First Dog takes a bite at White House reporter
Dave Hazelwood
Posted: 10:37 PM ET
WASHINGTON (CNN) — President-elect Barack Obama's daughters have been
promised a puppy for the White House — President Bush's dog, Barney,
demonstrated his technique for dealing with the media Thursday…sinking
his teeth into Reuters TV White House correspondent Jon Decker.
Call it a case of biting the hand that covers you.
First Dog Barney and his handler were out on the front lawn for a walk
when Reuters' Decker and another reporter approached.
"He looked very nice and friendly," says Decker. "I bent down to pet
him and he just snapped at me."
Decker holds up his right index finger, now sporting two band aids.
The First Dog's teeth punctured the skin and Decker started bleeding,
so he was sent to see presidential physician, Dr. Richard Tubb. Tubb
gave Decker a two- to three-day supply of antibiotics, and told him to
come back Friday for a tetanus booster.
"I don't know what he did, but apparently Barney didn't like it," says
April Ryan, White House correspondent for American Urban Radio
Network, who captured the entire incident on her Flip video camera.
Decker insists he didn't provoke Barney, and that in fact he's good
with Scottish terriers. Decker's mother's dog, Fergus, came from the
same New Jersey breeder.
"I don't know what set him off," says Decker. "Maybe it was the
Republican debacle Tuesday night, the fact that soon he'll be replaced
as America's first dog or that I happened to have bacon for
breakfast."
President-elect Barack Obama and his wife, Michelle, have promised to
get their daughters, Malia and Sasha, a puppy when they move into the
White House.
Sally McDonough, press secretary to First Lady Laura Bush, points out
that Ryan commented the biting incident is very unlike Barney.
"I think it was his way of saying he is done with the paparazzi," says
McDonough. "I've talked to Jon and he is being a good sport about it
all and well, Barney is in the White House Dog House."
"He was just in a surly mood this morning," surmises Decker.
Adam Goldfarb, an 'Issues Specialist' on dangerous dogs and dog bites,
had his own take on the matter after viewing the incriminating video.
'I think what happened is two things were going on– one is that nobody
was picking up on the dog's stress. Watching the video, the dog's
posture was very tense. Which is a sign that he was stressed out in
the situation. The other thing the reporter did wrong was the way he
approached Barney. He approached very quickly, and from above. His
hand came downward from up high. And that can be very frightening for
a dog, especially a small one."
Cox Newspaper White House correspondent and veteran Bush watcher Ken
Herman shared the first of many jokes about the First Dog's attack on
Decker. "You know what Barney calls a presidential press conference? A
buffet."
Gracchus
> First Dog takes a bite at White House reporter
While watching Tuesday's results, Bush probably kicked Barney across
the room. The poor dog was just skittish the next time someone tried
to touch him. On top of everything else, Bush is an animal-abuser too.
jdeluise
Hey, what did you have for dinner last night?
Gracchus
> On 7-Nov-2008, Gracchus <cernunn...@hotmail.com> wrote:
> > While watching Tuesday's results, Bush probably kicked Barney across
> > the room. The poor dog was just skittish the next time someone tried
> > to touch him. On top of everything else, Bush is an animal-abuser too.
> Hey, what did you have for dinner last night?
Gumbo and a baked potato. How about you?