A man has been arrested on suspicion of travelling to the US capital to kidnap one of the President's dogs.

Scott Stockert of Dickinson, North Dakota, was interviewed by Secret Service agents at a Washington hotel after they were tipped off by colleagues in Minnesota about the alleged plot.

DC Superior Court documents say his plan was to kidnap a "pet" owned by Barack Obama, his wife Michelle and daughters Malia and Sasha, with US media identifying the pet as Bo, the eldest of the family's two dogs.

According to court documents, Stockert had told police his parents were John F Kennedy and Marilyn Monroe and he had come to the capital to announce his campaign for president.

He told agents he was "Jesus Christ". 

He was arrested after police found a shotgun and rifle - both unloaded - in his pickup truck.

The police report also said they had found a machete, ammunition and a truncheon.

Stockert, not a registered gun owner, was arrested for breaking local laws on carrying a rifle or shotgun outside a home or business, according to court papers.

He was released from custody on Friday but must wear an ankle monitor.

The Obamas have two Portuguese water dogs - Bo and Sunny.

Bo came to the family in 2009, a gift from then-Massachusetts senator Ted Kennedy.

On election night the previous year, Mr Obama said he had promised his daughters a puppy, adding that they had "earned the new puppy that's coming with us to the White House".

Since then seven-year-old Bo and Sunny - who joined the family in 2013 - have been a regular presence at White House events, including welcoming children and receiving the White House Christmas tree last year.