Bo, the Portuguese water dog that was President Obama’s first pet who loved playing in the presidential suites, died on Saturday.

On Instagram, Michelle Obama revealed that Bo, who was 12 years old, had cancer. President Barack Obama said the family had lost “a great friend and trusted companion.”

Bo “was a regular, loving presence in our lives for more than 10 years – happy to see us on our good days, our horrible days, and every day in between,” Mr. Obama said on Twitter.

He put up with all the chaos that came with living in the White House, had a big bark but no bite, loved to swim in the pool in the summer, and had great hair. He was calm and collected among kids.

In April 2009, Massachusetts Senator Edward M. Kennedy and his wife Victoria sent the first kids, Malia and Sasha Obama, a 6-month-old dog as a gift.

In honor of artist Bo Diddley and partly because one of their relatives had a cat with the same name, the children named the dog Bo. The dog quickly became the focus of media coverage around the nation.

The White House was free of pets for the first time in decades after President Donald J. Trump’s administration.

In January, President Biden resumed the routine with his two German shepherds, Champ and Major. Major was recently sent for training following multiple bite incidences.

Bo was well-known for entertaining the White House press corps while playing on the South Lawn, barking during news conferences, and receiving messages of sympathy from young folks all around the country.

A kid’s book about him is titled Bo, America’s Commander in Leash and was authored by Naren Aryal and Danny Moore. For a formal White House picture, he also sat with his tongue out.

In 2013, Sunny, a second Portuguese water dog, joined Bo in the White House after Mrs. Obama stated that Bo needed more interaction with other dogs.

Originally meant to be a buddy for Malia and Sasha, Bo turned out to signify much more to the Obamas, according to Mrs. Obama.

The dog entered their offices “like he owned the place, a ball clenched firmly in his teeth,” she claimed, describing him as a “continuous, soothing presence in our life.”

He allegedly attended both the pope’s visit and the traditional Easter egg roll on the South Lawn, according to her.

After Malia and Sasha departed for college, Bo helped the couple acclimate to life as empty nesters, according to Mrs. Obama in a post on Instagram signed “Michelle, Barack, Malia, Sasha, and Sunny.”

Bo was the happiest dog last year when everyone stayed at home due to the pandemic, according to what she wrote. “Everyone was back together under one roof, just like the day we bought him.”