Jackie Kennedy introduces her five-year old son to become comfortably acquainted with some husky dogs during a Utah ski trip.her son to some Husky dogs, 1964.
While yesterday’s article, The Dogs of Jackie O: Jackie Kennedy’s Lifetime of Canine Companions, detailed the First Lady’s life alongside a series of pooches during almost fifty of her sixty-four years, even after there were no longer four-legged friends in her homes, there were constant reminders of them.
As seen here, dogs were depicted in paintings, drawing and other interior furnishings of her primary residences and those where she spent weekends and vacations. These artworks and objects came to public light two years after her death, during the first of two public auctions of the contents of her properties.
Study of a Greyhound, British School 18th Century.
Study of as Dog, Flemish School 17th Century, which she bought at auction in 1990 and hung at 1040.
Jean-Baptiste Oudry’s Study of a Hound Baying, which hung in the family quarters of the White House and the living room at 1040.
A Whippet and a King Charles Spaniel on a Red Cushion, which hung in the White House and 1040.
The Cavalier’s Pets, which hung int he White House and 1040.
Study of a Spaniel Barking by Oudrey, black chalk on grey paper, acquired in 1961.
Water Dog, a reproduction of an English colored engraving which hung in the hall at the top of the stairs at the Hyannis house.
A hooked rug with a Saint Bernard and a Poodle, from her Hyannis home.
Framed English needlework panel of a Spaniel, likely hung in the White House.
Charlie, the White House Welsh terrier in watercolor, which hung in family quarters there.
Spelter cast iron dog head light fixtures.
While Jackie Kennedy Onassis had more luck in teaching her daughter Caroline to share her love for her other favorite animal, horses, it certainly appears that her passion for dogs was eagerly and easily inherited by her son, John F, Kennedy, Jr.
Although he was not yet three years old at the time their dog Pushinka had puppies, she trusted him to gently handle and play with them during the brief days the children shared with the puppies at the end of summer in 1963.
John F. Kennedy, Jr. engaging with one of Pushinka’s pups, August 1963.
John Kennedy, Jr. holds onto a husky dog puppy, December 1965.
When he and his sister made the transition to the new world of New York City living, following the loss of their father, there was the consistency of not only his mother’s presence but of their Irish Spaniel Shannon.
As many paparazzi pictures as there are of Jackie walking Shannon, so too there are of JFK, Jr. or John, as he preferred to simply be called.
JFK, Jr. walks Shannon and another rarely-seen dog in May of 1971.
When he was later established on his own, after his mother’s death in 1994, John Kennedy bought a white Canaan dog, whom he called Friday. The duo became a familiar sight in downtown New York, where he was then living. His family was soon three, when he married Carolyn Bessette, who also showered affection on Friday and walked him in their neighborhood.
John Kennedy coaxing his mixed-breed dog Friday from a car, December 1997.
John, Carolyn and Friday Kennedy.
John Kennedy speaking to Friday, who offers his paw to shake, 1997.
A fourth member apparently came along by 1999, when John adopted a dog he named Sam. Being the same German Shepard breed as his mother’s favorite White House companion, one couldn’t help but note the visual parallels between John’s Sam and Jackie’s Clipper.
Following the sudden death of John Kennedy and his wife in 1999, Friday was adopted by the former butler of Jackie and then of her son and his wife, and brought home to the man’s native country of Portugal. What happened to Sam the German Shepherd is not clear.
John Kennedy walking his dog Sam after the death of his grandmother Rose at age 104, before his own death four years later at age 38.
Among the items which his sister Caroline, as executor of his estate, decided to include with the second auction of her family items was a signed Walt Disney animation cell from his feature movie 101 Dalmatians.
The movie premiered the same year that the Kennedy Administration began and so the legendary animator’s gift was made for the still-infant First Son to enjoy when he got older.
As his mother’s son, however, he’d already been blessed with the happiest of all destinies – an understanding of dogs.
Original painted celluloid from the movie 101 Dalmatians, signed for John Kennedy, Jr. by Walt Disney.
Related articles
- The Dogs of Jackie O: Jacqueline Kennedy’s Lifetime of Canine Companions (carlanthonyonline.com)
- JFK Jr.’s Note to Father Up for Auction (huffingtonpost.com)
- Questions by Kennedy Heirs Draw attention to TrineDay Publications (prweb.com)
- JFK’s daughter Caroline Kennedy could be named a U.S. ambassador by Obama (irishcentral.com)
- Author’s Books (carlanthonyonline.com)
Categories: Dogs, First Families, First Ladies, Presidents, Presidents and Animals, The Kennedys
John’s dog Sam,was rescued from the pound but he had to be put to sleep because he kept biting people.
Friday was bought from breeder Donna Dobson and was sent to John when he was nine weeks old.Although John never said what breed Friday was he was a pure bred Canaan dog. He was named Friday because that was the day of the week that John took him to his office at George Magazine. When John passed away Friday went to Portugal to live with Kennedy Aide Ephigenio Penheiro. Friday died ater being ill in 2003 at age 8. Some say he died of a broken heart,he missed his family.
There is the article where I found some information on Friday – John Jr’s beloved dog.It says the reason John didn’t discuss Friday’s breed was because of puppy mills.Hope tjis helps-Michelle
Dear Michelle – with great apologies to you for such a delay in responding. Thank you for your effort to provide these clarifications, sharing them so voluntarily fleshes out the story and clarifies the information. I greatly appreciate it.
I wonder if the date (1971) on the photo of young John walking Shannon in Manhattan is incorrect. John would have been 11, or nearly 11, in 1971. He just looks much younger in the photo, maybe 5 or 6, in his Collegiate uniform.
Thanks for writing – I appreciate it. You may well be correct and the photo I purchased could certainly have been mislabeled. One way to at least target its precise date is to pin down the year he started there – I know he transferred there, his second school, later on – rather than starting at the age most first became students there.