LBJ's Dogs

President Johnson shows a basket of Beagle puppies to special assistant Jack Valenti's daughter, Courtenay.
President Johnson shows a basket of Beagle puppies to special assistant Jack Valenti's daughter, Courtenay. Jan. 5, 1966.
President Johnson shows a basket of Beagle puppies to special assistant Jack Valenti's daughter, Courtenay. Jan. 5, 1966.

President Johnson and His Dogs

The Beagles

LBJ's most well-known dogs were his beagles—Him and Her. Born on June 27, 1963, the two were often with him while he was at his Texas ranch or at the White House. In 1964, the beagles got nationwide attention after LBJ lifted Him by his ears while greeting a group on the White House lawn.

How to identify: Her had a white strip that went up her nose and stopped between her eyes and her legs were mostly white. Him had a white strip running up his nose that ended at the crown of his head, an uneven muzzle with more white on the left than right, and had more brown and white markings on his legs.

President Johnson lifts one of his beagles by the ears as members of the press look on.
LBJ lifts beagle by the ears, May 4, 1964
President Johnson lifts one of his beagles by the ears as members of the press look on.

Her died at the White House in November 1964 after she swallowed a stone. Him died in June 1966 after being hit by a car while chasing a squirrel on the White House lawn.

Freckles and Kim

Him sired a litter of puppies that were born in October 1965. LBJ's daughter, Luci, kept two of the puppies, Freckles and Kim. Luci first named Freckles, "Pecosa," Spanish for a single freckle, but the puppy eventually became known as Freckles.

Lady Bird Johnson, President Johnson, and daughter Luci each hold beagles while Patrick Nugent pets another Johnson family dog, Blanco.
Johnson Family with the Beagles and Blanco, April 22, 1966
L-R: Lady Bird Johnson (with Freckles), President Johnson (with Kim), Luci Nugent (with Him), and Patrick Nugent (with Blanco).
President Johnson, while holding his beagle Freckles, and Lady Bird swim in the LBJ ranch pool.
LBJ, holding beagle, and Lady Bird swim at the LBJ ranch, June 6, 1966
President Johnson, while holding Freckles, and Lady Bird swim in the LBJ ranch pool.

In August 1966, Kim moved to Texas with Luci after her marriage to Pat Nugent, while Freckles remained at the White House with LBJ. Freckles had a litter of puppies in October 1966, which included Little Chap and Dumpling, and Kim had a litter in December 1966. When the Johnson family left the White House, Freckles was adopted by a White House staff member.

How to identify: Freckles had a mostly white snout with small spots, a white stripe running up her nose that ended at the crown of her head, a white spot on her right hip (like J. Edgar), and a white marking that went up her leg and into the hip. Kim's snout was primarily white on the left and brown on the right.

J. Edgar

After Him died in June 1966, J. Edgar Hoover, the director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, gave LBJ another beagle. LBJ named the dog J. Edgar, but later dropped the "J." and called the dog Edgar. When LBJ left the White House, Edgar moved to the LBJ Ranch.

How to identify: Similar to Freckles, J. Edgar had a white spot on his right hip, but had more brown on his right leg/hip than Freckles.

President Johnson plays with two beagles in the Oval Office.
LBJ plays with two beagles in the Oval Office, March 18, 1966
President Johnson plays with two of his beagles in the Oval Office.

Other Beagles You May See in Photos

Little Beagle (LBJ's)

Astro (Luci's)

Beagle (Jack Valenti's)

Honey (Belonged to a White House staffer)

Little Chap (Freckles' pup)

Dumpling (Freckles' pup)

Bo (Freckles' pup)

And maybe lots more...

Identifying LBJ's Beagles

LBJ had many beagles throughout the years. See how our archivists keep track of all them in our archive.

Blanco

Blanco was a white collie born on July 19, 1963, and registered as Leader Blair Jamie of Edlen. He was given to LBJ and Lady Bird in December 1963, a gift from a little girl in Illinois. Before leaving the White House, they gave Blanco to a doctor and his wife in Kentucky. Blanco died in September 1974 of a heart attack.

Seen from behind, President Johnson holds Blanco's paw while sitting in his rocking chair in the Oval Office.
LBJ holds Blanco's paw, Oval Office, Sept. 15, 1965
Seen from behind, President Johnson holds Blanco's paw while sitting in his rocking chair in the Oval Office.
President Johnson, smiling, grasps Blanco's paw while he sits.
LBJ and dog Blanco on White House grounds, Sept. 22, 1966
President Johnson, smiling, grasps Blanco's paw while he sits.

Yuki

Yuki was a mixed breed dog found by President Johnson's daughter, Luci, at a gas station in Texas on Thanksgiving Day 1966, while on her way to the LBJ Ranch. Luci named him Yuki, which means snow in Japanese. At first, Yuki lived with Luci, but he eventually won LBJ's heart and became his faithful companion.

LBJ riding in a Lincoln convertible with his dog, Yuki, sitting in the back.
LBJ riding in a Lincoln convertible with Yuki sitting in the back, Sept. 18, 1972
LBJ riding in a Lincoln convertible with his dog, Yuki, sitting in the back.

On Aug. 27, 1967, LBJ's birthday, Luci told her father that he could keep Yuki. He was often by LBJ's side, seen at meetings in the Oval Office and bill signings to trips abroad and domestically. When LBJ left office on Jan. 20, 1969, Yuki returned to the LBJ ranch with the Johnson family.

President Johnson, sitting in a chair, sings with his dog, Yuki, while his grandson, Patrick Lyndon Nugent, looks on.
LBJ and Yuki sing while grandson Patrick Lyndon looks on, Jan. 6, 1968
President Johnson sings with his dog, Yuki, while his grandson, Patrick Lyndon Nugent, looks on.
President Johnson, while holding his dog, Yuki, sits in the LBJ ranch pool reading a memo. His grandson, Patrick Lyndon Nugent, is beside him.
LBJ reads a memo in pool while holding Yuki and with his grandson by his side, Aug. 27, 1968
President Johnson, while holding his dog, Yuki, sits in the LBJ ranch pool reading a memo. His grandson, Patrick Lyndon Nugent, is beside him.

After LBJ passed in January 1973, Yuki went to live with Luci. He died sometime in 1979.

According to Luci, one morning they looked for Yuki in her backyard and could not find him. They searched for days and were never able to locate him. The family's veterinarian told them that sometimes elderly dogs will wander off in their last days. Luci suspects "the greatest light in his life left with my father and he just went looking for him."

Lbj On a fence Sepia

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