Joe Biden’s German Shepherds Will Bring Tradition Of Presidential Pets Back To The White House

George Washington was said to have kept many of the horses he rode during the American Revolution. He was also a fan of hounds and began the breeding that created the American foxhound. Martha Washington had a pet of her own, a parrot.

John Adams was the first president to live in the White House. He and first lady Abigail Adams had two mixed-breed dogs, Juno and Satan, who were the first to play on the White House lawn. They also had a variety of horses.

Thomas Jefferson had some unusual pets. He was a bird enthusiast and kept a mockingbird named Dick. He was allowed free rein of the White House but was often found perched on Thomas' shoulder. The president was also gifted two grizzly bear cubs, but he recognized their danger and sent them to Charles Peale's museum in Philadelphia.

James Madison and wife Dolley had a green macaw parrot named Polly. The friendly bird would often be perched on the first lady's shoulder. Though Polly was a hit with visitors, she had a mischievous streak and even bit the president on occasion.

James Monroe wasn't much for pets himself, but he did get his daughter, Maria, a spaniel. The little black spaniel often followed the teen around. Some believe the dog was named Buddy, although that information has never been confirmed.

John Quincy Adams was gifted an alligator by Marquis de Lafayette, a Revolutionary War hero. The alligator reportedly lived in a bathtub in the East Room, which was still a work in progress at the time. The president enjoyed scaring White House visitors by showing them the unusual animal.

Andrew Jackson kept a number of horses at the White House for a variety of purposes. He also reportedly had a parrot named Poll who became quite upset when Andrew died. The parrot was rumored to be uttering obscenities during the president's funeral.

Martin Van Buren didn't voluntarily have any pets. He did, however, end up with a pair of tiger cubs from the Sultan of Oman. He was excited by the gift and began making arrangements for them to live comfortably at the White House, but Congress put a stop to it. Congress claimed that the cubs were gifted while Andrew Jackson was still president, making them the property of the United States. Thus, they ended up at the local zoo.

William Henry Harrison brought farm animals to the White House during his very short time there. He had a cow named Sukey who was one of his final purchases before his death. He also had a billy goat whose name was unknown.

John Tyler had a menagerie of animals during his time in office. The most beloved was his horse, The General, whom John owned for the horse's entire life.

John and his wife, Julia, also had a pair of Irish wolfhounds who initially scared White House staffers but became known as gentle giants. The couple also got a puppy, an Italian greyhound named Le Beau, who was reportedly rough on White House furniture.

Though many presidents were known to ride horses, Zachary Taylor was the first president documented as considering them as pets. Old Whitey was a former war horse who could often be seen grazing on the White House lawn. Apollo was once a trick pony rescued from the circus whom Zachary bought as a gift for his daughter, Bettie.

Millard Filmore was an animal lover. He had two horses during his time at the White House, named Mason and Dixon. After his presidency, he was a founding member and president of the Buffalo, New York, chapter of the ASPCA.

Franklin Pierce opened trade relations with Japan and was gifted some adorable pups as a result. He received seven teacup-sized dogs, believed to be a breed called Japanese Chin. He also received two Japanese birds.

James Buchanan was comforted from the stress of tensions that led to the Civil War by his pets. He received two bald eagles as a gift from a friend in San Francisco. James also had a toy terrier named Punch and a Newfoundland named Lara.

Abraham Lincoln had a number of pets throughout his lifetime. He also believed in allowing his children to have pets, such as horses, rabbits, goats, and more. He even let his son, Tad, save a turkey who had been sent to the White House for their Thanksgiving meal.

Abraham also had a dog, Jip, who was known to be by his side often during official work.

Ulysses S. Grant was a horse enthusiast and had a full stable during his time at the White House. He also had a parrot, fighting roosters, and a number of dogs.

One of those dogs was for his son, Jesse. Jesse had suffered through the untimely death of a number of dogs. When Ulysses brought home Faithful, a Newfoundland, he told staffers, "If this dog dies, every employee in the White House will be at once discharged."

The family also had another black and tan dog named Rosie.

Rutherford B. Hayes had a bunch of dogs. He had Hector, a Newfoundland; Duke, believed to be an English mastiff; a greyhound named Grim; a miniature schnauzer named Otis; Dot the cocker spaniel; hunting dogs named Juno and Shep; and more. The Hayes family also had the first Siamese kitten to reach the US, which they named Siam.

Grover Cleveland had six different breeds of dogs in the White House. He had a cocker spaniel named Gallagher, a collie, a St. Bernard named Kay, a French poodle named Hector, and a number of foxhounds.

The Cleveland family also had birds and fish.

Benjamin Harrison had a number of dogs, most beloved of which was a collie named Dash. He also had two opossums, gifted to his grandchildren, whom he named Mr. Reciprocity and Mr. Protection. The two weighty words were at the heart of the Republican platform at the time.

William McKinley had a Mexican double-yellow-headed parrot who could whistle "Yankee Doodle Dandy." The bird, named Washington Post, served as the official White House greeter. The family also had two angora kittens, Valeriano Weyler and Enrique DeLome.

Teddy Roosevelt had the most pets of any US president. He had 10 horses, a bull terrier named Pete, a St. Bernard named Rollo, and a Chesapeake Bay retriever. He also had a Manchester terrier named Blackjack, a mutt named Skip, and a Pekingese named Manchu.

There were also snakes, birds, rabbits, a badger, guinea pigs, a flying squirrel, and two kangaroo rats. Then there were the wilder animals, including a lion, a hyena, a wildcat, a coyote, five bears, two parrots, a zebra, a barn owl, a lizard, some roosters, a hen, a pig, and a raccoon.

William Taft was the last US president to have cows at the White House. He had two, Mooly Wooly and Pauline Wayne. He also had a small white dog named Caruso who was a gift from opera singer Enrico Caruso.

Woodrow Wilson had a number of pets. There was Old Ike, a mean ram who chewed tobacco and was eventually banished from the White House. There were a number of dogs, including an Airedale terrier named Davie, a greyhound named Mountain Boy, and a bull terrier named Bruce. There were also two kittens, Muffins and Puffins. Lastly, there were sheep who could be seen grazing on the White House lawn.

Warren G. Harding's Airedale terrier, Laddie Boy, was the first presidential pet to receive news coverage of his own. The Hardings celebrated Laddie Boy's birthday with a party each July, inviting all the neighborhood dogs to join in. The family's passion for animals bled into the administration, as first lady Florence Harding used Laddie Boy as a way to advocate for animal rights.

Many joked that Calvin Coolidge turned the White House into a zoo. The Coolidges had 12 dogs, canaries, cats, geese, raccoons, a donkey, and a bobcat. Foreign dignitaries added to the family's collection, giving lion cubs, a black bear, a wallaby, and a pygmy hippo.

Herbert Hoover had many fewer animals than his predecessor but still had an impressive nine dogs. They were a Belgian shepherd named King Tut, a German shepherd named Pat, fox terriers Big Ben and Sonny, Scottish collie Glen, Siberian husky Yukon, Patrick the wolfhound, a setter named Eaglehurst Gillette, and Weejie the elkhound.

Herbert's son also had a pair of alligators, but they never lived at the White House.

FDR loved dogs and had quite a few. There was Major, a German shepherd who wasn't as friendly as White House staff had hoped. Then there were Llewellin setter Winks, Old English sheepdog Tiny, a Great Dane named President, English bullmastiff Blaze, and Scottish terrier Meggie.

The most famous of FDR's pets was another Scottish terrier, Fala. Fala was originally named Big Boy until FDR renamed him Murray the Outlaw of Falahill, which got shortened. Fala was said to be deeply impacted by FDR's death and was never the same after.

Harry Truman ended up with two dogs, even if it wasn't what he wanted. His daughter, Margaret, had an Irish setter named Mike. He received a dog named Feller as a gift but gave him away because he preferred being pet-free, angering many supporters.

Dwight Eisenhower's dog, Heidi, lived in the White House briefly. Sadly, they sent the Weimaraner back to the family farm in Pennsylvania after her weak bladder resulted in some accidents on expensive White House fixtures. The family also had a parakeet named Gabby.

The Kennedy family had quite a number of pets. There were two horses belonging to Jacqueline Kennedy, Rufus and Sardar. Caroline and JFK Jr. had another three horses, Tex, Macaroni, and Leprechaun.

They also had Welsh terrier Charlie, mixed-breed Pushinka, German shepherd Clipper, cocker spaniel Shannon, and Irish wolfhound Wolf. Pushinka and Charlie went on to have six puppies. Completing their family's pets were a cat, birds, hamsters, and a rabbit named Zsa Zsa.

The Johnsons had four beagles: Him, Her, Edgar, and Freckles. The four were known to enjoy dips in the White House pool. They also had a collie named Blanco and a mixed-breed dog named Yuki.

Richard Nixon mentioned Checkers, his cocker spaniel, in a televised speech in 1952. The dog was a gift from a supporter during his campaign and was beloved by his daughters, Julie and Tricia.

He also had a poodle named Vicky, a terrier named Pasha, and an Irish setter named King Timahoe.

Gerald Ford had golden retriever puppies in the White House after breeding his dog, Liberty. They kept one of her puppies and named her Misty. There was also a mixed-breed dog, Lucky, and a Siamese cat named Shan.

Jimmy Carter's daughter, Amy, was given a border collie mix who was born on the day of her father's election. The family named the dog Grits. They had another dog named Lewis Brown, who was an Afghan hound.

Amy also got a Siamese cat, whom she named Misty Malarky Ying Yang.

The Reagans were dogless when they moved into the White House in 1981, but that quickly changed. Nancy Reagan received a Bouvier des Flandres named Lucky in 1984. The next year, the family received a Cavalier King Charles spaniel puppy, whom they named Rex.

At their ranch, they had their other dogs, including a golden retriever named Victory, an Irish setter named Peggy, Siberian husky named Taca, and a Belgian sheepdog named Fuzzy.

George H.W. Bush brought puppies back to the White House. Millie the English springer spaniel gave birth to a litter in 1989. The family kept one of the puppies, whom they named Ranger. Another puppy, Spot, would go on to return to the White House when George W. Bush took office.

The Clinton family had two pets. Their cat, Socks, came into the family by chance, jumping into Chelsea Clinton's arms when she was leaving her piano teacher's home in Little Rock, Arkansas, in 1991. During his second term, Bill added a Labrador retriever to the family, Buddy.

In addition to Spot, George W. Bush had two Scottish terriers named Miss Beazley and Barney. They also had a black cat named India, whose name caused some controversy. The family also had a long-horned cow named Ofelia, but they left her on their Texas ranch.

Barack Obama famously promised his young daughters a dog if he were elected president. He delivered with a Portuguese water dog named Bo. In 2013, Bo received a little sister, another Portuguese water dog named Sunny.

That brings us to our newest first dogs, Major and Champ. Major, who joined the Biden family in 2018, will be the first rescue dog to ever live in the White House. Champ has been to the White House before but is ready for the adventure ahead!