| ||
|---|---|---|
Legacy   | ||
Vladimir Putin, the currentpresident of Russia, has owned many dogs over time. His fondness of dogs has led to dogs becoming a notable political gift in Russian diplomatic relations.[1][2]
When Putin took office, the Putin family had twopoodles, Tosya and Rodeo. They reportedly stayed with his ex-wifeLyudmila after their divorce.[3]
Konni (1999–2014) was a female blackLabrador Retriever. Konni was born in 1999 and presented to Putin in December 2000. Konni was often seen at Putin's side, and was sometimes allowed to attend meetings when he greeted world leaders during visits to Russia.
During a meeting withAngela Merkel,German Chancellor at the time, in 2007 in Putin's home inSochi, Konni attended the meeting. Merkel, who was bitten by a dog in 1995, was seen freezing up as Konni sniffed her. Merkel later stated of the incident that: "He's afraid of his own weakness. Russia has nothing, no successful politics or economy. All they have is this".[4] Putin himself said in 2016 to the German newspaperBild, that he had no intention of scaring Merkel and that he had apologized to her.[5]
Putin was being updated on the progress of the RussianGlobal Navigation Satellite System (GLONASS) in 2007 when he inquired whether he would be able to buy a device hooked into GLONASS that would allow him to keep track of his dog, Konni. The collar was demonstrated on Konni on 17 October 2008, thus making Konni the first recipient of a GLONASS-enabled pet collar.[6][7]
Buffy, a caramel and white Bulgarian male 10-week-old shepherdKarakachan dog, was given to Putin during a visit to Bulgaria in November 2010 by Bulgarian Prime MinisterBoyko Borisov.[8][9] The name 'Buffy' was chosen by a five-year-old boy during a nationwide competition.[10]
_01.jpg)
Yume, a 3-month-old femaleAkita puppy, arrived in Moscow fromTokyo,Japan, in July 2012, as theAkita Prefecture's gift to show gratitude for assistance from Russia after the2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami. 'Yume' means 'dream' in Japanese.[11][12][13]
In 2016, the Japanese government offered Putin a male Akita puppy as a companion for Yume, but this gift was declined.[14][15]
.jpg)
Verny was a 65th birthday gift fromGurbanguly Berdimuhamedow,president of Turkmenistan, during a meeting inSochi in October 2017. The puppy is anAlabai, a top Turkmen-bred variety of the Central Asiashepherd dog. 'Verny' means 'faithful' or 'loyal' in Russian.[16]
Pasha (Serbian Cyrillic:Паша) is aŠarplaninac puppy that was given to Vladimir Putin fromSerbianpresidentAleksandar Vučić during an official visit in January 2019.[17][18]
Two seemingly adultdogs of the North KoreanPungsan breed were given to Vladimir Putin byKim Jong Un on a visit Putin made toPyongyang in June 2024. This shows the growing view among international diplomats that canines represent a suitable gift for the Russian head of state. However, Vladimir Putin has rejected these gifts on occasion, making Kim Jong-Un's gift especially significant for the geopolitical relationship between Russia and North Korea.[19]
_(3x4_cropped).jpg)
