Former President Barack Obama’s dog, Bo, has died, the New York Times reports. The Portuguese water dog made history as the first pet in the Obama White House. Bo was 12 years old and was battling cancer, Michelle Obama said on Instagram. The pooch was just a 6-month-old puppy when he came to the White House as a present to Malia and Sasha Obama from Senator Edward M. Kennedy of Massachusetts. “For more than a decade, Bo was a constant, gentle presence in our lives—happy to see us on our good days, our bad days, and everyday in between,” the former president tweeted. “He tolerated all the fuss that came with being in the White House, had a big bark but no bite, loved to jump in the pool in the summer, was unflappable with children, lived for scraps around the dinner table, and had great hair.” Michelle Obama added that her family “had no idea how much [Bo] would mean to all of us.”