Obama girls name their dog Bo

Finally the long national wait is over: We know the identity of the Obama
family pet. The first dog is a 6-month-old Portuguese water dog named Bo.

The dog was given by Sen. Edward M. Kennedy (D-Mass), who has three Porties
and who lobbied for the breed. The Obamas decided to name the dog Bo for two
reasons: 1. The girls, Sasha, 7, and Malia, 10, have cousins with a cat
named Bo and 2. First Lady Michelle Obama's father was nicknamed Diddley,
after the singer Bo Diddley, according to the Washington Post.

"He's got tuxedo-black fur, with a white chest, white paws and a rakish
white goatee," the Post says.

Friday TMZ.com was reporting details about the first dog, including that
he's from a Texas breeder who sold the Kennedy family their dogs. The dog
was named Charlie but returned to the breeder. The site also was reporting
that the Kennedy dogs and Charlie-now-Bo are from the same lineage. (This
morning the site is saying that reports that Kennedy gave the puppy to the
First Family as a gift are untrue. It is sticking to what it reported
Friday: The dog was re-homed by the kennel and the Kennedy family only
helped with the transfer.)

Yesterday a Web site called firstdogcharlie.com went up containing a picture
of what it said was the first dog. The White House has called the picture
"bogus," but the site's image certainly looks like the Obama pet.

The White House had offered The Washington Post a puppy exclusive, according
to the paper. But as more information leaked out yesterday, the time of
releasing information changed. The original plan at the White House was to
share the news at Bo's debut on Tuesday.

The family had a get-to-know-you session with the dog at the White House a
few weeks ago. "The Meeting," as it was called, was a surprise for the
girls. Bo dressed up for the occasion: wearing a lei, according to the Post.

The dog was an instant hit. "He sat when the girls sat, stood when the girls
stood. He made no toileting errors and did not gnaw on the furniture. Bo
has, after all, been receiving lessons in good behavior from the Kennedys'
dog trainers. These lessons have been taking place at a secret, undisclosed
location outside Washington," the Post says.

The family is said to still be working out sleeping arrangements and
feeding/walking plans for Bo.

The decision will make Labrodoodle fans unhappy. That was the other breed in
the running. The family focused on Labradoodles and Portuguese water dogs
because they are good pets for allergy sufferers, as Malia is.

Animal groups strongly encouraged the Obamas to adopt a rescue dog and are
already expressing disappointment over the family's choice. To show their
support for shelters, the Obamas are making a donation to the D.C. Humane
Society.