Obama Family Welcomes First Dog Bo

Barack Obama's daughters have named the first dog Bo, after a cousin's cat and in honor of Michelle Obama's grandfather, who was nicknamed Diddley.

Bo is a gift from Sen. Ted Kennedy, who owns 3 Portuguese water dogs. The 6-month-old dog comes from a kennel in Texas. The black dog - a male was originally sold to a private owner, who returned it.
 

According to TMZ, the dog was going to be "re-homed" to the Obamas from the kennel, and presented to the Obamas by Kennedy's family.

The reason it's important that the dog was "re-homed" is because the Obamas could not accept the dog as a gift, and re-homing averts the problem.

The Kennedy family will be officially presenting the new dog to the Obamas on Tuesday.
 

The Portuguese Water Dog was a natural fit for the Obamas because of Malia's allergies - the breed is one of the few that are completely hypoallergenic. Sasha and Malia have never had pets.
 

Visit TMZ for a pic of the doggie with the Prez, Michelle, Sasha and Malia.
 

Photo by Pete Souza/White House