone. Seriously. He needs some chew toys.
How is first dog Bo?
“He’s kind of crazy, but he’s still a puppy. So he likes to play a lot,” First Lady Michelle Obama told children visiting the White House for the annual Take Your Child to Work Day on Thursday.
On Wednesday, she recalled, “it was like 10 o’clock. Everybody was asleep and we hear all this barking and jumping around. The president and I came out and we thought somebody was out there. And it was just Bo. He was playing with his ball. And it was like there was another person in the house.”
The 6-month-old Portuguese water dog “loves to chew on people’s feet,” she added.
Asked in a question-and-answer session how she spends her free time, she said, “Well, right now I’m taking care of this puppy. So I’m doing a lot of dog walking and dog training.”
One child asked what she would she do if Bo ran away.
“I would be very sad, first of all, but … he has [dog] tags, and hopefully someone would find him and bring him back,” Mrs. Obama said.
If he were to somehow escape the gated South Lawn, “I think everyone at the White House would probably help go out and find him,” she said. “That’s why we’re working on training him, so that he doesn’t run away and he listens when we call him. And so far he’s doing OK, so we hope we don’t have that problem.”
From US Magazine
Bobama has a chew-toy-giving fairy godmother, though. And her name is Oprah. In Touch is reporting that Oprah laid out some serious cash to spoil the new White House puppy – including a special cashmere blanket for Bo. I’m so jealous. I don’t have a cashmere blanket!
Talk show queen Oprah has wasted no time cozying up to the newest member of the Obama family, Bo the puppy. Although the star has yet to meet the Portuguese water dog, who moved into the White House on April 14, she sent a huge care basket for him.
“Oprah loves dogs,” her friend explains. Although Oprah’s rep denies she’s giving gifts, her friend says, “She sent Bo a new dog bed, a cashmere blanket, gourmet treats, chew toys, a designer collar and even an engraved dog bowl.”
[print edition In Touch May 4, 2009]
Is this true? If Oprah’s rep denies it, I have to doubt it. But there’s something about Oprah that makes me think she would be the puppy’s overzealous auntie, the kind who would lay out serious cash to spoil someone else’s dog. Part of the fun for Malia and Sasha was that this was their first puppy – they should be the ones going to Pet Smart to pick out dog bowls and dog bed. And then Oprah’s got to spoil the fun of the first puppy. BadOprah!
Bo Obama is shown with the First Family on 4/14/09. Credit: WENN.com
I LOVE these pictures!!!! That dog is big though. I thought the girls would’ve wanted a little toy breed like a Yorkie or Maltese…
my aunt’s cat like to chew on my feet. lol.
lots of dogs seem to be obsessed with feet & shoes – what’s up with that? one of my mastiffs just loves to nibble on toes – she is happy sandal season is (almost) here!
Big dogs all the way! If you’re not ever taught to be scared of dogs, I wouldn’t be surprised if kids picked the big fluffy ones. Softer and you can sleep on him.
I think all White House staff are required to lick the Obamas shoes- he is just complying
Yay puppy!! I’m so happy that the girls got their doggie! The whole family seems so excited about him! 🙂
I’ve read some comments on other sites that are calling Bo just another political move & various other forms of bullshit. It makes me really sad that some people hate the Obamas so much & refuse to accept him as our President. Bo is just a doggie damnit! He isn’t so complicated political maneuver!
Bobama – I love that name!
Agree Bodhi.
The pictures of them romping with Bo are great! The girls are going to have their hands full, he looks like he has alot of energy.
He is huge!!!
I gotta agree with the originial kate. What IS it with dogs and feet?
My dog chewed our feet while he was teething but then stopped even though he had plenty of chew toys and a giant rope to chew on.
And by “chewed” I don’t mean like, pulverized. He would sort of gnaw on them and tongue them. That sounds gross. Because it was. Lol.
Anyway, the Obamas are exactly like any new dog owner: lost in the puppy weirdness.
My Golden Retriever puppy thinks toes are the best chew toys ever.
Cute photos 🙂
If the Oprah-sents-ridiculously-over-the-top-dog-stuff rumour is true, you have to wonder what the family thinks of that – they seem too down to earth to be going for cashmere blankets and designer collars!
Dogs/cats lick/chew peoples feet for a wide variety of reasons, to show submission, to play and get attention, sometimes to show affection, and sometimes because foot sweat tells tales to an animal sort of like rump sniffing.
i love dogs… every kind! and bo is a cutiepie 🙂
^^^:D
That dog is adorable. One of the things I love about larger puppies is their gait, and how they’re trying to fit into their own bodies. It’s the most adorable thing ever.
But yeah, looks like Michelle needs to bring the girls to petsmart to stock up on chewtoys. But dogs tend to like the strangest things. My Shi-tzu’s favorite chew toy? An old ratty ball of yarn.
stewie, you’re an idiot…
i have a bichon maltese… she’s the epitome of all cuteness 😀
Ew. I hate dogs (our attack dog..attacked me when I was a kid) but that one is pretty cute.
My cat has a serious foot fetish. When he was a kitten he would sleep in my shoes and would bite my toes all the time. Now he’s 3 feet long (including tail), 10 pounds, and still live for my feet. It’s kinda gross…but watching him trying to fit his entire body in my shoes is hilarious!
dogs love to play with feet, most times it’s the only thing moving at their level. thankfully (knock wood),as bad as she is for many things, my dog always left my shoes alone.
and Kaiser….just as a *heads up* (and coming from a Newfoundlander, of origin, not a dog :D) alot of people find the word “newfie” offensive
Love the dog. The Obamas? Not so much.