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Jenna Bush Hager recalls her family's White House dogs: They 'didn't really like me'

The former first daughter looked back on her family’s temperamental White House pups.
TODAY’s Jenna Bush Hager recalled how her parents' Scottish terriers, Barney and Miss Beazley, were prickly customers.
TODAY’s Jenna Bush Hager recalled how her parents' Scottish terriers, Barney and Miss Beazley, were prickly customers. NBC / Getty Images
/ Source: TODAY

After going pet-free for four years, the White House is once again a doghouse, too!

When President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden moved to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, they brought along their beloved German shepherds, Champ and Major — and word is, there’s still a family cat on the way.

The last time there were two pooches living with a president was when Barack Obama brought Portuguese water dogs Bo and Sunny to the residence during his two terms. And before that, it was George W. Bush and his matching Scottish terriers, Barney and Miss Beazley.

On TODAY Tuesday, former first daughter Jenna Bush Hager revealed that the dogs didn’t like her at all.

During a piece on presidential pets, Jenna noted that the footage that showed her family members sitting with Barney and Miss Beazley (while she sat on the other side of the room) was remarkable.

“Whoever pulled up these old clips sure gets an A+ for awkward moments,” she said. “Yeah, Barney and Beazley didn’t really like me.”

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President George W. Bush calls for his dog Barney at the White House in September 2007. SAUL LOEB / AFP via Getty Images

But as it turns out, Jenna was in good company.

Barney had a reputation for being snippy with reporters, going so far as to leave a Reuters journalist in need of a bandage and antibiotics after one encounter that was captured on film.

And Miss Beazley was known to have her own temper, too, according to anchor Savannah Guthrie.

“I ran into Miss Beazley once, when I was covering your father at the White House, and she growled at me,” Savannah explained.

That came as no surprise to Jenna.

Bush Arrives At The Whitehouse
Bush gets a welcome home lick from Miss Beazley in May 2005.Ron Sachs / Getty Images

But the revelation left Carson Daly wondering if the Scotties ever turned their teeth to any of the historic fixtures they lived alongside.

“They didn’t destroy furniture,” Jenna insisted. “They just bit reporters. For real.”

That’s when Savannah realized she got off easy with “just a growl,” adding, “It was jarring!”