President Biden’s German shepherds, Major and the late
Champ, are the latest in a long line of presidential dogs. Dating all the way
back to George Washington, dogs have been constant companions to nearly all of
America’s presidents. Of the past 46 presidents, 31 have had at least one dog
at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave.
Organized by historical eras, All-American Dogs will
take readers through the captivating history of the White House’s four-legged
friends, the impact they had on their owner-in-chiefs, and, ultimately,
American history. From the assassination of President’s Lincoln’s dog after
Lincoln’s own death to President’s Hoover’s Belgian shepherd, King Tut, who
helped President Hoover win the election after appearing in a campaign photo,
these furry members of the first family often had a lasting impact on the
administrations that kept them.
As historian-in-residence at the Presidential Pet Museum,
Andrew Hager will include original research and rare photographs from the
National Archives to trace the history of America’s first dogs. From
post-Revolutionary dogs, to Civil War era dogs, to Cold War dogs, Hager will
show the differences and similarities of how our nation viewed man’s best
friend.
Readers will learn not only past presidents’ dogs in each
historical era, but also the cultural history of dogs as pets, and the ways in
which Americans’ relationships with dogs has evolved over the past two
centuries.
ANDREW HAGER serves as historian-in-residence for the
Presidential Pet Museum, a position he has held since 2017. Prior to that, he
taught middle school social studies and language arts for a decade. Andrew is
legally blind and travels with a black Labrador retriever named Sammy. He lives
with his wife, Kristy, and their two children, Mia and Ian, in the suburbs
outside of Baltimore, Maryland. In addition to Sammy, the family has a fluffy
mixed-breed rescue named Emmy and two cats, Sophia and Olivia.