All posts containing the tag: "first dog"
Posted Apr 14th 2009 1:50PM by TMZ Staff
We've already told you the Obama dog is a used pooch -- with a past! Here's the lowdown.
Bo, the Portuguese Water Dog whose original name was Charlie, was sold by a Texas breeder on December 8, 2008. The family that bought the dog paid $1,600.
But there was a problem. The family already owned a 6-year-old female Portuguese Water Dog, and when little Charlie came to the home he got off on the wrong paw by trying to nurse on the big dog.
Things went downhill from there. Right around St. Paddy's day, the family made the decision to return the pooch. The breeder, who had advance warning Charlie was about to become an orphan, had already been speaking with Senator Ted Kennedy and his wife, and made a deal to re-home the pup to the Kennedys, who paid the breeder $1,600. BTW, the breeder returned the original $1,600.
The Kennedys bought Charlie with the intention of giving it to the Obamas. Charlie went from the home he had been living in to a dog trainer in Virginia, where he's been learning the tricks of the trade for almost a month.
In a few hours the Kennedys will officially give the pup to the Obamas. Such is the life of a dog ...
Filed under: Critters, Barack Obama, Politix
Tags: barack obama, first dog, first family dog, FirstFamilyDog, malia, michelle, portguese water dog, presidential puppy, sasha, ted kennedy, white house
Posted Apr 12th 2009 10:20AM by TMZ Staff
Apparently President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle were trying to keep the whole Presidential dog thing under wraps -- and then we came along...
The White House had offered The Washington Post a "puppy exclusive" when the time came, according to The Washington Post! But last Friday, we got all the details.
-- the pup was coming from a Texas kennel
-- the kennel had sold Senator Ted Kennedy 3 Portuguese Water Dogs in the past, all from the same lineage
-- the dog the Obama's were getting is also from the same lineage as the Kennedy dogs
-- the Obama dog was originally sold to a private owner, who returned it
-- the dog was named Charlie, but the Obamas planned to rename it
-- the dog was going to be "re-homed" to the Obamas from the kennel, and presented to the Obamas by the Kennedy family
-- the reason it's important that the dog was "re-homed" is because the Obamas could not accept the dog as a gift, and re-homing averts the problem.
-- the dog will be officially presented to the Obamas by the Kennedys on Tuesday
So that's what we said Friday. And sure enough, The Post is now saying the dog was renamed Bo, after Bo Diddley.
We got a pic of a pooch that appears to be Bo. Today, The Post ran a pic of the doggie with the Prez, Michelle, Sasha and Malia.
BTW, there are reports that Ted Kennedy gave the puppy to the First Family as a gift -- untrue. It was re-homed by the kennel and the Kennedy family only facilitated the transfer.
So, we didn't break Watergate, but Puppygate -- we're all over it!
Filed under: Critters, Barack Obama, Politix
Tags: bo diddly, BoDiddly, charlie, first dog, first family, FirstDog, FirstFamily, michelle obama, MichelleObama, obamas dog, ObamasDog, portugese water dogs, PortugeseWaterDogs, president barack obama, PresidentBarackObama, puppy, sasha and malia, SashaAndMalia, senator ted kennedy, SenatorTedKennedy, texas kennel, TexasKennel
Posted Apr 11th 2009 9:30AM by TMZ Staff
We have lots of exclusive details on the Portuguese Water Dog President Barack Obama and Michelle are getting for Sasha and Malia. The pooch will make its grand entrance on Tuesday, and it's coming from a prominent Texas kennel, with the help of Senator Ted Kennedy's family.
The black dog -- a male -- is approximately six months old. We've learned it was bred at the kennel and sold to someone who gave it back. The kennel is now "re-homing" the dog to the Obamas. The dog was named Charlie, but the Obamas will rename it.
Now here's where the Kennedys come into play. The kennel has sold the Kennedys three Portuguese Water Dogs in the past, all from the same lineage. The dog the Obamas will be getting is from the same lineage as the Kennedy dogs. The Kennedy family will be presenting the new dog to the Obamas, but it's really coming from the kennel.
The reason this all sounds so technical is that there are issues regarding gifts to the Prez. The fact that the pup is being re-homed makes it all kosher.
The dog pictured below (right) is the actual dog the Obamas will be getting, courtesy FirstDogCharlie.com.
Filed under: Critters, Barack Obama, Politix
Tags: barack obama, BarackObama, first dog, first family dog, FirstFamilyDog, malia, michelle, obama family, ObamaFamily, portugues water dog, PortuguesWaterDog, president barack obama, PresidentBarackObama, presidential puppy, PresidentialPuppy, sasha, ted kennedy, TedKennedy, white house, WhiteHouse
