BO knows Bo
April 12, 2009 10:29 AM   Subscribe

 
A note near the end of the Washington Post article:

The Obamas have long said they wanted a rescue dog. But the carefully bred PWDs almost never end up in shelters. Bo had been living with another family, but it wasn't a good fit, so the Kennedys acquired him for the Obamas. As for the rescue pledge, the Obamas came up with a solution intended to lend a serious symbolic note: They're going to make a donation to the D.C. Humane Society.
posted by ThePinkSuperhero at 10:30 AM on April 12, 2009


Bark Obama?
posted by Pants! at 10:30 AM on April 12, 2009 [6 favorites]


I initially thought he had named it after his own initials, and I thought, oh man, this is our Watergate. Thankfully it's a false alarm.
posted by East Manitoba Regional Junior Kabaddi Champion '94 at 10:31 AM on April 12, 2009 [4 favorites]


And I guess he's giving interviews and already bitching about the name Bo.
posted by miss lynnster at 10:34 AM on April 12, 2009


He's so little.

This photo is incredible. Totally ordinary family scene, and if you didn't know who Barack Obama was you might only be tipped off to the import of the shot by the column in the background.
posted by Inspector.Gadget at 10:38 AM on April 12, 2009 [1 favorite]


That dog is ugly!
posted by RussHy at 10:40 AM on April 12, 2009


Bo had been living with another family, but it wasn't a good fit, so the Kennedys acquired him for the Obamas.

"Acquired," eh? Breaking: Obama orders liberal henchman to confiscate dog from hapless family, weeping children. This thing practically writes itself.
posted by Krrrlson at 10:41 AM on April 12, 2009 [8 favorites]


Too bad they didn't name it "boy".
posted by Rumple at 10:43 AM on April 12, 2009


that Portuguese water dog-lovin' senator himself, Edward M. Kennedy of Massachusetts

Ted Kennedy and water is not a felicitous association.
posted by Joe Beese at 10:45 AM on April 12, 2009 [2 favorites]


Breaking: Obama orders liberal henchman to confiscate dog from hapless family, weeping children. This thing practically writes itself.
ohpleaseohplease someone photo shop that Elian Gonzalez photo with the FBI(?) agent ripping Bo away from his weeping family.
posted by PenDevil at 10:52 AM on April 12, 2009


This is awesome. I want to see pictures of people chasing, and being chased by Bo across the White House front lawn. Things that help America remember our elected leaders are human and equals are good things.
posted by Science! at 10:55 AM on April 12, 2009


I think it's smarter to give a dog a multi-syllable name as all the commands are one syllable (sit, down, over, paw, stay, come, etc.). Just a theory mind yo.
posted by You Should See the Other Guy at 11:00 AM on April 12, 2009 [1 favorite]


You Should See the Other Guy: "I think it's smarter to give a dog a multi-syllable name as all the commands are one syllable (sit, down, over, paw, stay, come, etc.). Just a theory mind yo."

You didn't teach your dog "Bite the zombie's balls!"? Good luck. You're gonna need it.
posted by Science! at 11:06 AM on April 12, 2009 [1 favorite]


Portuguese Water Dog? I've already put up the Migs Signal, because when I hear Portuguese, I think of MeFi's MiguelCardoso. Water, not so much.
posted by wendell at 11:08 AM on April 12, 2009


I think it's smarter to give a dog a multi-syllable name

They could pull out his full name- Bo Obama. Or just Bobama, for short.
posted by ThePinkSuperhero at 11:09 AM on April 12, 2009


You didn't teach your dog "Bite the zombie's balls!"? Good luck. You're gonna need it.

Worst. Plague transmission vector. Ever.
posted by Inspector.Gadget at 11:09 AM on April 12, 2009


Sciene! you failed to mention my two syllable command in there. Over!
posted by You Should See the Other Guy at 11:10 AM on April 12, 2009


Mod note: comment removed - trolling considered harmful, contact mods if you need a chocolate egg.
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 11:18 AM on April 12, 2009 [5 favorites]


Sorry, failed to see the over, over!
posted by Science! at 11:21 AM on April 12, 2009


Oooh! I can't wait for his first poop!

There better be pics!
posted by orme at 11:22 AM on April 12, 2009


Sorry, failed to see the over, over!

Roger, Roger.
posted by spicynuts at 11:38 AM on April 12, 2009


Sorry about the language, folks - I raised a Portuguese Water Dog up from eight weeks old that looks exactly like the First Dog, so when I read that, I went a wee postal.

/derail
posted by Lipstick Thespian at 11:38 AM on April 12, 2009


YEAH! GO FIRST DOG! GO!
posted by Marisa Stole the Precious Thing at 11:47 AM on April 12, 2009 [1 favorite]


And just in case you were afraid they weren't paying attention, some Republicans are expressing OUTRAGE at the Obamas for accepting a puppy that came from a kennel (which some are going so far as to call a puppy mill) rather than a shelter. It has gotten enough attention that Newt Gingrich felt compelled to address the subject on CNN today to say he didn't really care where the puppy came from.
posted by briank at 11:54 AM on April 12, 2009


DON'T LISTEN TO THEM BO YOU ARE AWESOME!
posted by Marisa Stole the Precious Thing at 11:54 AM on April 12, 2009 [4 favorites]


I applaud the Obamas for adopting a socialist puppy. To go with their socialist agenda. Up with commies! (Portugal is a Socialist country, yeah? Because it's in Europe? Which is entirely, utterly, pinko commie?)
posted by spicynuts at 12:04 PM on April 12, 2009 [1 favorite]


And just in case you were afraid they weren't paying attention, some Republicans are expressing OUTRAGE at the Obamas for accepting a puppy that came from a kennel (which some are going so far as to call a puppy mill) rather than a shelter. It has gotten enough attention that Newt Gingrich felt compelled to address the subject on CNN today to say he didn't really care where the puppy came from.

I did not see any outrage from conservatives. I noticed that Adopt-a-Pet complained because the President had initially promised to wait to adopt a pet from a shelter, but then the President decided not to wait. I suppose that Adopt-a-Pet is a conservative organization, to the extent that it may be considered "conservative" to be a non-profit that advocates adoption of animals from shelters.

The only reason it was discussed on CNN was because of the initial promise, not because of an ideological schism over adoption.
posted by Slap Factory at 12:09 PM on April 12, 2009


some Republicans are expressing OUTRAGE at the Obamas for accepting a puppy that came from a kennel

Wait, are these Republican politicians expressing outrage over where the POTUS' dog came from? Because there is nothing else important for them to be working on?
posted by semantic scope at 12:11 PM on April 12, 2009


"some Republicans are expressing OUTRAGE at the Obamas for accepting a puppy that came from a kennel"

They express "outrage" when he eats breakfast....
posted by HuronBob at 12:19 PM on April 12, 2009 [1 favorite]


Oy vey, you don't give a puppy a one-syllable name that rhymes with "no."
posted by FelliniBlank at 12:24 PM on April 12, 2009


The original Bo.
posted by muckster at 12:38 PM on April 12, 2009


Oy vey, you don't give a puppy a one-syllable name that rhymes with "no."

I'm no expert in animal hearing, but our dog shows impressive skill in distinguishing similar words and sounds. I was also surprised how easily he learns words, sometimes after only hearing them once.
posted by starman at 12:44 PM on April 12, 2009


That dog will get better health care than millions of Americans.
posted by ceribus peribus at 1:06 PM on April 12, 2009 [8 favorites]


some Republicans are expressing OUTRAGE at the Obamas for accepting a puppy that came from a kennel

Don't fascists usually go for Rottweillers or German Shepherds? Let the tyrant have his Portuguese whelp.

Personally, I was hoping Obama would go for a pit bull with pink-lipstick-tattooed lips and rabies. You know, because of the irony of it.
posted by Blazecock Pileon at 1:23 PM on April 12, 2009


The dog came from a Kennedy.
posted by longsleeves at 1:38 PM on April 12, 2009


THAT JUST MEANS BO LIKES TO PARTAY! WOOOOOO!
posted by Marisa Stole the Precious Thing at 1:41 PM on April 12, 2009


What is it, Hawaiian?
posted by thebellafonte at 2:18 PM on April 12, 2009


I'm just thankful he didn't go for the Labradoodle.
posted by bumpkin at 3:29 PM on April 12, 2009 [1 favorite]


The Obamas have long said they wanted a rescue dog. But the carefully bred PWDs almost never end up in shelters.

I guess only a pure-bred dog is good enough for the Obamas.
posted by MaryDellamorte at 3:37 PM on April 12, 2009


Ever since Chappaquiddick, Ted's always kept a faithful Portuguese Water Dog nearby. You know, just in case.

What, too obscure?
posted by Cool Papa Bell at 3:44 PM on April 12, 2009 [1 favorite]


Dogs do not hear words. They hear sounds.
posted by fourcheesemac at 3:54 PM on April 12, 2009


I love the notion of "the first dog" for the same reason I love the notion of dog competitions - you know, those agility courses, those long-jump fetching contests. The dogs that "win" those things have no idea that they've "come in first," they're just know they're being Good Dogs. Presidential pooches have no concept of the significance of their address, aside from knowing that 1600 Pennsylvania Ave is "theirs" because their piss is on the trees. They don't know that the guy they're occasionally photographed with is the person all us other bald monkeys call "Mr. President" - far as the dog's concerned, he's just the Nice Man Who Gets Out of the Helicopter.

Bo looks like a cute little fella, and the Obamas get extra ETW points for giving their dog the same name as my first dog. A Portuguese Water Dog isn't the breed I'd have gone with, only because the pinnacle of mammalian evolution is already available in dog form.
posted by EatTheWeek at 4:04 PM on April 12, 2009 [2 favorites]


Bo knows this. Bo knows that. But Bo don't know that. Cause Bo can't rap.
cause he's a dog.
posted by saul wright at 4:09 PM on April 12, 2009 [1 favorite]


PENDEVIL :

Here you go
posted by ElvisJesus at 5:06 PM on April 12, 2009 [1 favorite]


You've made my dreams come true!
posted by PenDevil at 5:14 PM on April 12, 2009


Are there any lolspeak pictures of it yet? Because I won't believe it's really the first dog until it appears on icanhazcheesburger with an adorably misspelling slapped over its head in 64-point Impact Bold.
posted by jacquilynne at 5:24 PM on April 12, 2009


The dog is a rescue dog; it came from a family that didn't want it any longer. Purebred dogs can be rescued too.
posted by OolooKitty at 5:30 PM on April 12, 2009 [2 favorites]


@fourcheesemac:
Dogs do not hear words. They hear sounds.


I'm no psycholinguist, but what's the difference?
posted by quanta and qualia at 6:00 PM on April 12, 2009


A Portuguese Water Dog? Great, another immigrant taking a job away from American Water Dogs.
posted by shadytrees at 6:30 PM on April 12, 2009 [5 favorites]


I won't believe it's really the first dog until it appears on icanhazcheesburger with an adorably misspelling slapped over its head in 64-point Impact Bold.

Here you go.
posted by chrismear at 7:19 PM on April 12, 2009


"I think it's smarter to give a dog a multi-syllable name as all the commands are one syllable (sit, down, over, paw, stay, come, etc.). Just a theory mind yo."

This is true, but Bo's going to be answering to a whole variety of names if the Obamas are anything like most families. The Bo. Bo Man. Boski. El Boberino (we can only hope).
posted by katillathehun at 7:37 PM on April 12, 2009


Bo bo bo bo, banana fanna fo bo, me my mo bo, BO-OOOH!
posted by cowbellemoo at 8:19 PM on April 12, 2009


Bo Knows Letters!
posted by ericb at 8:43 PM on April 12, 2009


MaryDellamorte: I guess only a pure-bred dog is good enough for the Obamas.

They needed a hypo-allergenic dog because one of the daughters is allergic to dogs. Indulgent? Sure, but no worse than what tons of middle-class families would do for their puppy-clamoring children.
posted by lunasol at 10:24 PM on April 12, 2009


Well this is liable to push Glenn Beck over the edge.
posted by mazola at 10:43 PM on April 12, 2009


Actually, there was another famous dog named Bo. Jimmy Stewart read a poem about him on the Tonight Show.
posted by miss lynnster at 11:43 PM on April 12, 2009


What is it, Hawaiian?

No, just gay.
posted by spinturtle at 6:52 AM on April 13, 2009


10% Americans unemployed in this country and the first dog is Portuguese ?!?

OUTRAGE!
posted by mazola at 7:57 AM on April 13, 2009


You should see the percentage of unemployed American dogs.
posted by katillathehun at 8:48 AM on April 13, 2009


The dog is a rescue dog; it came from a family that didn't want it any longer. Purebred dogs can be rescued too.

Requoting Oolookitty's observation from above because several people are overlooking this fact and jumping straight to HURF DURF PUPPY MILL.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 10:58 AM on April 13, 2009


The dog is a rescue dog; it came from a family that didn't want it any longer. Purebred dogs can be rescued too.

Requoting Oolookitty's observation from above because several people are overlooking this fact and jumping straight to HURF DURF PUPPY MILL.


Not really true. You're just redefining the term "rescue dog" to suit your purposes. Unless you have some unreported evidence that this dog, procured by Senator Edward Kennedy, was in danger of being put to sleep because its previous owners no longer wanted it. (That's why "rescue," right?)

But if that were the case, then the First Family would not need to make a penitential donation to the Humane Society of DC?
posted by Slap Factory at 5:18 PM on April 13, 2009


No, slap, oolookitty was using "rescue" in the sense in which it is normally used in the dog world.
posted by ROU_Xenophobe at 6:02 PM on April 13, 2009


No, slap, oolookitty was using "rescue" in the sense in which it is normally used in the dog world.

I don't think so, and the Chief Executive of the Humane Society of the United States disagrees, too. He would only go so far as to call the First Dog a "quasi-rescue" dog:

"Because he was given up by his first owner as a poor fit and is now with his second owners, the Obamas, but never spent time in a shelter or with a rescue group, Bo is a "quasi-rescue dog," says Wayne Pacelle, chief executive of The Humane Society of the United States."

The dog's breeder, from whom Senator Kennedy's family obtained the dog for the First Family, also disagrees with calling the dog is a "rescue" dog:

"Bo's breeder, Martha Stern of Boyd, Texas, said she doesn't consider Bo a rescued dog. Owners of dogs from the kennel she and her husband run must sign contracts requiring them to return the dogs to the Sterns if they do not work out, she said. Bo went from his first home, in Washington, to the Kennedys' trainer in Virginia, to the White House, she said."

I get that President Obama is extremely popular, but he did sort of break a promise on this issue. No big deal. He was doing it for his daughters, etc. Still, no reason to contort vocabulary to defend him on this. Let's just all enjoy the First Puppy and move on.
posted by Slap Factory at 4:34 AM on April 14, 2009


I get that President Obama is extremely popular, but he did sort of break a promise on this issue. No big deal. He was doing it for his daughters, etc. Still, no reason to contort vocabulary to defend him on this.

....I'm not so sure that the claims that "but this IS a rescue dog" are about Obamamania, though. Because, personally, I'd still call that situation a "rescue" dog myself -- it is my understanding that the definition of "rescue dog" is simply that "owner A no longer wants dog, and a network springs into action to arrange a transfer from owner A to new owner B". The dog doesn't have to have stayed at a kennel, foster home, or any other place in between owner A and owner B -- the rescue network simply has to start the phone tree or email or web site or whatever to connect owner A to owner B to arrange the handoff. And even though the connection between owners A and B in this case happened to be Ted Kennedy, that still, according to what I've heard the definition of "rescue dog" to be, makes this a rescue dog.

I get that people are sick of Obamamania, but not every semantic issue is driven by it. Let's just chalk it up to a variantion in semantics and move on.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 6:16 AM on April 14, 2009


"Because he ... never spent time in a shelter or with a rescue group, Bo is a "quasi-rescue dog,"

I didn't catch that, and assumed that Kennedy had worked through a rescue.

I don't really care whether it is or isn't a rescue, or whether St. Barack kept his sacred word about so weighty a topic. I've got no dog in this fight, as it were.

But you should be aware that "rescue" doesn't mean "the dog was about to be killed." It only means "the dog was given up by its owners, or its owners couldn't be found, and it went to a breed rescue group or some other alternative to a formal shelter." That's all.
posted by ROU_Xenophobe at 9:38 PM on April 14, 2009


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