Meet Laddie Boy: The Airedale Who Invented "First Dog"

Before "First Dog" was even a phrase, there was an Airedale named Laddie Boy — sitting in on Cabinet meetings, in his own assigned chair.

Before there was a White House Instagram account, before "First Dog" was even a phrase people used, there was an Airedale named Laddie Boy sitting in on Cabinet meetings with President Warren G. Harding.

He had his own chair. I want to be clear about that.

An actual assigned seat at the Cabinet table — and nobody seemed to think it was strange. (These are my kind of dog people. 😆)

Laddie Boy was the first real celebrity dog in the White House. The press covered him daily. He had a birthday party with a dog-friendly cake and a guest list of canine friends. He showed up at public events and fundraisers, and people knew his name the way they knew the President's. Most accounts credit him with creating the whole idea of the "First Dog."

And Then There's Fleetwood

Fleetwood has decided this is his lineage and he intends to claim it.

Fleet attends video calls — "attends" being generous, since he mostly crashes them. He shows up to fundraisers like Howl-O-Ween for Franklin's Friends. He's been a guest on podcasts. He's on social media and one of the faces of Happy Aire.

As far as Fleetwood is concerned, the only thing standing between him and First Dog status is a formal election — and he likes his odds.

The competition in our house is already lining up. 😂

Yes, they love center stage. But they also want to work and play and be in the middle of everything. And underneath all of it, they are loyal in a way that will catch you off guard.

The Part That Stayed With Me

Here's the part of Laddie Boy's story I didn't expect to hit me the way it did.

When Harding fell ill and died in office, the papers reported that Laddie Boy — back at the White House — started howling at night. Something the staff said he had never done before. They were convinced he knew.

He had spent his life as the most photographed dog in America, and at the end, none of the fame mattered. Only his person did.

That's the thing about Airedales that the celebrity write-ups miss. Yes, they love center stage. But they also want to work and play and be in the middle of everything — and underneath all of it, they are loyal in a way that will catch you completely off guard, because of how total it is.

So Fleetwood can keep campaigning. I already know how the loyalty part turns out. 😂

Have you ever had a dog who seemed to know something before you did? I'd genuinely love to hear about it.

With love and a wagging tail,

Kim Opdyke  💗

P.S. — All summer I'm sharing my favorite stories of Airedales who showed up for this country — in the White House and in service. Laddie Boy is at the top of the list, but he's not alone. Stay tuned.