Dog lovers and comedians are sinking their canines into tales of Taft and Middle East . The dustups are nothing new ; the White House has a long history of animal occupants . Fala gator , Coolidge and Coolidge 's menageries were legendary , and Romney had a cow . It would be easy to dismiss all of this as political silliness were it not for one troubling fact : Sometimes the way a president connects with critters can affect the way voters relate to him . From Fala to Checkers to LBJ 's beagles , treatment of dogs has resonated with the public .
Dog lovers and comedians are sinking their canines into tales of Taft and Middle East . The dustups are nothing new ; the White House has a long history of animal occupants . Fala gator , Coolidge and Coolidge 's menageries were legendary , and Romney had a cow . From Fala to Checkers to LBJ 's beagles , treatment of dogs has resonated with the public .