Bo: In the annals of presidential canines, Bo will surely go down as one of the biggest camera hogs. Fala, Checkers, Buddy and Barney? They’ve got nothing on this fluffy, sedate and hypoallergenic pooch. And this year, DCist finally got up close and personal with Bo during a tour of the White House grounds. And then we sent him some birthday wishes. And then the White House manipulated us even further with a holiday video of Bo reviewing a Christmas tree. OK, OK, Bo is clearly the most web-friendly member of the Obama family, with nearly 90,000 clicks generated on DCist. But we’re still holding out hope that 2013 will be the year of Champ Biden.

President Obama’s ratings might be tanking after his snoozer of a performance in last week’s debate. (Hell, even his would-be BFF Andrew Sullivan has all but given up on re-election.) And while Michelle Obama still earns high praises from most quarters, her childhood nutrition and anti-obesity programs are occasionally the target of Drudge-ish criticism.

However, there’s still one member of the Obama family who’s damn near unimpeachable: the dog. Bo, the Obamas’ Portuguese water dog, turns four years old today. As a little puppy, Bo moved into the White House in April 2009, allowing the president to deliver on a 2008 campaign promise he made to his daughters.

We finally got our own up-close look at the pooch earlier this year, when Bo made a surprise appearance at the White House’s spring garden tour. I pet him for a second. His coat was very fluffy. Here are our photos from that encounter.

Bo is four. That makes him 28 in dog years. Maybe it’s time for him to move out and get a job? Oh, right, it’s still a recession for the Millennials.

Filed Under: barack obama, birthday, bo, bo obama, portuguese water dog, white house,