True to the breed, this King Charles Spaniel plush is a friendly little lap dog just waiting to be petted.

As the offspring of a breed named after royalty, Rex was clearly ready for the lifestyle of a Presidential Pet. Rex, a one-year-old Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, was purchased by President Ronald Reagan as a gift for his wife, Nancy. Rex's doghouse was more luxurious than anything ever experienced by a previous Presidential Pooch and elicited some criticism for its extravagance. Built by the Washington Children's Museum, the five-foot-high Colonial clapboard house had parquet floors, window boxes with geraniums and framed portraits of the President and First Lady. It might be said that Rex played a small role as “press secretary” because he reliably pulled too hard on his leash, dragging the Reagans away from reporters and photographers.

The White House has been the home not just to the Presidents and the First Families, but also to all their family pets. Presidential pets have included barnyard animals, exotic birds, bears, alligators, and domesticated cats and many, many dogs. From FDR's Fala and the Bushes' Barney to the Obamas' Bo and Sunny, some of these pets have themselves become household names across America.