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Rex (December 16, 1984 – August 31, 1998) was a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel owned by
Rex would live in the White House from that Christmas until Reagan left office in 1989, once gaining headlines when he underwent a tonsillectomy at an undisclosed veterinary hospital. Rex was treated to a lavishly decorated doghouse built by the Washington Children's Museum, which included framed portraits of Ronald and Nancy and red window draperies. It was designed by Theo Hayes, great-great grandson of President Rutherford B. Hayes, and actress Zsa Zsa Gabor reportedly conducted a dedication ceremony for the new structure.
Nackey Loeb, wife of publisher William Loeb III, advised the Reagans to hire a
Ronald Reagan
Ronald Wilson Reagan ( ; February 6, 1911June 5, 2004) was an American politician, actor, and union leader who served as the 40th president of the United States from 1981 to 1989. He also served as the 33rd governor of California from 1967 ...
and his wife Nancy during his term as President of the United States.
Early life
Rex was bred by dog breeder Irene Murphy of Greenwich, Connecticut. His registered name was Martlet-Or Worcester. Conservative commentator William F. Buckley, Jr. purchased littermate brother Freddy from the breeder and later arranged for President Reagan to purchase one-year-old Rex and give Rex as a Christmas present to his wife Nancy on December 6, 1985. The White House's previous canine occupant, the Reagans' Bouvier des Flandres named Lucky, had grown too large and had been moved to Reagan's Rancho del Cielo estate in California the preceding Thanksgiving. Rex was named afterRex Scouten
Rex Wayne Scouten (September 16, 1924 – February 20, 2013) was the White House Chief Usher from 1969 to 1986, and White House Curator from 1986 to 1997.
Born in Snover, Michigan, Scouten served in the United States Army during World War II ...
, White House Chief Usher. One of Rex's first acts that week was helping to throw the switch that lit the National Christmas Tree
A Christmas tree is a decorated tree, usually an evergreen conifer, such as a spruce, pine or fir, or an artificial tree of similar appearance, associated with the celebration of Christmas. The custom was further developed in early modern ...
.
Residency at the White House
Rex would live in the White House from that Christmas until Reagan left office in 1989, once gaining headlines when he underwent a tonsillectomy at an undisclosed veterinary hospital. Rex was treated to a lavishly decorated doghouse built by the Washington Children's Museum, which included framed portraits of Ronald and Nancy and red window draperies. It was designed by Theo Hayes, great-great grandson of President Rutherford B. Hayes, and actress Zsa Zsa Gabor reportedly conducted a dedication ceremony for the new structure.
Nackey Loeb, wife of publisher William Loeb III, advised the Reagans to hire a dog trainer
Dog training is the application of behavior analysis which uses the environmental events of antecedents (trigger for a behavior) and consequences to modify the dog behavior, either for it to assist in specific activities or undertake particular ...
for Rex, as she felt it was detrimental to Nancy Reagan's image to have the dog pull her around in front of the press. The President responded to Loeb, stating that Rex was still young and got easily excited when helicopters land on the White House lawn to the extent that "he believes Marine I
Marine One is the call sign of any United States Marine Corps aircraft carrying the president of the United States. It usually denotes a helicopter operated by Marine Helicopter Squadron One (HMX-1) "Nighthawks", consisting of either the large ...
is his personal dog basket". Rex would ultimately be seen as being calmer than his predecessor Lucky, who is remembered for dragging Nancy Reagan across the White House lawn, while Rex was seen as being better behaved.
Reportedly, Rex took a disliking to the Lincoln Bedroom
The Lincoln Bedroom is a bedroom which is part of a guest suite located in the southeast corner of the second floor of the White House in Washington, D.C. The Lincoln Sitting Room makes up the other part of the suite. The room is named for Presid ...
in the White House. Thought to possibly be haunted by the ghost of Abraham Lincoln, the dog would refuse to enter the room and sometimes would stand outside it and bark through the doorway.
Rex's high-profile led in part to the sudden popularisation of the breed in America in the years following Reagan's presidency.
Later life and legacy
As a leaving gift when Reagan departed, Rex was given a dog house resembling the White House, complete with a patch of carpet fromCamp David
Camp David is the country retreat for the president of the United States of America. It is located in the wooded hills of Catoctin Mountain Park, in Frederick County, Maryland, near the towns of Thurmont and Emmitsburg, about north-northwe ...
.
After Reagan left office, Rex lived to the age of 13 with the Reagan family before being euthanised after developing an enlarged heart due to mitral valve disease. He is interred at Rancho del Cielo.
In 2009, Rex was named fourth in a list of the top Presidential pets by Petside.com.
See also
* United States presidential pets * List of individual dogsReferences
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rex (Dog) 1984 animal births 1998 animal deaths Animal deaths by euthanasia Individual dogs Individual dogs in politics Ronald Reagan United States presidential dogs fr:Rex (chien de Ronald Reagan)