A Look Back At The Obama Family's Adorable Memories With White House Dog Bo

Donald Trump was the first president in 100 years who didn't have a pet in the White House. Before he broke the streak, Barack Obama kept it going with not one, but two dogs in the White House — Sunny and Bo. Both Portuguese Water Dogs, Bo was the first to join the family, and sweetly, he seemed to fulfill a promise that Barack had made to his daughters Sasha and Malia. During his victory night speech in 2008 in Chicago's Grant Park, he said, "Sasha and Malia, I love you both so much, and you have earned the new puppy that's coming with us to the White House," via NPR.

Sasha and Malia named their first dog "Bo" because, as The Washington Post reported at the time, it referenced their grandpa's nickname of Diddley (after musician Bo Diddley), and their cousins had a cat with the same name. It also happens to be Barack's initials, which may have been a consideration for Malia and Sasha. It was a heartwarming and relatable sight for many Americans to see Barack and his daughters playing with Bo on the White House lawn, and he provided a humanizing touch to Barack when they were seen together in the Oval Office and on Air Force One. In perhaps the most relatable set of photos, Barack was seen with Bo at a PetSmart, where he picked up some dog treats for the first pet.

It took six months from when Barack Obama publicly said he'd be getting a dog for Sasha and Malia before they actually got Bo — because the Obamas couldn't just get any dog. Barack talked about why in his first post-election press conference, saying, "Malia is allergic, so it has to be hypoallergenic." But by April 2009, Sasha and Malia got a puppy that fit the requirements. He was a gift from Senator Ted Kennedy, who had three of the same breed. At just six months old, Bo sweetly arrived at the White House wearing a multi-colored lei, seemingly in honor of Barack's Hawaiian birthplace.

Bo became an integral part of White House life and was so popular with the public that kids started to write to the White House asking to see him. So in 2011, the White House released a portrait of Bo and Michelle Obama sitting in the White House garden that would be sent to kids who'd written in about him.

In 2012, the Obamas shared an adorable video of Bo wandering the White House and "inspecting" the holiday decorations, looking super chill and cuddly. The video ended with him wearing a Santa hat — maximum cuteness! Bo even became a part of the holiday decorations at the White House over the years. A mini version of him showed up outside the gingerbread White House display, he was seen inside a snow globe, he was made of buttons, and more.

In an Instagram post in 2021, Barack confirmed, sadly, that Bo had died. Barack talked about how much Bo meant to the whole family, saying, "For more than a decade, Bo was a constant, gentle presence in our lives —happy to see us on our good days, our bad days, and everyday in between. ... He was exactly what we needed and more than we ever expected."

In an appearance on "The Late Late Show with James Corden" after Bo's death, Barack talked about how Bo changed his life at the White House. "I needed a friend during the presidency who would be nice to me no matter what." But Bo was more than just a friend to Barack. The former president explained that Bo "ended up being ... a bond for the whole family to give us a fun, furry excuse to go for walks and spend time together and chase after each other."