The identity of the first puppy -- the one that the Washington press corps has been yelping about for months, the one President Obama has seemed to delight in dropping hints about -- leaked out yesterday. This despite White House efforts to delay the news until the big debut planned for Tuesday afternoon.
Kennedy's wife, Victoria, suggested he would be perfect for the Obama girls, the Sterns said. Arrangements were made for Charlie to be tutored in good manners by Dawn Sylvia of Merit Puppy Training , in Hume, Va.
This began the Super Secret phase of Charlie's life, which included a clandestine White House visit in which he won over the Obama girls and their parents. Then Easter weekend came, and his days of anonymity ended. The celebrity Web site TMZ.com, and The Washington Post published online pieces identifying the new White House puppy as a Portie.
The little guy is a 6-month-old Portuguese water dog given to the Obama girls as a gift by that Portuguese water dog-lovin' senator himself, Edward M. Kennedy of Massachusetts. The girls named it Bo -- and let it be noted that you learned that here first. Malia and Sasha chose the name, because their cousins have a cat named Bo and because first lady Michelle Obama's father was nicknamed Diddley, a source said. (Get it? Bo . . . Diddley?)
See something on the Internet that you'd like us to profile in this column? Anything about pet fashion, technology or interesting is good. Send us an email to editors@yeepet.com or leave a comment below.