A DOGS LIFE

Traveling With the President

Bo with President Obama

This really isn’t a story about the White House dog Bo Diddley.  It could be any dog although the photos we get a little tired of due to the Mitt Romney story tying his dog Seamus to the family car and the poor thing had diarhea which drained down the back windows, is more a story of dog abuse than for people who see humor in it.  No this story reminds people that if you own a dog, every care should be taken to train the dog.  So we picked Bo as an example of a well trained Portie and even though his training turned out to offer the family a loving pet, it has very little to do with a millionaire not invoking the same principles for making the dog a happy family member by daily training.  Bo just happened to be trained by one of the top trainers in Virginia. (see below)

You’ve trained dogs for more than 20 years. What made you decide to become a trainer?

I was always involved with dogs -- sporting events and showing dogs -- and I started training so I could make money to support my hobby and to cover the entrance fees for these shows.

And then I started making a name for myself. I would drop my kids off at school in the morning, go to see clients, then pick the kids up and go to see more clients.

I train dogs from a mother’s point of view. I use positive reinforcement and punishment in terms of taking things away -- privileges or a reward.

Bo’s original owners could no longer keep him. You had already trained two of the Kennedys' Porties. One day, Vicki Kennedy asked you to evaluate a dog named Charlie to see if he would be a good fit for a family with children. Did you know he was being considered for the White House?

No, Vicki was very casual about it. She said, 'I’ve got this puppy that’s going to need to be re-homed. I’d like you to evaluate him -- keep him with you, work with him, and let me know if he’d work with a family with children.'

I said, 'Sure, I’ll do that; no problem.'

You had recently chipped your tooth and had a scheduled dentist appointment. So you took the puppy, who was just under 5 months old, to your former husband’s dental office?

BO's Official Postcard

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[The puppy] was totally unfazed and not nervous at all. As soon as I opened the kennel door, he popped his head out. He had this beautiful face and these beautiful curls.

He laid down while my tooth was being fixed. I thought the drilling might bother him, but he was just so easy. And I was thinking, 'This is the calm before the storm.'

OBEDIENCE