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The First Pet receives a lady

Barney acquaints himself with Miss Beazley
Barney acquaints himself with Miss Beazley. Photograph: Win McNamee/Getty Images

Cynical observers might wonder why the George Bush's birthday gift of a puppy to his wife merits a White House photocall. Many Britons are unaware of quite how important a role a president's pets play in his PR strategy.

Under the Clinton administration, the post of first pet was held by Socks, a wary-looking feline who was joined, in later years, by Bill's chocolate labrador, Buddy. The two did not get on, particularly after the president turned to Buddy for uncritical support during the impeachment crisis, and they were separated when the Clintons left the White House. Buddy met an untimely end under the wheels of a car in 2002.

Earlier incumbents included the Reagans' King Charles spaniel, Rex, LBJ's beagles and Amy Carter's Siamese, who rejoiced in the Woodstockian name of Misty Malarky Ying Yang. Caroline Kennedy, JFK's daughter, kept a flock of ducks.

It was the death of the Bushs' older dog, Spot, in February last year which enabled the Barney cult to take hold. (Willie the Cat, the White House feline, has been largely ignored.) Over a period of several months, the Scottish terrier was photographed every day, and the pictures posted on the White House website. Fans were encouraged to subscribe to a daily email. He answered their questions ("What do they call the outer layer of skin on a tree?") and recently starred in an overlong epic, "Where in the White House is Miss Beazley?" The sequel, "Barney has found Miss Beazley", appeared on the White House site yesterday. Despite a four-year age difference, a long and fertile union between the two seems almost inevitable.

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