Vladimir Putin truly loves our smaller brothers, and especially dogs. Several pets live in his residence, which often accompany the president at business meetings and during unofficial visits, and appear with him at photo shoots. An article about which dogs Putin currently lives with him and what they look like, and we’ll also tell you where and for how much you can buy the same breed of dog.
Taigan (Kyrgyz greyhound) Sherkhan
On March 28, 2022, Vladimir Vladimirovich met with the President of the Kyrgyz Republic, Sooronbai Jeenbekov. The latter, as a sign of exceptional respect for the President of the Russian Federation, presented him with a rare gift - a six-month-old Taigan puppy.
The Taigan is an ancient indigenous Kyrgyz breed that belongs to the hunting class. If you literally translate the name from Kyrgyz, you get “catch up and kill.” The first mentions can be found in the Kyrgyz epic. Bogatyr Manas was the owner of a Taigan named Kumayik.
The peculiarity of taigans is their adaptability to hunting at altitudes of more than 2 thousand meters; they reach speeds of up to 60 kilometers per hour. Kyrgyz greyhounds reach 60-70 cm at the withers and are very similar in appearance to Kazakh greyhounds.
Unfortunately, today the Kyrgyz greyhounds are on the verge of extinction. There are no more than a thousand purebred Taigans left in the country; in Kyrgyzstan, the dog is considered national pride. Outside the country, little is known about it; you almost never see it at exhibitions; it is truly exotic. Therefore, Sooronbai Jeenbekov chose this wonderful dog as a gift.
Where to find a dog like Putin's
Many citizens of the Russian Federation would like to have the same dogs as Vladimir Vladimirovich. But you shouldn’t give in to emotions: you need to approach the matter with all seriousness. The pets of the first person of Russia are provided with a permanent canine service at the presidential kennel . All purebred breeds require special nutrition, physical activity, regular training and contact with the owner. Not all puppies are suitable for the conditions of a small house or apartment in the city. If you want to buy a dog breed like Putin's, make your decision wisely.
Labrador dog
Multifunctional Labradors are easy-going and very friendly. They are actively used not only as companions, but also as guides and even caregivers. Not all dogs of this breed are black; there are fawn and chocolate shades. At the withers they reach 57 cm, weight reaches 40 kg.
Official nurseries are located in almost all major cities of Russia, including Moscow: LAETUS, Stanways, Kendi doll, Genesis Lab. Cost - from 20 to 45 thousand rubles.
Bulgarian Shepherd dog breed
The breed is not recognized by the FCI, but is classified and certified. Height - from 63 to 75 cm, weight - from 40 to 60 kg. All her life she is devoted to one owner, loves selflessly, understands him perfectly. Perfect for home guarding, it has a calm and balanced character, is efficient, courageous and responsible, but does not get along well with other animals.
The only official nursery is located in Moscow, it is a branch of the Bulgarian nursery Ticho Elit .
The cost of a baby is from 45 thousand rubles.
Akita Inu breed
Akita Inu became famous throughout the world thanks to the film “Hachiko”, in which the main character of the film belonged to the same Spitz-like breed. In feudal times, they were used in Japan to protect the king and nobility, and are now declared a local natural monument. Akita Inu are distinguished by highly developed intelligence, fearlessness, devotion to their owner, and are also excellent protectors. Height at the withers is 60-70 cm, weight is 40-50 kg.
Official nurseries registered in the RKF are located in many cities of Russia. In Moscow, you can adopt a dog from the Vanko-Biyori .
The cost depends on various factors: a puppy - from 50 thousand rubles, an adult - from 60-70 thousand rubles.
Alabai breed
Central Asian Shepherds have excellent health and irrepressible energy. Therefore, since time immemorial, they have been used by Turkmen shepherds to protect flocks of sheep. And in the 1930s they even wanted to attract them to the civil service of the USSR, but due to their wayward nature this did not work out.
Dogs are distinguished by courage, loyalty and love their owner very much. They require mandatory training and constant supervision. However, this does not prevent them from being vulnerable like children. Their weight is from 40 to 50 kg, height is from 65-70 cm and above.
official nurseries throughout the country. In Moscow, you can buy Alabaev in ALAJA, Sheriff Agha, Sayat Karakum and other cynological organizations.
Cost - from 15-30 thousand rubles and above.
Breed Kyrgyz Greyhound
Taigan (translated as “catch and kill”) is the oldest indigenous Kyrgyz breed of the hunting class. Its mention can be found in the ancient epic: according to the Kyrgyz legend, a Taigan named Kumayik was owned by the hero Manas. The dog reaches 60-70 cm at the withers, is capable of speeds of up to 60 km/h and hunts at an altitude of more than 2,000 meters.
It is on the verge of extinction: there are no more than a thousand of them left in the country. Therefore, they are almost absent from exhibitions, and it is difficult to purchase a dog outside of Kyrgyzstan.
There are only three registered dog kennels in Russia : VASART (Kaliningrad), Iz Dom Casanova (Moscow), Shegodai (Korolev).
Cost - from 50 to 60 thousand rubles.
Sharplanin Shepherd Dog breed
Sharplaninsky were first bred in the Balkans in 1938, a year later they were registered in the FCI under the name of Illyrian Shepherd Dogs (in 1957 - Sharplaninsky). Dogs began to be exported only in 1970, but now they are popular because... They have a calm and balanced character, endurance and highly value the authority of their owner.
The main advantages of shepherd dogs are their ability to guard territory, herd herds and fight back against predatory animals. Height - up to 58-66 cm at the withers, weight - up to 40-45 kg. Designed not for apartments, but for spacious plots and fields.
There are no official nurseries in Russia ; you can buy them in Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and other Balkan countries.
Cost - from 800 dollars.
Sharplana Shepherd Dog Pasha
And even earlier, on January 17, 2022, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic presented Putin with a Sharplana Shepherd puppy. The baby was named Pasha.
The history of the breed dates back to 1938, when they were first bred in the Balkans. The following year, the breed was already registered by the FCI as the Illyrian Shepherd Dog, and since 1957 as the Sharplaninsky. For many years, dogs of this breed remained a mystery to the whole world, because the Yugoslav authorities simply did not allow shepherd dogs to be exported outside the country. Only in 1970 the first Sharplanin Shepherd Dog was exported abroad. In recent years, Sharplanin Shepherd Dogs have become popular due to their stable nature.
Characteristic features of the breed:
- It has high endurance and can easily survive in cold conditions, thanks to its warm wool;
- They have a calm and balanced character;
- There is an opinion that Sharplanin shepherd dogs are capricious, but in fact the owner is the highest authority for them;
Alabai Verny
Putin also received his Alabai as a gift. The puppy was presented by President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov in 2022. Putin liked the dog immediately, he took the little one in his arms and kissed him on the head. After which the puppy hid, but not because he didn’t like his new owner. Alabais are very wary of strangers and Verny needs time to get used to and get to know each other.
This is not an easy gift; in Turkmenistan, alabai are also a national treasure and the pride of the country. The uniqueness of the Alabais is that they were not bred artificially. Since ancient times, they have been used to protect flocks of sheep or for service. According to unconfirmed reports, the breed has existed on the planet for several millennia! It is very difficult to export the Alabai outside of Turkmenistan, since the export of dogs of this breed is prohibited.
An interesting fact is that in the 1930s, they tried to en masse attract Alabaevs to the civil service of the USSR. It was not possible to do this, since dogs have a very capricious character. In terms of care and training, Alabais are difficult dogs, but very strong-willed and strong. Putin definitely liked this gift.
Loyal
Faithful is a gift from V.V. To Putin for his birthday from the head of Turkmenistan in October 2022.
The President of Turkmenistan presented Putin with an Alabai puppy
This thoroughbred dog received his nickname for the devotion and loyalty inherent in the Alabai, to whose breed he belongs. Alabais are smart animals and good guards. Their height can reach 90 cm. The color of the president's dog is white with pale brown spots.
An Alabai puppy will grow into a reliable guard and devoted friend
Akita Inu Yume
Yume is a real exotic star of Vladimir Vladimirovich’s collection of animals. Putin chose the nickname personally, giving it a special meaning: Yume means “Dream” in Japanese. The governor of the Japanese prefecture of Akita, Norihisa Satake, presented the puppy to the president with gratitude for his help in eliminating natural disasters. Putin happily said that the gift was cute, and in response he kindly gave the governor a Siberian cat.
Putin took Yume with him to interviews with Japanese journalists. The animal showed excellent upbringing and a generally healthy and cheerful appearance, as the press representatives themselves noted. Yume is now in her seventh year.
The Akita Inu's appearance is largely the result of nature, not man. During the period of feudal rule, Akita Inu were used to guard the royal family and nobility. From the 16th to the early 19th centuries, Akita Inus were used as fighting dogs, which subsequently affected their behavior in general. That is why Yume requires increased attention and training from Putin, since she is not easy to train.
Interesting Facts:
- Akita Inu is declared a natural monument in Japan;
- “Inu” means dog in Japanese, the name literally translates as “dog from Akita”;
- As Putin himself noted, Yume is a strict dog;
- Akita Inu is quite difficult to train; dogs of this breed are prone to aggression;
- In 2013, Putin had a photo shoot with Yume and Buffy, another pet.
Description of the breed
Putin's dog breed is called Labrador Retriever. This breed was originally bred as a working animal, so many of its representatives still serve as guide dogs and rescue dogs. The breed originates from Fr. Newfoundland, which is located in Canada. There are several assumptions about the origin of the name of the breed. At first, the dogs were exclusively black, the color reminiscent of labradorite stone. Therefore, scientists think that the name appeared because of the color. If we start from another version, then the first dogs were bred on the Labrador Peninsula. And the latest version: Labradors were named so by the Portuguese for their amazing performance; in their language, “Labrador” means “hard worker.”
To briefly describe the character of the breed, we can note the innate skill of the hunter and true passion. Labradors were hunting assistants: they must remain motionless and silent and watch, never taking their eyes off the hunter. The role of the Labrador begins after the shot. The command sounds, and he runs to where the game falls. Putin's dog breed was distinguished by a phenomenal memory, in principle, like all Labradors. Most dogs are able to retrieve game in the order in which it was shot.
Bulgarian Shepherd Buffy
Buffy was given to Putin by the Prime Minister of Bulgaria back in 2010. The puppy was bred in the personal kennel of Boyk Borisov, it is not surprising that he chose just such a present. Although the press was surprised by this.
Upon returning to Russia, Putin announced a competition for the best name for a pet. The whole country chose the name for the shepherd dog, and a boy named Dima won. Subsequently, Putin invited him to personally meet the puppy. The meeting took place in December of the same year, and Dima also received a gift from the president - an autographed ball.
Interestingly, the famous Russian poet Orlusha wrote a witty poem about this. In his work, the poet ridicules topical problems.
The Bulgarian Shepherd, or Karakachan dog, is one of the oldest herding breeds in the Balkans. The breed is not recognized by the FCI, but is nevertheless classified and certified. The dog is ideal for protection, has a calm and balanced disposition. They are not friendly to other animals, but get along well with people.
Putin himself is happy with the pet, as he later noted that he loves him very much. To crossbreed Buffy, a request was sent to Bulgaria to obtain a female of the same breed.
Labrador Connie Polgrave (Kony for short)
Perhaps Putin’s most famous and beloved pet remains his first dog, a black Labrador named Koni. It was presented to Putin in 1999 by the former head of the Ministry of Emergency Situations and the current Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation Sergei Shoigu.
Kony often appeared in photo reports from Vladimir Putin’s meetings with various high-ranking officials. In 2007, Putin took Kony to a meeting with Angela Merkel, who is terribly afraid of dogs. The president subsequently apologized for the animal’s behavior. They joked about this topic in opposition circles, expressing their dissatisfaction with the political regime. On the eve of the elections, an online vote was organized on the future president of the Russian Federation, in which Koni was in the lead (37% of the votes). As a joke, Putin has repeatedly stated that Koni will become his successor. Unfortunately, this did not happen; Koni died in 2014.
The Labrador is a very multifunctional dog. They are used not only as companions, but also as guides and caregivers. It is not surprising that Kony became the president’s favorite, whom he took with him everywhere. Labradors have an easy-going and friendly character. Initially, Labradors were black, like Putin, only then the breed standard began to include fawn and chocolate.
Among other things, Kony became the heroine of the Ogonyok comics, which described Putin’s life through the eyes of a dog.
All Putin's dogs
In his speeches, the President of the Russian Federation has repeatedly noted that dogs sincerely love and feel people, never betray and at any moment can cheer up and bring guests closer together with their presence. Few people know that over the years of his political activity, Putin had not one favorite dog, but many. Most of them were donated by high-ranking officials of other countries and were presented to Vladimir Vladimirovich personally during official visits.
Let's see which of them still continue to live in the presidential residence in Novo-Ogarevo, how many dogs Putin has and what their names are. Let's take a look at the territory of his exemplary nursery and learn in detail about all the favorites of the Russian leader. Each of them is unusual and different from the others.
Labrador Connie Polgrave (Horses)
A black Labrador named Koni is Putin’s most famous pet. She was born in 1999, when Vladimir Vladimirovich was just appointed successor to Boris Yeltsin. And in 2000, Koni was presented to the current president by the current Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu . The dog was distinguished by loyalty, kindness and intelligence. She often appeared not only in newspapers and magazines, acted as a comic book hero in the Ogonyok magazine and the book Connie's Stories , but also appeared in photo reports from Vladimir Vladimirovich's meetings with many high-ranking officials: he took her with him everywhere.
There is a widely known case of how in 2007 the president took his pet to a meeting with Angela Merkel. Later it turned out that the German Chancellor is terribly afraid of dogs. Putin later had to apologize for the animal’s behavior, and opposition circles joked a lot about this topic.
On the eve of the elections, a vote was even held on the Internet about the future president of Russia, in which Koni took the leading position, receiving 37% of the votes. Vladimir Vladimirovich also could not resist making a joke, saying that the dog would become his successor. However, this was not destined to come true: in 2014, Connie Polgrave died.
Labrador puppies Koni
On December 7, 2003 , the day of the Russian parliamentary elections, eight puppies were born to the president’s dog, Kony. Two of them were presented to former Austrian President Thomas Krestil. The rest were distributed into good hands:
- 6-year-old girl Katya Sergeenkova from Smolensk for her birthday;
- pensioner Alexey Belevets from the Novozolotovka farm in the Rostov region;
- City unified rescue service in Vladikavkaz.
There is no detailed information about the remaining puppies. It is known that they serve in Russian law enforcement agencies.
In 2005, it became known that one of the Labradors, Darina, given to Alexey Belevets, gave Koni grandchildren. She gave birth to 11 puppies.
Alabai Verny
The Central Asian Shepherd Dog is the national treasure and pride of Turkmenistan, and their export from the country is prohibited. However, in 2022, President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov presented Putin with a puppy of this breed at a meeting in Sochi as a sign of respect and gratitude. The Russian leader liked the gift: he immediately kissed his new pet. Journalists managed to take a memorable photo of the president with a shepherd dog.
Putin's dog breed is also called Alabai. Now he has already grown up and turned into a formidable dog of considerable size, absolutely unpretentious in food. The puppy did not immediately find a common language with other animals in the presidential residence. And to this day he often conflicts with everyone who encroaches on his freedom or his desired bone.
Kyrgyz Greyhound (Taigan) Sherkhan
At a meeting with the President of the Kyrgyz Republic, Sooronbai Jeenbekov on March 28, 2019, Putin was presented with a rare gift - a 6-month-old Taigan puppy. The gift of a taigan symbolizes deep respect. The Kyrgyz hound appeared more than 12 thousand years ago, but at the moment it is an endangered species and a national treasure of the country.
V. Putin's Sharplana Shepherd Dog named Pasha
Pasha is a generous and cute gift originally from Serbia, given to Putin on January 17, 2022 by Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic . The Sharplaninsky is a rare breed, the export of which from Yugoslavia was prohibited for many years. Therefore, it is quite difficult to meet a Serbian Shepherd on the territory of modern Russia.
Bulgarian Shepherd Buffy
The Bulgarian (or Karakachan) Shepherd Buffy was presented to Putin during a 2010 . The puppy was raised in the personal kennel of Prime Minister Boyko Borisov , and is a descendant of the oldest herding breed in the Balkans. The President was so happy about the unexpected gift that he kissed the furry little ball right at the presentation ceremony, which journalists immediately captured in photographs.
For a long time, Vladimir Vladimirovich could not decide on a nickname, so upon returning to Russia he announced a competition for the best name for the pet. It was won by a 5-year-old boy, Dima Sokolov from Moscow . Later he was invited to visit Putin’s residence to meet the puppy. The President also presented the young winner with an autographed ball.
Akita Inu named Yume
In the early 2010s. The Russian side provided assistance to Japan in eliminating the consequences of the natural disaster. After which, the governor of the Japanese Akita Prefecture, Norihisa Satake, presented the Russian President with a Japanese purebred Akita Inu female, born on April 4, 2012, as a token of gratitude. As a return gift to the land of the rising sun, a cat originally from Siberia named Mir was presented. The new owner chose the name of the Japanese beauty on his own; in translation, Yume means “dream .
According to Vladimir Vladimirovich himself, she was not easy to educate and required intensive training and attention. However, she grew up healthy and cheerful. In 2016, the Japanese wanted to give the Russian President another pet - a male Akita Inu. But Vladimir Vladimirovich rejected their proposal.
Offspring of the Presidential Labrador Connie
Koni gave birth to her offspring on December 7, 2003, just on the day of the parliamentary elections in Russia. 8 healthy puppies were born. Putin stated that he wants to give the puppies to good hands:
- one of her children serves the City Unified Rescue Service in Vladikavkaz;
- another son, Connie, was handed over to pensioner Alexey Belevets;
- the happy owner of another puppy was a girl, Katya Sergeenkova from Smolensk;
- the other two puppies were given as a gift to the former President of Austria, Thomas Klestil.
Alexey named the puppy Darina, and she gave birth to 11 puppies. So, Koni managed to become a grandmother.
Other Presidential Animals
The former wife of the president also had a dog. Also in 1999, Putin gave his wife a toy poodle, Tosya. In 2013, the couple divorced, and Lyudmila took Tosya with her. The fate of the poodle remains unknown.
Vladimir Vladimirovich is distinguished by his love not only for dogs, but also for all our smaller brothers. In 2003, Putin was symbolically presented with a white goat in honor of the coming year. The goat was named Skazka.
In 2008, on the occasion of the president’s birthday, he was given a little tiger cub Masha. For some time Masha lived in the Novo-Ogarevo residence, and later moved to the zoo in Gelendzhik.
Putin also loves horses. He has quite a lot of them:
- The first horse was presented to the president in 2000. The Oryol trotter was given to him by Yegor Stroev, the former governor of the Oryol region.
- In 2001, Putin’s nursery was replenished with an Akhal-Teke stallion, with the help of Murtaza Rakhimov, the then president of Bashkiria.
- From the King of Jordan, Putin received three “Arabs”: the mare Aizis, the stallions Ibn Maruf and Hakim. Later, Musharraf sent two more Arabian horses.
- Saparmurat Niyazov, and later Gurbanguly Berdimuhammedov, both heads of Turkmenistan, presented Putin with Akhal-Teke horses as a present.
- In Nalchik, Putin received a horse named Kazbich of the Kabardian breed as a gift from Kabardino-Balkaria and others.
The title of the most famous horse of the president is honorably occupied by Vadik. This mini horse is only 54 cm tall. All of Putin’s pets are located at his residence in Novo-Ogarevo.
