Bo's Predecessors: Presidential Pets In History (SLIDESHOW)

Four-legged friends are a time-honored White House tradition. President Taft had a cow. FDR had his terrier Fala. The Kennedys gave young Caroline a pony she named Macaroni. Lyndon Johnson had dogs named His and Her. Nixon had Checkers, the Fords had Liberty, the Clintons had Buddy the lab and Socks the cat, and the Bushes had Barney and Miss Beazley. Now the Obamas have Bo.

Here's a look back at at the most recent presidential pets:

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President Taft's pet cow Pauline outside the State, War and Navy Building

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Comments

[Kaves]

Hahaha I love that picture of Socks as the podium. The one of him being assaulted by the press is now my background havent seen that before.. Haha how spoiled were the Kennedy girls that they actually GOT a pony? Cool that they let her just run around..

haha Barry's new dog looks insane.

[Lachlan Prescott]

I'd like to see more WH cats in future

[SuesW]

Those were cute. I do like the cat ... esp the photo of it being mobbed by photogs. lol

[kathleen15]

Guys i be that Nixon's dog was a ceook just like his owner.

[eden4barack08]

"Then walks the President" LOL....best caption ever from HuffPo. Great pic of Obama led by his puppy.

Clinton's cat Socks at the press podium is the most fantastic pic so far, but I have a feeling rambunctious Bo promises some wild ones yet.

[SmallChange]

It looks like we'll be seeing Cesar Milan at the WH soon. Bo seems like a typical energitic pup!

[Lachlan Prescott]

yeah

[lynnn]

Barney had nothing on Fala. Fala, just looked really loving.

[Bec01]

Oh I think the Obama''s have a feisty little guy on their hands. I hope they are taking training classes to learn how to handle him. Maybe The dog Whisperer needs to pay them a visit....LOL

[roshni]

Looks like Bo is taking our Prez for a walk! He looks happy, though.

[lynnn]

I think the dog is the only one who can lead the president.

[naschkatze]

I can't get over how much alike Nixon and Checkers looked. My fav: the cat.

[btrim]

Best pic I've ever seen of Nixon. The guy comes across as a decent human being. (What a sham.)

The pic of FDR's dog at his funeral is a tearjerker.

[ChelseaC]

Most of all,I like the Kennedy pics.

[naschkatze]

THE ChelseaC?

[MsIrisMG]

LOL at the guy on the ground photographing Socks, and he's not even regarding him. Weird photographers! It reminds me of an "Aggie" joke: how many does it take to photograph one cat?! The one of Socks at the podium is adorable. They didn't have a photo of Amy Carter's Siamese cat, Misty Malarkey.

[SmallChange]

I thought the same thing when I saw that picture of Socks. Is it voyeurism with photographers or is it envy, sheesh. But Socks as the Cat in Chief at the podium is a stitch!

[MsIrisMG]

It's a shame Malia is allergic. Little girls really should have a cat or kitten, like Amy and Chelsea...and me!

[gtchilla]

ISN'T BARRACK OBAMAS PUPPY ,BO ,SSSSOOO CUTE!!??

[eden4barack08]

Immensely so! I can't get over it!

[LMKay66]

Didn't you just love Bush's bitin' pooch, Barney?

[LeftLeanWing]

Poor dog probably acquired Irritable Bowel Syndrome from being around that Idiot.

[roshni]

Yup, or some other stress-related doggie psychosis.

[indyleftist]

Truman wouldn't take the puppy LOL

[Bitsko]

I don' know what it is, but the photo of Fala being walked to President Roosevelt's funeral has always struck me as incredibly sad.

[roshni]

It made me sad too.

[lynnn]

Same here. Fala, was big at the time, lots of people named their dogs Fala. Of course we are probably more familiar with Lincoln's dog FIDO. Yeah, that dog's name really got stuck in the American mind.