Dog Days at the White House [Paperback]

Traphes Bryant (Author), Frances Spatz Leighton (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 1, 1976

What makes this book worth reprinting is not the canine dogs described in this book but the human female kinds of dogs, the women who slept with the presidents who were not necessarily the wives. This book, nearly forgotten, was the first to reveal numerous presidential affairs. It was the first to report that President Kennedy had an insatiable appetite for women, the human kind. It was the original source for a story that has been repeated many times since. This story is found on page 38 of this book. The story goes: Jacqueline was in the presidential bed in the White House bedroom, when she discovered a woman's panties in between the sheets. She held up the panties she had found with two fingers in much the same way that she would hold up a dead mouse and she said to the president, "Would you please find out whose these are, because they are not my size?" It is a fact that every president in more than one hundred years has had a dog, with the exception of President Clinton, who had a cat, although even Clinton did finally get a dog near the end of his term. Not all of these presidents were dog lovers. In some cases, the President obviously got a dog just to get the Dog Lover's Vote. President Obama must have read this book, because when he was elected to office, he knew that the first thing he had to do was get a dog. This book starts with the punch line to a joke: "This book is dedicated to man's best friend - women".

--This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Traphes L. Bryant was born 7 February 1914 and died May 1986 in Appomattox, Virginia. He was hired in 1951 to be the White House electrician but he took an interest in the White House dogs and became the Kennel Keeper. He was in and around the executive mansion during the Sherman Adams vicuna coat affair, the Bay of Pigs invasion, the tragic death of John F. Kennedy, and the trials of LBJ as he fought to maintain his image in the face of national criticism. As he went quietly about his daily duties, Traphes Bryant became privy to many revealing, off-the-record details about the Presidents and their families. Taken from his diary, Dog Days at the White House is an irreverent and gossipy account of the private lives of some very public figures. --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Paperback: 397 pages
• Publisher: Pocket (June 1, 1976)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0671805339
• ISBN-13: 978-0671805333
• Product Dimensions: 6.9 x 4.2 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,023,230 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful!, July 15, 2007

By 

N. Duckworth "Book Lover" (Missouri) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Dog Days at the White House: The Outrageous Memoirs of the Presidential Kennel Keeper (Hardcover)

This is an insightful, funny, sometimes sad memoir. Well written, it gives a look seldom seen into life in the White House. I read it years ago, and don't know what happened to my copy. I have thought about it often and can't wait to get another one so I can read it again.

5.0 out of 5 stars Traphes Bryant gives you a lot of "inside info" on US Presidents., February 17, 2011

By 

Robert P. Morrow "Researcher into the 1963 Co... (Austin, TX USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Dog Days at the White House The Outrageous Memoirs of the Presidential Kennel Keeper (Paperback)

Excellent book and I guarantee you it caused quite a stir when it came out in 1975. This book is a jewel for anyone interested in modern USA politics and history. Buy this book!

Traphes Bryant was the White House kennel keeper and he can tell you a lot about the Kennedys, Lyndon Johnson and Nixon.

One of the nuggets in this book is that Traphes Bryant keeps implying that Courtenay Lynda Valenti is the biological daughter of Lyndon Johnson ... and not Jack Valenti. Jack Valenti married Mary Margaret Wiley who had been one of LBJ's favorite secretaries.

LBJ, like Kennedy and Bill Clinton, had a habit of sleeping with his secretaries and the office help.

Courtenay Lynda Valenti was born 3 weeks before the JFK assassination and she became known as the baby in LBJ's White House. Traphes Bryant wants you to know that there is more than meets the eye.

"Courtney was the most special child to come to the White House. She absolutely ruled the President and could make him "fetch and carry"any time she wanted to. The President gave special orders to be informed any time she came to see her daddy, LBJ's special assistant, which was often.

Courtney's mother, Mary Margaret, started out as LBJ's receptionist in his Texas office when he was U.S. senator and then came to Washington as his personal secretary. She was the real beauty of the LBJ gang, and when she came to visit the White House, she rated extra kisses and a real fuss was made over her by the President. The President liked to relax in his office just sitting around talking to Mary Margaret.

Everyone was amazed when Mary Margaret - who was Mary Margaret Wiley - suddenly married Jack Valenti. Except those who say LBJ engineered the marriage. Maybe he wanted to keep her in the family. To him, Mary Margaret and Courtney were a family.

Time and time again LBJ would tell me to look out for Courtney. To be good to Courtney. To protect Courtney. To keep Blanco away from Courtney. Once he said, "You let anything happen to Courtney and I'll hang your hide on the barn door." In other words, the President liked that child."

[Traphes Bryant, Dog Days at the White House: The Outrageous Memoirs of the presidential Kennel Keeper, 123-124]

"And I read in the newspapers that when LBJ died, with something like $25 million in his estate, he left his brother only a token gift - $25,000.

That is only a little more than he left Mary Margaret Valenti, mother of his beloved little Courtney, or that he left his trusted secretary Mary Rather.

[Dog Days at the White House, p. 132]

The President held up Valenti's little girl, Courtney, and told her, "Look honey, here comes Bryant, Blanco and Him." She wanted to play with the dogs. She led Blanco on a leash while I kept an eye on him. I made Blanco sit, and she petted Him. Then she hugged Blanco and called him "Blink." Her Daddy pointed to the beagle and she said, "Him." Valenti then pointed to the President and Courtney said, "Prez." LBJ beamed ear to ear and kissed her nose.

[Dog Days at the White House, p. 142]

"As I was taking the pups into the Bouquet Room, President Johnson stopped and petted the pups. I told the President Courtney was playing with the pups but she had just left. The President was furious. "Why didn't they let me know Courtney was here?"

He was really upset. "Damn it, I am supposed to be notified." The President loved Courtney just as much as his own Luci and Lynda Bird - he once called her, "my little girl, my little heartbeat" - and certainly spent more time with her when she was around than with his big, busy daughters.

On almost any excuse, the President had Valenti or his wife bring Courtney to the White House and the President thoroughly relaxed as he played with the child, catering to her every whim.

[Dog Days at the White House, p. 155]

On 2/23/1966: The President greeted the Veep. Valenti's secretary told Courtney to go see Daddy, who was on the helicopter. Courtney didn't see her daddy as she ran toward the President, who lifted her up.

[Dog Days at the White House, p. 157]

3/2/1966: Courtney and her pups had their picture made. The President never gets tired of posing with Courtney. I told Mrs. Valenti that I wanted a picture of Courtney, the President, and pups. She said she would get me one.

[Dog Days at the White House, p. 158]

4/1/1966 The Prez came out of his office and played with Courtney. Then he took her back in. One of the pups gave her a kiss; she wiped it off her coat. The President gave the dogs some dog candy in his office. Courtney got jealous, closed the candy drawer on the President's desk, and said, "That's all." She didn't want the pups getting the Prez's attention.

[Dog Days at the White House, p. 159]

Toward the end of Luci's [wedding] reception the President got a little wistful because it was almost time for his daughter to leave on her honeymoon. The Prez stood with a bemused look on his face on the Truman Balcony, with little Courtney in his arms, surveying the mob below.

[Dog Days at the White House, p. 169]

8/15/1966 The Prez returned from Texas. He held Courtney at the window while they were landing so she could see Blanco and Beagle. The President carried her off the helicopter.

[Dog Days at the White House, p. 170]

3/12/67 Now the dogs have two doghouses with electric heat and a floodlight. The Prez showed it all to little Courtney. Courtney liked it. LBJ liked it.

[Dog Days at the White House, p. 179]

I realized I was stuck with Blanco and that I would have to protect everyone from the dog, especially Lyndon's beloved Courtney. Luckily, little Courtney somehow had gotten through to Blanco, and she was about the only one besides Luci who could lead him around by the nose. I think Blanco liked Courtney almost as much as the President did. But I still watched the two pretty carefully as they romped about, remembering Lyndon's warning that if anything happened to that little girl, he'd have my hide on the barn door. He would have, too.

[Dog Days at the White House, p. 187-188]