Bo was ready for his close-up

WASHINGTON — It's official, formal and suitable for framing.

The White House has released the official photographic portrait of the first dog.

Bo, the Portuguese water dog who came as a campaign promise from President Obama to daughters Sasha and Malia, is pictured in black, but with no tie, on the South Lawn.

Also known in the registry of the American Kennel Club as Amigo's New Hope, for the kennel where he was born, the first pooch was a gift to the Obamas from Sen. Edward M. Kennedy (D-Mass.).

The shot by White House photographer Chuck Kennedy comes with an appropriate depth of field in which the dog looms larger than the White House, which on many occasions Bo has.

The president has even growled playfully at Bo as he showed off his pet's good training in a recent interview with NBC News' Brian Williams. Obama took one of Bo's white paws for a shake. "That's what I'm talking about," he told the dog.

The president also said this to CBS News' Harry Smith, in a Father's Day interview that will air this morning: "Bo's a teenager. He's a puppy still. And he, every once in a while, does get a little frisky. But I would not want just a passive dog. I want a dog with a little bit of spirit. And he definitely has some spirit."

The White House also says that, despite the president's suggestion that Bo likes tomatoes -- they're listed as the dog's favorite food on a Bo baseball card featuring his portrait -- the first family does not feed him the fruit. They can be toxic for dogs, it turns out.

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mdsilva@latimes.com