Michelle Obama: Bo Is A "Crazy" Dog

WASHINGTON — First dog Bo is a "kind of crazy" puppy who likes to chew on people's feet, Michelle Obama told children visiting the White House on Thursday.

The first lady is spending a lot of time walking and training the 6-month-old Portuguese water dog who became a member of the president's family last week.

An energetic breed, Bo plays well into the night, as he did on Wednesday.

"It was like 10 o'clock. Everybody was asleep and we hear all this barking and jumping around," Mrs. Obama said. "The president and I came out and we thought somebody was out there. And it was just Bo. He was playing with his ball. And it was like there was another person in the house.

"He's kind of crazy, but he's still a puppy. So he likes to play a lot," she said.

The dog, unveiled last week after months of speculation, was a gift to Obama daughters Malia and Sasha.

"He loves to chew on people's feet," Mrs. Obama divulged to more than 100 children invited to a program marking the annual Take Your Child to Work Day.

Dozens of executive branch employees brought their children and grandchildren to the White House on to see where their parents work and what they do there. Vice President Joe Biden's granddaughter, Maisy, 8, was among them.

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In a question-and-answer session with the first lady, several students wanted to know about Bo.

Asked what she does with her free time, Mrs. Obama said she doesn't get much of it.

"Well, right now I'm taking care of this puppy. So I'm doing a lot of dog walking and dog training," she said.

Another youngster asked what would she do if Bo ran away.

"I would be very sad, first of all but ... he has (dog) tags, and hopefully someone would find him and bring him back," Mrs. Obama said.

She said it would be hard for Bo to get off the South Lawn, one of the places he is taken for walks and to play, because it is gated. But if he were to get out, she said, lots of people would try to track him down.

"I think everyone at the White House would probably help go out and find him," she said. "That's why we're working on training him, so that he doesn't run away and he listens when we call him. And so far he's doing OK, so we hope we don't have that problem."

Comments

[tlgeiger62]

Has anyone explained "crate training" to the First Family? That dog actually looked like a "marmaduke" type dog when they debuted him. Looks like a dog that leans on the side of crazy or at the very least unruly. But he is just a puppy so one would hope he'd improve behaviorally if he has proper guidance.

[ThermoChemist]

Michelle Obama: Bo Is A "Crazy" Dog
==========­==========­==========

"Bo 'Knows' Crazy"

[Sports fans will get this reference]

[Rangergirl]

First time dog owners....­They need help......­Bo is typical puppy....C­all the Dog Whisperer.­....He is great...

[JeanRR]

They are being helped by Ken Ramirez, director of the marine mammals program at the Shedd Aquarium. He recently added a dog act to the dolphin show. He is a skilled trainer and animal behaviorist. His methods are both humane and scientific. Cesar Milan's are not.

[katekid]

Humane and scientific?
Respectfully, you are over thinking this one.

[FabulousAt52]

while YOU may not prefer Millan's ways, he IS humane as well. as for 'scientifi­c'... dog behavior, much like human behavior, is NOT an Exact Science. Get over it.

That's like saying every scientist (in any field of research) who gets their kids a dog and trains it to fetch is someone using 'scientific' methods of dog training..­. [rolls eyes] you ARE over thinking this one.

[tlgeiger62]

Really? Does he not know about crate training?

[katekid]

Energetic young dog but not a puppy.
Misconception young dogs are too playful to be obedience trained.
They need it and enjoy it.

[igorz]

Harvard law degree. Big-time law firm experience. IQ off the charts. Hubby hauling in half a milli per. And she's spending her time taking care of the dog. And everyone thinks that's "cute". Huh? I like dogs as much as anyone, but someone ought to tell the first dude to hire a dog trainer and let MO do something more useful than tending to the (4-legged) Bo. Ya think?

[flaming lib]

Don't get yourself all in a tissy. I'm sure it was her idea to train the dog herself. I seriously doubt President Obama pulled rank on that one, not that he could even if he wanted.

[MichaelMcKLA]

Woof! And that's all I have to say about that.

[G-guy]

OK. Thanks for your concern.

But they appear to be doing just fine.
The dog is just ambling along. When he starts pulling the owners,
all the time, then it's time to show who's "pack leader", and hold him back.

They seem to be on top of the situation, even with this "crazy" dog.
The Obama's are getting good experience dealing with "crazy" personalities.

[katekid]

Dog appears to be walking the First Lady.
Not good sign.
Other corrections will be compromised and
if not corrected may injure somebody's shoulder.
People walk dogs.
Dogs should not walk people.

[CabaretArtist]

The term "crazy" in the AA community can be endearing. (i.e., Girl you so crazy. Child, you are crazy. Oh, man, that was crazy good. etc.)

I'm glad they have their dog and that Michelle is a great mom-in-chief. Go on girl with your bad self. (i.e., bad = good)

[katekid]

WTF?

[SparkyDash]

Bo sounds pretty normal for a puppy dog. I couldn't be happier for our First Family.

I have always had big, beautiful, lovable, crazy dogs in my life and they add so much to my happiness. They make my spouse and I laugh all the time with their antics. We presently have two huge, happy retrievers: a loving lab and a giddy golden. We've always had dogs and always will...lov­e them and their individual personalities.

Enjoy Bo, Obama family!

[barrycourage]

When I was a kid I had a beagle. As a puppy, she would teeth on my fingers and toes. She would gnaw on them but she knew not to do it hard. When I played with her I would sit on the ground and she would "attack" my feet. I would tease her with them. Inside the house, I would watch TV sitting on a bean bag chair with her on my lap gnawing at my fingers.

I miss her so much.

I hope the Obama girls get as much joy and love from Bo as I got from Pepper.

[SparkyDash]

Thank you for sharing such a nice story of Pepper. I'm sorry to know that she is no longer in your life, but what wonderful memories you have of her...it sounds like you both made each other very happy.

[VOICEOFKNOWING]

Hey! I got something.­.. WHO CARES?!!

[me4you]

um with 600 + posts obviously many caRE, so shooo go somewhere and wallow by yourself please

[smallbirdie]

I have a tip given to us by a canine "psychologist": when the dog pulls, you stop in you tracks,say in a quite loud voice" oh dear, we have have to go home now" and turn around around and "head back" (20metres or so)then reverse and continue on your walk.repea­t,repeat etc and I swear the doggie refrains from pulling after a while(not immediatel­y).it's so cute I could see my beagle holding herself back from pulling because she was absolutely NOT going to be taken home.Unfor­tunately, then one looks"crazy" to the passers by, when talking aloud...:-­)

[RJPasadena]

Michelle is definately the "Alpha" in the family. look out Bo!

[Thefamilyvan]

Just what the Obama's need. More energy in their household!

[1088]

The Obama has never had a dog before, so seeing the puppy doing crazy things, one would describe it has it seemed.