What We Can Learn From Presidential Pups
I’m Susan Allen. This Open Range .Dogs, are a part of most Americans lives especially those of us out west and canine companions have had leading roles in every White House with the exception of the current, Clintons and Polks. Presidential pups can provide interesting insight. On President Reagan’s California Ranch it was so important for the world leader to provide a final resting place for his beloved dogs that he personally carved their headstones and routinely visited their graves. That got me thinking about all the presidents pups I could recall. Of Franklin Roosevelt Scottish Terrier Fela, he once said when rebuking what he had spent to send a boat to rescue his lost dog, "you can criticize me, my wife and my family, but you can't criticize my little dog. He's Scotch and all these allegations about spending all this money have just made his little soul furious." Eisenhower gave his famous “Checker” speech named after his Cocker Spaniel. And Lyndon’s Johnson’s image took a hit when he picked is two beagles up by the ears insisting that was how you handled hounds. Remember, in the first Bush presidency Millie the Springer Spaniel wrote a bestseller and went on to have Spot, one of George W’s frequent companions and pal to Barney and Miss Beazley who also white house residents. JFK had five dogs from Gaulie the poodle to Wolf the mutt and lots of other critters. But where is “what’s his name”? You know...the first dog? Oh the selection process was played to the hilt to capitalize on Americas obsession with dogs but in the end it was merely another photo op from someone who unlike all of our past presidents... can’t even be genuine about mans best friend. Is there a lesson here !