The bond between the president and his dog has become an iconic part of American politics. Here is perhaps the most famous “US President – First Dog” relationship.
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More presidents have owned pets. A notable exception is Donald Trump, who has held on no pets in the White House during his first or second term.
Perhaps the most famous presidential dog, or at least the one best captured, is Fala, President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s Scottish terrier companion. Fala is unique among presidential pets in being the only one honored with a statue on the National Mall, placed next to FDR at the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial in Washington, DC
Fala: A Brief Biography And Legacy
Fala (born 7 April 1940, died 5 April 1952), officially Murray the outlaw of Falahillgiven to FDR by his cousin Margaret “Daisy” Suckley. The dog accompanied Roosevelt on numerous public engagements, trips and sea voyages.
Fala was not just a decorative accessory: he had learned tricks, received formal obedience training, and became deeply integrated into the president’s public persona.
In 1944, during FDR’s re-election campaign, a Republican accusation alleged that the president had sent a navy ship to retrieve Fala after the dog was left behind during a visit to the Aleutians. Roosevelt responded with what became known as the “Fala Speech,” in which he declared that Falla “revolted” at false attacks on his name. This moment elevated the dog into a living political symbol.
Today, in the third “room” of the Roosevelt Memorial, Fala’s bronze statue sits next to FDR himself. The statue was sculpted by Neil Estern and remains a place of public interest and veneration.
Comparing Fala to other presidential dogs
While Fala may be the only presidential dog with a public statue on the National Mall, there are many other famous first dogs and at least one other with a statue to honor him.
A celebrity presidential pet was Laddie Boy, an Airedale Terrier owned by Warren G. Harding. He was widely covered by contemporary newspapers, had a carved chair for cabinet meetings, and had a memorial statue made of him (from thousands of pennies donated by newsagents) and placed in the Smithsonian. Unlike Fala, her Laddie Boy sculpture is not on display. There is another sculpture of Laddie Boy, featuring Harding, located in Rapid City, South Dakota.
Other early dogs have notable characteristics: for example, Abraham Lincoln’s dog, Fido, lived mostly in Springfield and never lived full-time in the White House, limiting his public exposure. The Bushes’ dogs—Millie and her puppy Spot (later Spotty)—were familiar to television audiences, but they didn’t have the kind of symbolic political incident that Fala enjoyed.
Presidents more recently have chosen dogs (eg Bo and Sunny Obama, Chub and Major Biden) in part to humanize their image, but none have yet matched the myths built around Fala.
Biologist’s Lens: Why Fala resonates
From a scientific point of view, two particularly interesting aspects stand out: first, the human-dog bond as a channel for public empathy. Second, the genetics and behavior of domestic dogs that enhance the attractiveness of certain individual animals.
Humans coevolved with dogs (Canis familiaris) for thousands of years, selecting behaviors that encourage social bonding with humans. Modern genome sequencing reveals that dogs and wolves were diverging through a process of gene flow and bottleneck, but dogs have retained or developed loci under selection for human sociability.
In public places, a president with a dog symbolizes politeness, approachability and a relatable domestic life.
Fala’s constant presence at Roosevelt’s side on ships, trains, and in official portraits capitalized on this preexisting bond. For the average citizen in 1940s America, seeing the president’s loyal terrier humanize a world leader.
Race also plays a role in memory and charisma. Scottish terriers are compact, alert and expressive. Their square proportions, erect ears and distinctive gait make them visually memorable. Compared to more generic mixed-breed dogs, purebreds in public roles may be more strongly imprinted in the collective memory.
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