White House to welcome «Bo», Obama's puppy

A 6-month-old Portuguese Water Dog named «Bo» will become the latest member of the Obama household, the Washington Post reported in what it called a puppy exclusive, itself the culmination of a day of Internet reports that thwarted the White House's planned doggie announcement next week. A source described Bo as a well-behaved charmer with «tuxedo-black fur, a white chest, white paws and a rakish white goatee.»

Reporters have hounded President Barack Obama since he famously announced that he would reward his daughters, Sasha,7, and Malia, 10, with a new pooch during his acceptance speech on the night of his historic victory in November.

White House aides told the AP that the office of the first lady arranged an exclusive deal on the dog story with the Post. The officials, who demanded anonymity because of the deal with the Post on exclusive details, said the dog was not in the White House as of Saturday evening.

By Saturday reports of the dog's impending arrival had reached a fevered pitch.
First, gossip website TMZ broke news that Sen. Ted Kennedy would deliver the First Dog to the Obamas on Tuesday from an elite Texas kennel where Kennedy purchased three Portuguese Water Dogs in the past.

The new dog, a relative of Kennedy's pooches, was originally named Charlie, the gossip site reported. TMZ later linked to another site called FirstDogCharlie.com, anonymously registered, that claimed to have posted a picture - and interview - with the pet.

The Washington Post quoted a source who said that the Kennedys had prevailed on the Obamas to choose the Portuguese Water Dog.

A few weeks ago, Malia and Sasha had a secret meeting with the dog, and later changed his name to Bo because it matched the name of their cousin's cat and because Michelle Obama's father was nicknamed Diddley, as is Bo Diddly, according to the Post.

When the president entered the room, Bo was said to have «followed obediently.»