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"Any man who does not like dogs, and does not want them around, is not fit to be president," said Calvin Coolidge, U.S. president and collie lover.
First Dogs, a Discovery Channel special based on the book
First Dogs: American Presidents and Their Best Friends by Roy Rowan and Brooke Janis, is a funny, lively, and often touching account of the very special relationship between a president and his dog. "Virtually every president from Jackson forward has had an animal in the White House," says David Oshinsky, presidential historian. Having a dog was thought to show a "common touch" with the American people, and while it did, it is also very clear from this film footage that these presidents really valued having a loyal, nonjudgmental companion. Fit for dog lovers and presidential buffs alike,
First Dogs is an affectionate pat on the head for our nation's most read-about and photographed pets.
--Dana Van Nest