Sunday Times 2
‘Barney was a real jerk’
Jenna Bush Hager has revealed her true feelings about her family’s beloved pet Barney, saying that the recently-deceased Scottie ‘was a
Back in the day: Barney, seen greeting the first family in 2004, was a fixture of the Bush White House years (Reuters)
real jerk’.
The conversation came up when the former first daughter was on the Today Show talking about how the Obama’s puppy, Sunny, accidentally knocked a little girl down during the unveiling of the Christmas decorations on Wednesday.
Small potatoes: Jenna Bush Hager said that Sunny's accidental knocking of the little girl at the White House on Wednesday was 'nothing' compared to what Barney used to do (AFP)
Jenna, a new mom herself, said that Sunny’s run-in with the 2-year-old was ‘nothing’ compared to what Barney used to do.
‘He was a little temperamental… I feel bad saying that but he didn’t like strangers. and he actually bit one of my dad’s friends- not once, but twice- but it’s when the friend gave him a little spank,’ she said.
Barney was a fixture of the Bush White House and even starred in his eponymous annual videos displaying the Christmas decorations.
While he was beloved by President Bush- who wrote a lengthy message announcing the dog’s death in February- his daughter is not the only one who has insulted the Scottie over the years.
Barney’s disdain for reporters was well-known, as he bit both a Reuters reporter and the public relations director for the Boston Celtics in 2008 just as the family was ending their second term in the White House.
Laura Bush’s spokeswoman reportedly brushed off the incident, saying: ‘I think it was his way of saying he was done with the paparazzi.’
George Bush even revealed that the terrier had some powerful foes as well, telling Tonight Show host Jay Leno that Russian president Vladimir Putin ‘dissed’ the dog during a visit to the White House.
‘(Putin’s) body language said “That’s not really a dog!”‘ Bush told Leno a few weeks ago.
‘A year later, Putin introduced me to his dog- a huge hound, comes bounding across the lawn- and he says “Bigger, stronger and faster than Barney.”‘
Showing his teeth: Barney was caught on camera biting the hand of Reuters reporter Jonathan Decker in 2008 (Reuters)
During the Tonight Show visit, the former President unveiled a recent painting he did of the dearly beloved dog who died of lymphoma at the age of 12.
‘Barney and I enjoyed the outdoors. He loved to accompany me when I fished for bass at the ranch. He was a fierce armadillo hunter. At Camp David, his favorite activity was chasing golf balls on the chipping green,’ Mr Bush wrote in the statement he put out at the dog’s death.
‘Barney guarded the South Lawn entrance of the White House as if he were a Secret Service agent. He wandered the halls of the West Wing looking for treats from his many friends.’
Apparently he learned to avoid Jenna’s room during those hunts.
© Daily Mail, London