Bo (dog)

Bo (October 9, 2008 – May 8, 2021) was a pet dog of the Obama family, the first family of the United States from 2009 until 2017. President Barack Obama and his family were given the male Portuguese Water Dog as a gift after months of speculation about the breed and identity of their future pet. The final choice was made in part because elder daughter Malia's allergies dictated a need for a hypoallergenic breed. Bo was occasionally called "First Dog". In August 2013, Bo was joined by Sunny, a female dog of the same breed. Bo was named by sisters Malia and Sasha after their cousins' cat, First Lady Michelle Obama's father, also as a reference to the R&B musician Bo Diddley; who had died months before the puppy was born and months before Obama's victory at the 2008 presidential election. Bo's name was also Barack Obama's initials, widely reported as the reason for the dog's name.