Frequently Asked Questions

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A: George H.W. Bush through Donald Trump The present day presidential dogs belonged to presidents that have seen their share of eventful days in America. During these years, the country witnessed the World Wide Web made public domain; the end of the Cold War; the beginning and end of the Gulf War; the Dow Jones hitting an all-time high; Y2K coming and going without incident; the fall of the Twin Towers; the advent of social media; a Recession; hurricanes, tornados, storm flooding and wildfires causing mass devastation across America; the first image of a black hole and the rebirth of America’s space program. Both good and bad, the dogs of four of these presidents saw it all. As mentioned in a previous blog, out of forty-five presidents, only twelve did not own a dog and only two presidents had no pet at all. Eleven of the presidents without a dog took office before 1900. The most recent president, without any pet at all, Donald Trump (2017 - ), holds the presidency now. The other presidents of this time period only had four breeds and eight dogs between them; the English Springer Spaniel, Labrador Retriever, Scottish Terrier and Portuguese Water Dog. Barack Obama and his Portuguese Water Dog, Bo More intriguing facts about present day presidential dogs… The award for the "most" dogs goes to George W. Bush and First Lady, Laura with three. They had two Scottish Terriers, Barney and Miss Beazley and a English Springer Spaniel named Spot "Spotty" Fetcher. Scottish Terriers like Barney and Miss. Beazley Only Bill Clinton (1993 – 2001) had one dog, a chocolate Labrador Retriever named Buddy. Buddy was the largest dog in the White House during these 30 years. The Clinton’s also had a black and white cat named Socks. The “most popular” breed was the English Springer Spaniel at three. George H.W. Bush (1989 – 1993) had two, Millie and Millie’s puppy, Ranger. George W. Bush (2001 – 2009) had one, Spotty, another of Millie’s puppies. English Springer's are the second most popular spaniel breed. The smallest dogs in the White House were George W. and Laura Bush’s Scottish Terriers, Barney and Miss. Beazley. The “most hypoallergenic” dog goes to Barack Obama (2009 – 2017) and his two Portuguese Water Dogs, Bo and Sunny. The breed was chosen because his daughter, Malia, is allergic to dogs. The present day presidential dogs were the fewest in number. As the years have gone by, presidents have had fewer and fewer pets on the whole. Perhaps keeping a large number of pets is a thing of the past and a sign of the times. However, one thing is certain, dogs are the most popular companion animal in the United States. 38% of American families have a dog. No house with a dog should be without a secure, durable dog door. PlexiDor Dog Doors is known for theirs and they are warrantied and guaranteed. Contact us or call at 888-PETDOOR to find out more!

A: The American Cocker Spaniel The history of the American Cocker Spaniel goes back to the 14th century, and the first one in America is believed to have arrived on the Mayflower in 1620. Since then, these dogs have developed  differences from their English relatives. The breed is sturdy, good-natured, intelligent, and well balanced. They also possess remarkable speed and endurance. However, they do not like to be alone. They need to be with their family. The PlexiDor Medium is the right size dog door for Cocker Spaniels.

A: The Portuguese Podengo The Portuguese Podengo has developed into three sizes: Pequeno, Medio, and Grande. Each size can be smooth or wire coated, and the different varieties are not interbred. They’re all referred to as the Portuguese Podengo. Podengo Grande is the largest with a weight range of 44 to 66 lbs. They were originally developed for hunting deer and wild boar, and they are tough, hardy, and very observant. Nowadays this size is rare, even in Portugal. A Portuguese Podengo Grande needs a Large PlexiDor dog door. Podengo Medio weighs between 35 and 44 lbs. They are great at chasing, but can also stalk like a cat, and have a funny way of jumping to see over things. They are very active and make great dogs for active families. A smaller Podengo Medio can use a Medium PlexiDor dog door, but large individuals might need a Large PlexiDor dog door. The Podengo Pequeno is the most common in the USA. They are watchful, observant, and very active. Many owners say these dogs are silly and funny indoors. The Portuguese Podengo is a hardy breed that often lives into its late teens. They excel at agility and other sports, and love to have a job to do. The PlexiDor Medium is the right size dog door for a Podengo Pequeno or Podengo Medio.

A: The Rafeiro do Alentejo These dogs are calm, self confident, and highly independent. They are affectionate with their family and will bravely protect the people, households, sheep, and cattle they perceive to be under their protection. They’re not aggressive, but protective, and they are particularly watchful during nighttime. Puppies mature slowly and need to be watched when young; they don’t realize their limits and tend to overexert themselves with running, jumping, and climbing stairs. The breed is known to be suspicious against strangers, and it is wise to subject the puppies to many different environments and people. Being independent and bred to make decisions on their own, training a Rafeiro do Alentejo requires consistency and patience. They love affection and are eager to receive it, but won’t submit to a human’s every whim. They don’t see the point in sitting, standing, sitting, lying down, sitting, high-fiving, and so on, and they prefer to save their energy for real work. Besides the seasonal shedding period they require a minimum of grooming. They are generally calm indoors and don’t require excessive amounts of exercise, but should get a longer walk or a jog every day. The PlexiDor Extra Large is the right size dog door for a Rafeiro do Alentejo.

A: The Jagdterrier At the time, German nationalism was strong along with an interest in genetic engineering, and many wanted to recreate animals from the country's mythology. This showed itself in attempts to recreate extinct and primitive horses, cattle, and even zebras. When the focus turned to dogs, breeders wanted a German hunting dog that would be able to best foreign hunting dogs. The Jagdterrier was created through a massive breeding program that included 700 dogs at any given time. To start with, no dogs were allowed to leave the kennels, and any individual that didn't look just right or show the right temperament was put down. After ten years, the dog bred true each time, and the new breed was embraced through the country. Jagdterriers are known to be courageous, reliable, adaptable, and intelligent. They are small in size, but big at heart, and have been seen to stand their ground against mountain lions and bears. Their smarts and adaptability make them great family dogs, as long as they get physical and mental exercise. Just know that they still have a strong hunting instinct and will pursue perceived prey if given the chance. The PlexiDor Medium is the right size dog door for a Jagdterrier.