Not only is the first dog, Bo, an integral part of the first family, but he's also featured prominently in holiday decorations throughout the White House.

There is a Bo made of buttons, a Bo made of marshmallows and licorice, a four-and-a-half-foot tall felt Bo. Bo even made the Obama Christmas card, much to the chagrin of Sarah Palin, who wondered aloud on Fox News Radio why the card didn't "accentuate faith, family and freedom."

Michelle Obama told ABC's Barbara Walters that Bo has an enviable life, and she wouldn't mind being reincarnated as the family pet in her next life.

"He's got a great life. He's got it good," said Michelle Obama.

Bo is so ubiquitous that he had people wondering if the Secret Service has a doggie doppelganger to keep the first dog safe.

On Wednesday, Bo was spotted with the president, Christmas shopping at a mall in Virginia. But just days earlier, on Sunday, the Honolulu Star Advertiser reported that a neighbor spotted him in Kailua at the multi-million-dollar estate where the first lady and the Obama girls Sasha and Malia have been waiting for the president since last week.

Did the first family fly Bo to Hawaii, then fly him back by Wednesday to keep the lonely president company? Or, perhaps, does the secret service have a Bo double?

The White House assured ABC News that Bo was never on the beach - he was in D.C. all along and caught a ride to the islands with the president on Air Force One.

Click here to see photos of presidents and their pets.

Bo is not the only first dog to enjoy time in the spotlight.  President George W. Bush's Scottish terrier, Barney, starred in 11 short films, including "My Barney Valentine," "Barney Reloaded," "Barney's Holiday Extravaganza," and "Barney and Spot's Winter Wonderland."

Guest actors on Barney Cam productions have included Bush's White House Chief of Staff Karl Rove, Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps, Olympic gymnasts Shawn Johnson and Nastia Liukin, actress and singer Dolly Parton, and many others.

Whether Bo can live up to such a high standard remains to be seen.