Dogs have kept company with presidents, monarchs, and icons throughout history — sometimes becoming nearly as famous as their owners. Here's a tour of the most notable presidential and celebrity dogs, and what made them memorable.
White House Dogs Through History
- Fala — Franklin D. Roosevelt's Scottish Terrier was so beloved and politically famous that FDR gave a nationally broadcast speech in 1944 specifically defending Fala against a political attack, and Fala is the only presidential pet honored with his own statue at a presidential memorial (alongside FDR's in Washington, D.C.).
- Checkers — a Cocker Spaniel gifted to Richard Nixon, made famous by his 1952 televised "Checkers speech," in which Nixon defended himself from corruption allegations partly by declaring he'd never give up the family dog.
- Bo and Sunny — Portuguese Water Dogs owned by the Obama family, chosen partly because the breed is considered relatively hypoallergenic, suiting daughter Malia's allergies.
- Major and Champ — Joe Biden's German Shepherds; Major was the first shelter-rescued dog to live in the White House. Commander, a second Biden dog, later joined the family as well.
- Liberty — Gerald Ford's Golden Retriever, famous for giving birth to a litter of puppies in the Oval Office in 1975, photographed extensively by the press.
- George W. Bush's Scottish Terrier Barney starred in a series of White House Christmas videos that became an annual tradition during his presidency.
Dogs of World Leaders
- Queen Elizabeth II owned more than 30 Pembroke Welsh Corgis over her 70-year reign, starting with Susan in 1944 — a corgi given to her for her 18th birthday that began a royal tradition lasting the rest of her life.
- Vladimir Putin has owned several dogs during his presidency, including a Bulgarian Shepherd and an Akita gifted by the governor of Akita Prefecture, Japan, as a thank-you gesture after the 2011 tsunami.
- Winston Churchill kept several dogs throughout his life, most notably a poodle named Rufus, who reportedly comforted him during his most difficult wartime decisions.
Notable Celebrity Dog Owners
- Oprah Winfrey has owned numerous Golden Retrievers and Cocker Spaniels over the decades, frequently featuring them on her shows and social media.
- Actor Hugh Jackman and his family are well known for their long-running devotion to their dogs, often documenting their pets' lives publicly.
- Fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld famously left a portion of his fortune in trust for his Birman cat Choupette — while not a dog, it's one of the most famous pet inheritance stories in celebrity history, and inspired similar high-profile arrangements for dogs among other public figures.
Want more legendary dogs? Read about the dogs who became heroes in their own right in our famous dogs guide, or discover the monuments built in their honor in our statues and memorials guide.