Presidential Dogs
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By Amy Fernandez
So, dogs are back at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. As the world already knows, a new pair of German Shepherds recently moved in there. Likewise, there’s nothing surprising about the fact that they are far from the first ones. Although, from a historical standpoint, this is a relatively new breed, it’s enjoyed enduring popularity since it debuted in the 1800s. Intelligent, charming, and incredibly photogenic, no breed has enjoyed the enduring cinematic success of the German Shepherd. Those traits have also made it the ideal political sidekick.
Of course, pets are a longstanding tradition of the presidency. George Washington set that precedent, when he arrived with an eclectic pack of his favorite Foxhounds, Coonhounds, Greyhounds, horses and at least one parrot. His successor, John Adams, stuck with that conventional roster of dogs, horses and birds. Actually, there have been quite a few presidential parrots. Famed for their longevity, the Madison’s pet parrot outlived both James and Dolly. Likewise, Andrew Jackson’s African Gray parrot also outlasted him. Reportedly, Jackson had dedicated himself to improving his bird’s vocabulary of curses and obscenities, a talent that unfortunately got it ejected from Jackson’s funeral. But like I said, those pets are fairly run of the mill stuff.
It’s no secret that Thomas Jefferson was a bit different in every sense, and his presidential term featured a truly lively menagerie. He was far from the only president with a fondness for mockingbirds. The grizzly bear cubs were another story. He received them as a gift from Captain Zebulon Pike and Jefferson found out the hard way that super cute and cuddly little cubs inevitably morph into a truly complicated pet keeping venture. Finally, his staff insisted that the bears had to go. Now, Martin Van Buren was more of a hardliner about his bears. Despite plenty of griping from White House staff, he had no intention of parting with his beloved bears. Their eventual removal from the residence required congressional intervention. Actually, quite a few presidents have installed controversial pets. Bears were more popular than you would think. But past presidents have also had a taste for gators, badgers, hippos….
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Short URL: http://caninechronicle.com/?p=198048
Posted by AnthonyA
on Mar 10 2021. Filed under Current Articles, Featured.
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