Dressed casually in a white open-neck shirt with the sleeves rolled up, the stressed U.S. president gritted his teeth in embarrassment as he failed to gain control of the family pet.
In a week which has seen Mr Obama’s popularity slip due to his response to the BP oil disaster, it seems even the cute black-and-white Portuguese water dog is running circles around him.
Heel! Bo pulls on his leash as Barack Obama
holds on tight outside the White House
Need some help? Michelle comes to the
president's rescue as Bo tries to show him who's boss
Luckily, Michelle Obama comes to the rescue as the couple arrived at the Congressional Picnic on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, yesterday.
The pair broke into a jog to keep up with the pet, before Mr Obama finally gained control - striking a triumphant pose to his audience to show he wasn't defeated. Who said dogs are man’s best friend?
Dog's life: Barack and Michelle Obama hold on
tight as they jog to keep up with the family pet
I'm in charge! The president waves as he finally
manages to gain control of his dog
And some 48 per cent of people polled by the Washington Post said Mr Obama does not understand their problems – the highest figure yet.
There is also a sharp rise in the number of people who believe his administration's policies are making the economy worse rather than better, according to the Pew Research Center.
It comes as Mr Obama hit out angrily at BP boss Tony Hayward as the U.S. backlash against the British oil giant turned ugly.