Photo credit: Associated Press 

At the White House, the groundskeeper is also the dog sitter.

Dale Haney, who has been at the White House for 40 years, has been walking every presidential pooch since King Timahoe of the Nixon administration.

Now he is in charge of Bo, the Obama's Portuguese water dog, when the family isn't around. (By family, we mean Mrs. Obama, who, like mothers everywhere, ended up with most of the dog duties.)

Haney is in charge of all the White House grounds - 18 1/2 acres - a job that is pretty much 365 days a year. Mowing the North and South lawns alone takes eight hours, he reports.

He oversees a staff of 20 and reports to work every day at 6 a.m.

Just as most presidents have done, Barack Obama planted a tree - a Littleleaf Linden - to commemorate their time in the White House. But the vegetable garden, planted by the First Lady, is a new experience for Haney.

And Bo?

He seems to be the reason that the Obamas are so interested in Haney's work on the grounds.

"They know what's going on because they're always out here walking the dog," he said.