IT CERTAINLY IS RUFF AT THE TOP

There’s a new top dog at 10 Downing Street. MARION McMULLEN looks at the world of political pooches

RESCUE puppy Dilyn is the newest resident at 10 Downing Street. The Jack Russell comes from the Friends of Animals Wales Charity and has found a new home with PM Boris Johnson and his girlfriend Carrie Symonds. Dilyn was initially dumped by a puppy dealer because he was born with a crooked jaw.

The charity said of Dilyn’s new political placement: “This little man will want for nothing in his life, what could be better than that?” LABOUR Prime Minister Harold Wilson was often pictured with his beloved Labrador Paddy and the four-legged friend often joined the family on holidays to the Scilly Isles. Paddy had been a Christmas gift from PaymasterGeneral George Wigg to Mr Wilson and he made himself at home at 10 Downing Street in the 1960s. RUSSIAN leader

Vladmir

Putin shares his Moscow home with four dogs called Buffy, Yume, Verni and Pasha. His black Labrador retriever Konni passed away in 2014, but was often by his side when he greeted world leaders to Russia. It also had one of the world’s first satellite navigation system dog collars. PORTUGUESE water dog Bo (pictured) made himself at home at the White House with US President Barack Obama and his family. He had the run of the Oval Office and the “First Dog” was featured on the White House website. He was joined by a female Portuguese water dog called Sunny a few years later. FORMER Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnball once ran a “doggy blog” on his official website giving voice to the thoughts of his pet Maltese mix dog JoJo.

It also featured other guestblogging pooches including Dusty the Kelpie. BRITAIN’S war-time Prime Minister Winston Churchill was a big animal lover and had a pet miniature poodle called Rufus (pictured together) and a bulldog named Dodo.

It is said Rufus ate in the dining room with the family and no one else ate until the butler served Rufus his food first. FRENCH President Emmanuel Macron has a Labrador cross rescue dog called Nemo who often accompanies him on official visits and has greeted guests at the Elysee Palace in Paris.

Nemo was also caught by TV cameras behaving badly in 2017 when he was filmed relieving himself on one of the palace fireplaces. ENGLISH Springer Spaniel Millie was an early White House favourite and belonged to US President George H W Bush and his wife Barbara. The dog star became a best-seller with Millie’s Book and also featured in a TV episode of The Simpsons. Her offspring Spot later took over as the family dog for George W Bush and the President once gave his wife Laura a Scottish terrier puppy called Miss Beazley for her birthday. THEODORE ROOSEVELT introduced more pets to the White House than any other US president when he took office in 1901. The haul included 12 horses, a pig, a badger, a racoon, a one-legged rooster, a coyote, a hyena, several varieties of rat, snakes, five bears, lizards, a barn owl, a flying squirrel, a zebra, a lion and a macaw called Eli Yale. CAVALIER King Charles Spaniel Rex was owned by Ronald and Nancy Reagan during their time at the White House. His registered name was Martlet-Or-Worcester and the President presented Rex as a Christmas present to his wife Nancy in

1985.

Dilyn