On today's special episode of Dogs-patch — er, Dispatch: a brief history of presidential pets at 1600 Pennsylvania, featuring the Kennedy's dog Pushinka (who might have helped avert nuclear war), Teddy Roosevelt's badger (really more questions than answers here) and Nixon's dog Checkers (who sadly passed before he could rescue his owner from Watergate). Andrew Hager, the historian-in-residence at the Presidential Pet Museum, provides biting commentary on the furry residents of the White House.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices