During this week of the fun Westminster Dog Show, and during this week of disgusting attacks on the 1st Amendment from the White House, while watching the Scottish Terrier I was reminded of the fun page on the White House site under Pres. Bush about Barney and Mrs. Beazley. You get a sense that the Pres. and Mrs. Bush really liked their dogs.
There is nothing fun on the Obama WH page. Nope. Only Maoist propaganda photos.
Nothing about Bo, the Portuguese Water Dog. A cynic (get the pun? get it? huh?) would wonder if he really likes his dog. I’m just sayin’… ’cause it’s an easy cheap shot. But… still…
Liberals aren’t fun. Liberals have no sense of humor. There is nothing funny about attacks on the Catholic Church by the President of the United States either.
I wonder what Barney is up to these days. Anyone know?
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I don’t know what Barney is up to lately but wanted to say that Millie was also a good dog.
Libs thrive on misery. They see life as pain, struggle, misery, battle. We in Christendom do as well, but for different reasons.
If you are happy, it’s highly unlikely you will vote democrat.
You know, ever since I lost my shirt investing in that Somali Cruise Line, I really have been morose and seeing life as struggle and battle. I really thought the world was ready for shuffleboard off the Horn of Africa, but it was an idea before its time, I guess.
PostCatholic,
Silly! You used the wrong business model.
These people made a killing.
Shuffleboard! How passé!
Aw, I miss Barney. We have a Scottie named Dickens. They are great little dogs. Our kids used to get a kick out of watching the videos of Barney on the WH website. There is no joy on the WH website these days.
I have to say – I like dogs (definitely *not* a cat person), but I really don’t take any interest in the President’s dog…or any president’s dog.
He’s no Fala.
I have seen a DVD about the British Monarchy that features a segment dedicated to the Queen’s last visit to the White House. President Bush is questioned as to whether or not the dogs will be “allowed upstairs” while the Queen and Prince Philip are visiting, to which Mr. Bush responds, “I’m sure Barney would like to meet the Queen, and I think Her Majesty would like to meet Barney, too.” I nearly howled at the thought that the Queen might be sitting in the Limo next to the Duke of Edinburgh on the way to the White House saying to him, “do you suppose we’ll get to meet Barney?”
I miss Liberty. Not the real Liberty. Chevy Chase’s stuffed prop.
Father you can’t say liberals aren’t any fun. Tearing up the constitution is great fun!
Disco, no it’s not, not for everybody. You can trust me on that one.
C’mon, Father Z! Everybody knows that a cynic would have suggested that BHO would be better off with a Pekingese instead of a Portuguese Water Dog… (just elaborating on the pun… And wondering “how did THAT dog win the show?”)
My cynical self says that Bo is nothing but a prop to be trotted out when necessary. The Obamas never owned pets before. The Bushes always had pets, and I can’t help but think that Barney is at the family home and enjoying himself.
I love dogs and cats, but the AKC has messed with so many breeds that they are beginning to look deformed. I’ll take a healthy, smart dog that isn’t a beauty queen any time.
I’m not sure it’s liberals alone who lack any sense of humor. But I do think that when anyone reaches a certain level of intensity, the capacity for humor drops off and we start to lose the ability to poke fun at ourselves. One of the keys to humor is taking yourself for who you are, the good and the bad.
I usually say that if I can laugh at something, I can survive it. In my experience, once someone gets grim about what they’re doing (assuming they’re not dealing with an actual tragedy where laughter is impossible) they’re in a scary place where it might help to back off a bit.
I LOVED Barney and Mrs. Beazly. They were truly fun. And I don’t even really like dogs! I’m sure the Queen, with her beloved Corgis, would have loved to meet Barney.
Remember Bill and Buddy? Buddy polled better than Socks the cat. That was all.
My family has had Scotties since 1940. They are friendly, but independent little rascals.
I recall one of Barney’s last WH acts was to try to bite a reporter who got in his face. Thankfully, Barney did not contract rabies from the reporter.
Legisperitus, Ellen,
Exactly. If somebody never owned a dog before they got to a complicated, demanding, high-pressure place like the White House, it’s highly unlikely that they got the dog because they like dogs. All you have to do is look at their interactions with the dog to figure that out – off balance, hauling on the very end of the leash of a hard-pulling dog who is totally uninterested in the person on the other end: as here or here.
I’ll add that terriers (including the Scotch and West Highland White) are self-possessed, independent dogs that get along quite nicely even if their owners don’t have a lot of time to spend with them (although they enjoy it very much when they do!)
The retrieving breeds, on the other hand, like Buddy and Bo, are bred to work closely one-on-one with humans, and they are unhappy if they don’t have an opportunity to bond and spend a lot of time with their master or mistress (of course there’s a continuum, with Chessies at one end as the most independent of retrievers, and Goldens at the other as the “clingiest”. I’m not sure exactly where the PWD falls, but the couple I’ve known were very attached to their masters).
I hope that Buddy (may he rest in peace) and Bo have/had handlers assigned to them to give them the affection they need.
My grad school class toured the White House this spring, and we were able to spy Bo walking down hallways and out in the garden with his handlers. Actually it was the highlight of the trip.
Curator: “And over here we have another French chair from the 1830s…”
Grad Students: running to window “Look! I can see the puppy!!!”
For the record, at the White House entrance there is a cute shot of Obama running down a hallway with Bo, and the dog also featured in the White House Christmas card this year. But you’re right Father, that does not live up to cute bios and an annual adorably awkward Christmas video. I bet Her Majesty totally loves meeting First Dogs.
I am glad Obama has at least a vote-getting dog for photo ops, as it delays any further Islamic hand-holding from the Admin, as Muslims hate dogs. Dog poisoning is happening in parts of the Netherlands were there are large immigrant populations with that “religious” belief. I want every president to have dogs, and cats….By the way, remember that Teddy Roosevelt had bears, hence the Teddy Bear. Father Z, you could always get a bear.
St. Peter Canisius-I remember when Barney took a bite out a White House reporter! I was glad that he did….glad for the dog, of course!
Who can ever forget the ‘Barney Cam’ videos? They were hilarious!
Last year I made a visit to FDR’s home at Hyde Park, NY (the only presidential home I’m liable to visit in my lifetime), and I bought a book in the ‘New Deal Store’ in the visitor center called ‘First Dogs’. It had stories and pictures of all the White House dogs from George Washington to BO. The front cover had a picture of Obama and Bo out on the White House lawn. And in the book there was the photo of the two of them running down the hallway (probably the one referred to by Sarah L).
There’s a saying attributed to Harry Truman: ‘If you want a friend in Washington, get a dog’.
Liberals arent fun?
Geesh.. look at all the fun the occupoopers are having!
and everytime I see a union goon with a pre-made sign walking in circles and snearing at everyone, I think…. good times.. good times!
If you go to the George W. Bush Presidential Center website, and look at the “about” tab, there are entries for Barney, Miss Beazley, and the recently acquired Bob the Cat. Apparently all are doing well. [Thanks! That’s great!]
My mom loves Obama. She was railing about Romney traveling with the family dog on the top of the car, and I asked her: “Did Obama have a dog when he was growing up?” She said she didn’t know. I asked: “What about elementary school friends?” “Teachers?” “Anyone who knew him before college?”
It’s like he was grown in a cloning tank and released about college time. There is absolutely nothing that would point to the humanity of this man.
But, but, he even named the dog after himself– B.O.
How much more loving can you get?
(insert a ‘rollyeye’ smile here)
http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/09/04/12/Meet-Bo-the-First-Dog/
I dunno. To me, it looks like the President is having fun with his dog. At least he is actually interacting with the animal, unlike the original GWB shot.
Uh, What??? Romney traveled with his dog on top of the car???? More details, please…..
Luvadoxi,
It’s an old, old story – 30 years old. Family vacation, Irish Setter had intestinal complaint, Romney tied dog crate to roof rack of station wagon. Got to destination, hosed down station wagon.
I’m not the person to ask about whether this is “mean” or not — retriever trainers transport dogs in solid metal ‘dog boxes’ mounted on trucks or in trailers, and some people probably think that’s mean. It’s better than letting them ride loose in the bed of a pickup, anyhow.
I don’t much care for the man, but given that it was 30 years ago and he told the story on himself as an example of ‘crisis management’, it seems completely irrelevant to me.
I do question the sense of anybody who has an Irish Setter (ducking). All the ones I’ve known have been dumb as a bag of hammers. There was one very handsome male who started agility classes in the same beginner class as my little Chocolate Lab. She made her AX and AXJ and was running in Masters . . . and he was still trying to get his first Novice pass (and it wasn’t his handler’s fault, other than thinking that a dog with 1 1/2 brain cells could run agility!)
I thought Barney had announced that he’s not running for the House again, thus depriving the majority of massofchewshits catholic clergy and laity of one of their favorite politicians.
I didn’t read the beginning of the article, saw George W sitting at the desk and wondered if there’d been a coup.
I love those Scotties! I love every dog.
brassplayer,
Well . . . not exactly. Any dog will run after you if you run away, they’re hardwired for that.
Compare the two pictures of Obama and Bush moving away, followed by their dogs. Obama is ahead of the dog, looking down but not at the dog, and the dog is not looking at his eyes or hand, just pelting after him as almost any dog will do if you run away. Now look at Bush, particularly the line of his gaze, his left shoulder, and his left hand, and note the direction of gaze of the two Scotties. That is a good “connection” as it’s called in the obedience game – the whole left side of his body is involved in communication with the dogs. Obedience sticklers would say it’s too wide a heel, but it’s still very impressive indeed.
Obama also doesn’t understand that when you’ve just met a dog, you don’t mash your whole hand down on top of his head – that’s a very dominant/aggressive move that some dogs see as threatening. He’s trying to get his daughter to pat the dog and she’s reluctant. The dog is confused but friendly – licking his lips as a sign of submission.
Now admittedly this is a Lab and there is no friendlier dog, but look here at the eye contact between Bush and one of the S&R dogs from WTC, look at his gentle hand cradling the side of the dog’s jaw, leaving the dog’s eyes and head movement free — and look at the sweet expression on the Lab’s face .
Obama’s not a dog man and Bush is, it’s as simple as that.