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President Bush's dog Spot pauses before stepping off Marine One at the White House in Washington Sunday, Feb. 23, 2003. Charles Dharapak, Associated Press
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Socks the cat peers over the podium in the White House briefing room Saturday March 19, 1994. A White House groundskeeper was walking Socks when he stopped and lifted Socks to the podium. Marcy Nighswander, Associated Press
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Presidential pets Barney, right, and Miss Beazley, both Scottish terrier dogs, play in the snow on the South Lawn of the White House Monday, Jan. 31, 2005, in Washington. Pablo Martinez Monsivais, Associated Press
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Charlie, Caroline Kennedy's pet Welsh terrier, inspects a turkey presented to President Kennedy after a traditional Thanksgiving week ceremony at the White House in Washington, Nov. 19, 1963. President Kennedy pardoned the bird, sending it back to the far Associated Press
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This is an undated photo of Grover Cleveland with his dog. Cleveland was the 22nd and 24th U.S. President,1885-9 and 1893-7. Associated Press
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Mrs. Calvin Coolidge is shown in the South Grounds of the White House with her beautiful, pure white collie Rob Roy in Washington on Sept. 27, 1924. Associated Press
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Laddie Boy, President Warren G. Harding's terrier, is shown, Aug. 1, 1922. Associated Press
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U.S. President Herbert C. Hoover and first lady Lou Henry Hoover enjoy their vacation with their Norwegian Elkhound, Weeji, at their Rapidan Camp, Va., in Aug. 1932. Associated Press
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President Franklin D. Roosevelt lifts his dog Fala as he prepares to motor from his special train to the Yacht Potomac at New London, Conn., Aug. 3, 1941. Associated Press
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Former President Herbert Hoover is on the grounds of his home on the Stanford University campus, in Palo Alto, California on August 10, 1934, where he observed his 60th birthday. Associated Press
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President Franklin D. Roosevelt and First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt relax on the lawn of their estate in Hyde Park, N.Y., with their pet dog Meggie, Aug. 4, 1933. Associated Press
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Feller, a five-week-old cocker spaniel puppy sent to Pres. Harry Truman as a gift, poses beside his crate in a White House corridor, Dec. 22, 1947. William J. Smith, Associated Press
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Vice President Richard Nixon is seen with his dog Checkers at his home in Spring Valley neighborhood of Washington, DC., on July 2, 1959. Associated Press
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Caroline Kennedy's pet pony Macaroni accepts a handout from Towner Keener through the fence surrounding the White House grounds in Washington, D.C., March 16, 1962. The pony grazes the lawn of the executive mansion, seen in background. Associated Press
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President Lyndon Johnson lets his beagle Him peer from open window as the president toured the Johnson City area, Nov. 2, 1965. The first family went to Johnson City. Tex., to vote in a state election and then took newsmen on a tour. Associated Press
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President Gerald Ford and his daughter, Susan, are seen on the South Lawn of the White House with their dog, Liberty, Oct. 7, 1974, Washington, D.C. Associated Press
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First Lady Nancy Reagan watches President Ronald Reagan conducting "German-American Day" ceremony in the Rose Garden on Friday, Oct. 2, 1987 in Washington. Nancy Reagan was watching from an upstairs White House. Bob Daughtery, Associated Press
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Georgia Governor Jimmy Carter, right, and his seven-year-old daughter, Amy Carter, take a look at Amy's pet hamster Sleepy before his cage is packed up in the process of moving from the Governors Mansion, Tuesday, Dec. 31, 1974, Atlanta, Ga. Joe Jr. Holloway, Associated Press
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Chelsea Clinton's cat Socks gets the attention of photographers on the sidewalk outside the fenced Arkansas Governor's Mansion in Little Rock Tuesday. Socks strolled about a two block area with photographers in tow. President-elect Clinton is working on Greg Gibson, Associated Press
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Fala, President Franklin D. Roosevelt's Scottish terrier, gathered up all his rubber toys at the White House in Washington and sat by wistfully as they were set aside for the Executive Mansion's contribution to the scrap rubber collection, June 15, 1942. George R. Skadding, Associated Press
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Him, president Johnson's beagle, gets a handshake from President Johnson and a pat on the head from the First Lady as the Chief Executive arrives at the White House on Oct. 21, 1965 in Washington. The President left Bethesda Naval Hospital after a gall bl Associated Press
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Yuki, President Lyndon Johnson's pet mongrel, is held out the window of the car driven by LBJ as the first family starts a ride around the Texas ranch in Stonewall, Texas, Sept. 30, 1967. Johnson, driver for the outing, is holding Yuki. In the car are Lad Associated Press
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President Richard Nixon's dog King Timahoe takes a sample of the birthday cake presented to the president by the White House staff in a small party, Jan. 9, 1974 at the Western White House in San Clemente. First lady Pat Nixon and daughter Tricia shared i Associated Press
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President Theodore Roosevelt in doorway of street creek house in Colorado with his dog Skij on his lap in April 1905. Associated Press
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U.S. President Lyndon B. Johnson holds his dog Her by the ears as White House visitors look on, April 27, 1964, on the White House lawn, Washington, D.C. At left is President Johnson's other dog, Him. This picture raised criticism from dog lovers. Charles P. Gorry, Associated Press
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First Lady Nancy Reagan cradles an early Christmas present, a King Charles spaniel, as she and President Reagan stroll along the South Lawn of the White House in Washington on Friday, Dec. 6, 1985 after returning from New York. The new dog, a brother of a Dennis Cook, Associated Press
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This Nov. 5, 1924 file photo shows President Calvin Coolidge and first lady Grace Coolidge with their dog at the White House portico. Associated Press
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Luci Johnson and her fiance, Pat Nugent, greet the Johnson family collie, Blanco, July 11, 1966. Luci and Pat flew back from a stay at the LBJ Ranch in Texas with President and Mrs. Johnson. Traphes Bryant of the White House staff holds the leashes of Bla John Rous, Associated Press
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Oblivious to its palatial and imposing surroundings, feller, a five-weeks-old cocker spaniel gift to President Truman, sits disconsolately outside its shipping case in a large corridor of the White House in Washington on Dec. 22, 1947. The ball at its fee Bill Smith, Associated Press
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Shown in an undated photo is Betty Ford and family Pet Liberty on White House ground in Washington. Associated Press
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President Gerald Ford and First Lady Betty Ford pose with family members and their dog at the White House in this 1975 file photo. Associated Press
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President Bill Clinton, flanked by Governors Ann Richards of Texas and Mario Cuomo of New York, watches the Dallas Cowboys and Buffalo Bills play in the Super Bowl with his daughter Chelsea and their cat, Socks, in the White House, Jan. 31, 1993, in the f Wilfredo Lee, Associated Press
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President and Mrs. Ford are arm in arm as one of their golden retrievers wearing a "President Ford" blanket leads the way as they walk to greet well-wishers on the South Lawn of the White House on Tuesday, Nov. 2, 1976 in Washington. They arrived back in Associated Press
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In this Oct. 2, 2006 file photo, President George W. Bush's pets India, left, and Miss Beazley, right, appear to square-off during a walk on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington. J. Scott Applewhite, Associated Press
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President Bush holds his dog Barney as he prepares to board Air Force One at the Texas State Technical College Airport in Waco, Texas, Sunday, Nov. 18, 2001. Doug Mills, Associated Press
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President Bush leans down to greet his dog Spot after arriving via Marine One helicopter on the South Lawn of the White House Wednesday, June 6, 2001, in Washington. Pablo Martinez Monsivais, Associated Press
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President Richard Nixon pauses briefly to shake hands with his dog King Timahoe prior to addressing the press, Nov. 4, 1970, at the western White House in San Clemente, to air his views on the election outcome. Associated Press
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President Clinton is followed by first lady Hillary Rodham Clinton and daughter Chelsea as he carries his new dog Buddy down the steps of Air Force One after arriving at Beaufort Marine Corps Air Station in Beaufort, S.C., Tuesday Dec. 30, 1997. Greg Gibson, Associated Press
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In this photo taken Sunday Aug. 30, 2009, Bo Obama walks away from Air Force One on his way back to the White House from Andrews Air Force Base, Md., after a vacation on Martha's Vineyard with the first family. Alex Brandon, Associated Press
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President Obama's family dog, Bo, leaps on the grounds of the White House in Washington, Sunday, Dec. 20, 2009. Alex Brandon, Associated Press
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President Clinton tries to introduce his new dog Buddy to first cat Socks during a meeting outside the Oval Office at the White House Tuesday Jan. 6, 1998. Socks didn't seem to appreciate the new arrival. Greg Gibson, Associated Press
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Malia Obama runs with Bo, followed by President Barack Obama and Sasha Obama, on the South Lawn of the White House Tuesday, April 14, 2009, in Washington. Ron Edmonds, Associated Press
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President Clinton hugs his dog Buddy before an interview by PBS anchor Jim Lehrer for PBS's The NewsHour, in the White House, Wednesday, Jan. 21, 1998. Lisa Berg, PBS Newshour
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President Lyndon Johnson takes a close-up look at one of his two Beagles, Her, as the first lady bends over his shoulder in the flower garden at the White House in Washington, April 19, 1964. The first family took time out during the warm weather to pose Bill Allen, Associated Press
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Clipper, a German shepherd supervises as eight of the nine known dogs of President John F. Kennedy's household pose for impromptu press conference at Squaw Island, Hyannis Port, Massachusetts on August 14, 1963. White House aide Traphes Bryant holds Charl J Walter Green, Associated Press
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President Lyndon Johnson poses with Freckles, mother of five Beagle pups, at the White House in Washington, Nov. 4, 1966. The president, just before leaving the Executive Mansion for his Texas ranch, showed off the pups, Freckles and Edgar, a gift from FB John Rous, Associated Press
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The three dogs of the Richard Nixon in Washington on Nov. 23, 1972. Associated Press
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With his dog Spot looking on, President Bush, standing with Afghan war commander Army Gen. Tommy Franks, answers questions during a news conference at his ranch in Crawford, Texas, Friday, Dec. 28, 2001. Susan Walsh, Associated Press
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Mufffin, the pet dog of Ronald Reagan and his wife Nancy, enjoyed their attention after they returned to their Pacific Palisades, California home on August 21, 1976, from the GOP National convention. Walter Zeboski, Associated Press
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A visit to the White House pantry is all in a day's rounds with Falla. A Butler opens a refrigerator on April 1, 1943 in Washington. Falla anticipates. Associated Press
Jackie Hicken
By Jackie Hicken
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Photo gallery: From Fala — so famous that he claimed top billing in movies, cartoons and even the FDR memorial in Washington, D.C. — to Millie, the "author" of a book about her time living in the George H.W. Bush White House, here's a photographic look at presidential pets in American history

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