Technology Slice Blog

Dawn Sylvia-Stasiewicz Dies - Dawn Sylvia-Stasiewicz, the trainer who prepared President Barack Obama's dog Bo for life as the first dog, has died. Sylvia-Stasiewicz, 52, died Wednesday of respiratory failure at a Virginia hospital, her ex-husband Paul Stasiewicz said Saturday. Sylvia-Stasiewicz initially had no idea the Portuguese water dog that arrived at her Virginia home two years ago was destined for life at the White House — an experience she described in a recent book. Dawn Sylvia-Stasiewicz Dies Vicki Kennedy, the wife of the late Sen. Ted Kennedy of Massachusetts, had contacted Sylvia-Stasiewicz to ask if she would determine if the 5-month-old puppy was suitable for a family with children. The Kennedys had previously trusted Sylvia-Stasiewicz with training their dogs, so the request wasn't unusual. When Kennedy called to check on the puppy a few weeks later, Sylvia-Stasiewicz reported the dog was perfectly suited for a family with children. Kennedy then conf...