The Crazy Beagle says have a crazy and Happy President’s Day!  I hope many of you are enjoying the day off and taking time to play with your beagles and dogs.  Some of you may be shoveling all the snow from the last few storms.  Come on Spring!

On this day it is important to remember the President who took loved and took care of the most beagles during their administration.  Because of this, my favorite President is…Lyndon B. Johnson.

President Johnson and his family originally had two beagles: Him and Her.  Him and Her, the most well known of the President Johnson’s dogs, were registered beagles born on June 27, 1963. The President frequently played with the dogs and was often photographed with them. In 1964, President Johnson raised the ire of many when he lifted Him by his ears while greeting a group on the White House lawn.

Him sired a litter of puppies born in October 1965. President Johnson’s daughter, Luci, kept two of the puppies, Kim and Freckles. Luci first named Freckles, “Pecosa,” Spanish for a single freckle, but the puppy eventually became known as Freckles. Kim and Freckles were Luci’s dogs. Kim moved to Texas with Luci after her marriage to Pat Nugent, but Freckles remained at the White House with the President.

Her died at the White House in November 1964, after she swallowed a stone. Him died in June 1966, when he was hit by a car while chasing a squirrel on the White House lawn. When the Johnson’s left the White House, Freckles was adopted by a White House staff member.

After Him died in 1966, J. Edgar Hoover, the Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and a former neighbor of President Johnson’s, gave the President another beagle. The President named the dog J. Edgar, but later dropped the “J.” and called the dog Edgar. When Johnson left the White House, Edgar moved to the LBJ Ranch.

No other President had beagles (are you listening President Obama, you still have a chance to adopt me).  The following video tells the story of LBJ’s love for his dogs.

Have a Crazy and Happy President’s Day!