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Putin gave an
interview to Nippon Television and Yomiuri Shimbun newspaper in
Moscow on Tuesday, accompanied at first by Yume, who was given
to him by Japan's Akita Prefecture in 2012.
Yume, who was not on a leash, entered the room quietly but she
soon began barking loudly at the media crew, who stood still and
smiled at the dog. Putin eventually drew Akita's attention with
treats before showing some tricks she can do.
"We are glad to see Yume happy and cheerful. However, we were a
bit surprised and afraid that the beginning of the meeting would
be like this," one of the journalists said, according to a
Kremlin transcript of the interview.
Putin said Yume was protective of him. "You were right to take
caution, Yume is a no-nonsense dog," he said. "There are many
people here, with camcorders running, lights shining and cameras
clicking. She is being a guard dog."
A decade ago, with cameras running, Putin allowed his big black
labrador Koni to bound into a room where he was receiving German
Chancellor Angela Merkel at his Black Sea residence, ignoring
warnings from protocol that she has a fear of dogs.
(Writing by Marie-Louise Gumuchian; editing by Mark Heinrich)
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