John Boehner does not own a dog. That’s a major blow to immigration reform.

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President Obama’s offer to smooth over an immigration reform compromise with Speaker John Boehner has turned out to be a case of barking up the nonexistent tree.

Obama has repeatedly offered to walk Republicans’ dogs in exchange for agreement on a number of issues in recent years, including deficit reduction negotiations and labor legislation. He dangled the leash again Friday, recalling his pressure on Boehner to bring up the Senate-passed immigration reform bill.

“I told John Boehner, ‘I’ll wash your car, I’ll walk your dog — whatever you need to do, just call the bill,’ ” Obama said at a speech in Las Vegas about his executive action on immigration.

The problem? Boehner’s canine is a canone. His spokesman Michael Steel explains:

The ultimately fruitless gesture from the president removes one more negotiating sweetener from his cupboard, further souring discussions between the White House and congressional Republicans.

Obama announced sweeping action on immigration reform Thursday, which includes deferred action on deportation of millions of immigrants in the U.S. illegally. The move followed a year and a half of a Senate-passed comprehensive immigration reform bill stalling in the House.

House Republicans have consistently prioritized border enforcement in immigration reform negotiations, putting them at odds with Democrats and the Senate-passed legislation.