Posted: April 24, 2009, 5 a.m. EDT
The Portie is “crazy,” according to first lady Michelle Obama.
Bo, the newest addition to the Obama family, appears to be making himself at home in the White House. At 6 months of age, the Portuguese Water Dog likes to chew on people’s feet, the first lady informed a group of kids on a recent trip to the White House.
“It was like 10 o'clock. Everybody was asleep and we hear all this barking and jumping around," The Associated Press quotes Mrs. Obama. "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.
Bo was a gift from Sen. Edward Kennedy of Massachusetts to Malia and Sasha Obama. However, the first lady has been the one investing much of her time walking and training the black-and-white dog, The Associated Press reports.
Porties are classified as working dogs, meaning they enjoy being given jobs to do where they can show their intelligence, strength, and stamina, according to the Portuguese Water Dog Club of America. Like all dogs, they need training and socialization.
The children, who were participating in the White House’s annual “Take Your Child to Work Day,” were curious about what would happen if Bo ran away. Mrs. Obama assured them that the chances of that happening were low, but if he did wander off, “lots of people would try to track him down.”
To read more about the Obama family’s new puppy, click here.