Vladimir Putin kisses, cuddles new puppy named Verny
Russian President Vladimir Putin showed his softer side Wednesday, kissing and cuddling a new, furry friend named Verny.
The Russian leader and known dog lover was given a top breed puppy as a belated birthday present by Turkmenistan President Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov during talks in Sochi. Putin turned 65 on Oct. 7.
“We have a common friend. This is the world’s unique alabai dog. And today I brought this little alabai with me,” Berdymukhamedov said, according to Reuters.
Verny, the Turkmen shepherd dog, means "faithful" in Russian.
A photo op with a cute pup is nothing new for Putin, who is regularly featured in staged photographs feeding a young elk, frolicking in the snow with Bulgarian shepherd dogs or holding fluffy kittens while comforting victims of natural disasters.
He also burnishes his macho-man credentials by releasing images and video of himself assisting in polar bear research, hunting Siberian tigers or riding horses — sometimes bare-chested — across remote Russian tundra.
It is the third time Putin has received a dog as a gift. Previously, he received a Bulgarian shepherd named Buffy from Bulgaria’s premier and an Akita named Yume from a Japanese official, according to the Associated Press. Putin also has been given horses and a tiger.
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