The paws behind the power: A definitive look at history's top dogs - YOU Magazine Fashion Beauty Celebrity Health Life Relationships Horoscopes Food Interiors Travel Sign in Welcome!Log into your account Forgot your password? Password recovery Recover your password Search Sign in Welcome! Log into your account Forgot your password? Get help Password recovery Recover your password A password will be e-mailed to you. YOU Magazine Fashion Beauty Celebrity Health Life Relationships Horoscopes Food Interiors Travel Home Celebrity The paws behind the power A definitive look at history’ s top dogs By You Magazine - April 7, 2019 Ideal for intimidating political opponents, keeping you calm when on the brink of war and, of course, adding the charisma-boosting factor, too… Susan Hope goes for walkies down the corridors of power with history’s top dogs. John F Kennedy Corbis via Getty Images A huge dog fan, the US president had nine during his time in the White House. When the 1962 Cuban missile crisis kicked off, it was his favourite, a welsh terrier called Charlie (far right), that Kennedy called to the hectic ‘war room’ to help him relax. When Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev gave Kennedy’s daughter Caroline a puppy, because of political tensions at the time, Pushinka – as the dog was named – had to be checked for listening devices before being allowed to move into the White House. Winston Churchill Mark Kauffman/Time & Life Pictures/Getty Images He may have been famous for his bulldog spirit but Churchill had a soft spot for poodles. A few months after his beloved pet Rufus died in 1947, killed by a bus during a Conservative party conference in Brighton, the former prime minister was given another french miniature poodle, which he named Rufus II (above). The dog ate in the dining room at Chartwell, Churchill’s Kent home, along with the rest of the family, and no one was allowed to start until the butler had served Rufus’s meal. In fact, Churchill was so conscious of his pet’s wellbeing that once, while watching the film Oliver Twist with Rufus, during the scene when Bill Sikes is about to drown his dog Bullseye, Churchill covered Rufus’s eyes, saying, ‘Don’t look now, dear. I’ll tell you about it afterwards.’ Vladimir Putin SPUTNIK / Alamy Stock Photo His love of dogs is well documented, so it is perhaps no surprise that, in 2007, when Russian President Putin met German Chancellor Angela Merkel at his Sochi residence, his large black labrador Konni joined them. Merkel, however, who has a fear of dogs since being bitten by one in the 1990s, looked decidedly uncomfortable. Later, Putin denied rumours that he had used his pooch to intimidate her. Konni died in 2014 but Putin owns several other dogs including a sarplaninac puppy called Pasha given to him in January by Serbian leader Aleksandar Vucic. Barack Obama Pete Souza/REX/Shutterstock After promising his daughters Malia and Sasha that they would get a dog after the election, US President Barack Obama made good his pledge when Bo (above right) joined the family at the White House in 2009, followed by Sunny in 2013. The portuguese water dogs became so in demand with the press that, like the president, they were given their own schedules. In her recent memoir, Michelle Obama revealed that the dogs were like stand-ins for their daughters. ‘Knowing that Malia and Sasha were off-limits, the White House communications teams began requesting the dogs for official appearances,’ says Michelle. ‘They made excellent ambassadors, impervious to criticism and unaware of their own fame.’ Ronald Reagan Bettmann The US president’s dog Lucky arrived at the White House in 1984. According to first lady Nancy, Lucky grew from a ‘ball of fluff’ to ‘the size of a pony’. The pooch was a bouvier des flandres, a powerful breed, and there are many pictures of Reagan walking Lucky – or rather being dragged along after him – including one with former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher in 1985. Lucky (named by Nancy in honour of her mother, Edith Luckett ‘Lucky’ Davis) later went to live at the Reagans’ ranch in California. George W Bush Polaris / eyevine The US president and first lady Laura owned scottish terriers Barney and Miss Beazley. According to their daughter Jenna, Barney, who died in 2013, was ‘a real jerk’. She said, ‘He didn’t like strangers and he actually bit one of my dad’s friends – not once, but twice.’ When President Putin met Barney, Bush got the distinct feeling that the Russian wasn’t impressed. A year later in Moscow, this suspicion was confirmed when, Bush says, ‘Putin introduced me to his dog – a huge hound, comes bounding across the lawn – and he says, “Bigger, stronger and faster than Barney.”’ Emmanuel Macron LUDOVIC MARIN/AFP/Getty Images The French president and his wife got their labrador-griffon from an animal shelter in 2017. Following the Central Canine Society of France’s rules that pedigree dogs born in 2017 should have a name starting with ‘N’, they called him Nemo. The dog hit the news later that year when he was filmed urinating on a fireplace in the Elysée palace during a government meeting. Harold Wilson Trinity Mirror / Mirrorpix / Alamy Stock Photo The former British prime minister’s golden labrador Paddy was unfairly blamed for tripping and almost drowning his master while on holiday in the Scilly Isles in 1973. Wilson fell overboard while trying to get out of his dinghy and had to be rescued by passers-by. RELATED ARTICLESMORE FROM AUTHOR 50 of the best celebrity Halloween costumes of all time Shirley Ballas ‘ Strictly gave me back my hope’ Davina McCall discusses how men can help women going through the menopause Popular in Celebrity Beauty vlogger Nic Chapman opens up about her diagnosis and troubled August 22, 2017 Quickfire with Strictly veteran Anton Du Beke December 5, 2017 Yolanda Kettle reveals what it’ s like playing the other woman February 12, 2018 The billion-dollar baby club The celebrity children living it large April 15, 2018 Tom and Giovanna Fletcher talk married life and working with your June 3, 2018 Jacqueline Gold ‘ I want to give women confidence’ July 15, 2018 Quickfire Comedian Alex Horne on Gary The Gorilla losing his trousers August 26, 2018 ‘ I’ m probably overindulgent with him’ Elizabeth Hurley reveals the most important September 30, 2018 One s best friends The Queen’ s corgis and their doggy dynasty October 28, 2018 Ruth Wilson will play her own grandmother in this new BBC November 21, 2018 Popular CategoriesFood2704Life2496Fashion2240Beauty1738Celebrity1261Interiors684 Sign up for YOUMail Thanks for subscribing Please check your email to confirm (If you don't see the email, check the spam box) Fashion Beauty Celebrity Life Food Privacy & Cookies T&C Copyright 2022 - YOU Magazine. All Rights Reserved