{"id":19925,"date":"2020-03-10T22:28:10","date_gmt":"2020-03-10T22:28:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/?p=19925"},"modified":"2020-03-11T05:50:53","modified_gmt":"2020-03-11T05:50:53","slug":"could-a-dog-pick-the-next-president","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/could-a-dog-pick-the-next-president\/","title":{"rendered":"Could a dog pick the next president?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Clive Wynne<\/a>, Arizona State University<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

I\u2019m not sure who first said it, but it\u2019s clear a lot of people agree<\/a> with the sentiment<\/a>: \u201cNever trust a person who doesn\u2019t like dogs<\/a>.\u201d Many pet lovers share the belief that a person\u2019s attitude to dogs reveals something essential about their character.<\/p>\n

During the political campaign season, Americans are deciding who has the characteristics, skills and temperament to be president. As a dog psychologist<\/a> and founder of the Canine Science Collaboratory<\/a> at Arizona State University, I spend my time studying the relationship between dogs and their people. I\u2019d certainly be happy if a candidate\u2019s attitude toward dogs could offer a simple way to evaluate a leader\u2019s personality, cutting to the essence of a person\u2019s character and clinching my vote without needing a detailed assessment of their policy proposals.<\/p>\n

Is it enough just to follow the leash to choose a leader? There must be good people with bad dogs, or no dog at all, and some notoriously bad people who were loved by their dogs, no? But I want to believe that canine companionship can still shed light<\/a> on<\/a> human<\/a> character<\/a> and help us pick a candidate.<\/p>\n

Dogless in the White House<\/h2>\n

For the past three years, the pup-parazzi have been speculating on President Donald Trump\u2019s dogless existence at the White House. It\u2019s certainly most common for the president to have a dog \u2013 perhaps because, as someone reputedly said, \u201cIf you want a friend in Washington, get a dog<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Washington Post has claimed that every occupant of the White House since William McKinley<\/a> has had a dog at some point. Just a couple of weeks ago, Trump declared at a rally that having a dog would be \u201cphony.\u201d<\/p>\n

The only dog he has expressed any enthusiasm for while in office was the Belgian Malinois involved in the raid<\/a> that resulted in the death of Islamic State group leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. As for al-Baghdadi, Trump said he \u201cdied like a dog<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Dog friends<\/h2>\n

Among the Democratic front-runners, Joe Biden shares his life with a German shepherd, Major<\/a>. This may be a good move for the uniformed vote: German shepherds are a favored breed of military and police forces<\/a>. Biden has always preferred German shepherds, but, for his latest \u2013 acquired in November 2018 \u2013 he softened the image by adopting a puppy that had been exposed to toxic chemicals<\/a> and was being cared for by the Delaware Humane Society.<\/p>\n

Biden might want to be careful of the historical baggage that comes with this popular large breed. The most famous German shepherd in politics must surely have been Blondi, the dog Adolf Hitler himself said was the only being that loved him.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Elizabeth Warren\u2019s dog, Bailey, gets a belly rub from a supporter.<\/span>
\nJoseph Prezioso\/AFP via Getty Images<\/a><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Elizabeth Warren has a dog with a gentler association. Warren\u2019s stereotypically family-friendly golden retriever, Bailey, is named for George Bailey from the movie \u201cIt\u2019s a Wonderful Life.\u201d Warren said she named her dog for \u201ca guy who was decent, determined and saw the best in people<\/a>.\u201d Warren\u2019s Bailey is front and center<\/a> in all her campaign activities.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Bailey features so prominently in his owner\u2019s social media feeds that Warren might want to be careful not to be upstaged by her pooch. George H.W. Bush\u2019s dog, Millie, published a memoir that outsold<\/a> President Ronald Reagan\u2019s contemporaneous \u201cAn American Life.\u201d<\/p>\n

Pete Buttigieg has suspended his campaign<\/a>, effectively dropping out of the race. He and his husband Chasten already had a shelter mutt, Truman, when they added another \u2013 Buddy \u2013 to their household in December 2018. Marie Claire magazine considers Buddy and Truman<\/a> \u201cthe cutest fur babies in all of politics<\/a>.\u201d Buddy is the ultimate underdog: rescued from a shelter, of no particular heritage. With only one eye, he peeks out from Instagram voicing droll commentary on the goings-on.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Dog-detached?<\/h2>\n

Other candidates either have no dog or are happy to keep their canine enthusiasms to themselves.<\/p>\n

The Facebook group \u201cPet Lovers for Bernie Sanders\u201d had to photo-edit dogs<\/a> into an image of Sanders and his wife, who have no dog.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
These pets do not actually belong to Bernie Sanders.<\/span>
\nPet Lovers for Bernie Sanders Facebook group<\/a><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Michael Bloomberg was in the \u201capparently dogless\u201d camp until just the other week when he got into a spot of dog difficulty by shaking a pooch by its snout<\/a> rather than engaging in one of the more customary forms of interspecies greeting. The dog looked unperturbed, but pet lovers on social media roasted Bloomberg<\/a> for his maladroitness.<\/p>\n

The billionaire\u2019s campaign quickly stitched together a 30-second ad spot of dogs voiced to endorse their candidate \u2013 ending with a cute white Lab who \u201csays,\u201d \u201cI\u2019m Mike Bloomberg\u2019s dog, and I approve this message.\u201d<\/a><\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

Canine character references<\/h2>\n

Of course, dogless people get elected all the time \u2013 they can always pick up a pooch later. The Obama family did not acquire their dog, Bo, until three months after the inauguration<\/a>. Having originally indicated an interest in rescuing a shelter mutt, they ended up with a pedigree Portuguese water dog because of their daughter Malia\u2019s allergies<\/a>. Though often known as the \u201cBig Dog<\/a>,\u201d Bill Clinton did not acquire a dog of his own, a chocolate Labrador retriever, until his second term.<\/p>\n

On Trump\u2019s doglessness, the memoirs of his ex-wife, Ivana, are often quoted: \u201cDonald was not a dog fan<\/a>. When I told him I was bringing Chappy with me to New York, he said, \u2018No.\u2019 \u2018It\u2019s me and Chappy or no one!\u2019 I insisted, and that was that.\u201d But two sentences farther on \u2013 and far less frequently cited \u2013 Ivana adds, \u201cDonald never objected to Chappy\u2019s sleeping on my side of the bed.\u201d<\/p>\n

In fact, from 2010 to 2015, the Westminster Kennel Club had a tradition of sending the winner of its annual show to be photographed with Trump at his eponymous New York tower. Images from<\/a> that<\/a> time<\/a> show Trump happily hugging the pooches<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Donald Trump poses with the winner of the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show in 2010.<\/span>
\nAP Photo\/Mary Altaffer<\/a><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Witness accounts from these meetings, quoted by Snopes.com in an assessment of the claim<\/a> that Trump hates dogs, recall Trump thoroughly enjoying himself cuddling the prize-winning canines. Snopes concluded that claims Trump considers dogs \u201cdisgusting<\/a>\u201d were just plain false.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, Harry Truman, to whom the claim about dog friendship in Washington is often mistakenly attributed<\/a>, not only declined to bring a dog<\/a> into the White House; he actually gave away a cocker spaniel puppy<\/a> named Feller that was given to him.<\/p>\n

Asked at a press conference in April 1947 what had become of the pup, Truman responded: \u201cTo what?\u201d On receiving clarification, he lied, \u201cOh, he\u2019s around<\/a>.\u201d In fact, Truman had already given Feller away<\/a> to his physician, Brig. Gen. Wallace Graham.<\/p>\n

Much as we might like dogs to tell us whom to vote for, the truth is, dogs are such forgiving assessors of human character<\/a> that their appraisals need to be taken with more than a pinch of salt. We may just have to do the hard yards and learn about the candidate\u2019s policies. It isn\u2019t easy. Maybe not having to participate in a democracy is what keeps our dogs so happy.<\/p>\n

[Like what you\u2019ve read? Want more?<\/em> Sign up for The Conversation\u2019s daily newsletter<\/a>.]\"The<\/p>\n

Clive Wynne<\/a>, Professor of Psychology, Arizona State University<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

This article is republished from The Conversation<\/a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Clive Wynne, Arizona State University I\u2019m not sure who first said it, but it\u2019s clear a lot of people agree with the sentiment: \u201cNever trust a person who doesn\u2019t like dogs.\u201d Many pet lovers share the belief that a person\u2019s attitude to dogs reveals something essential about their character. During the political campaign season, Americans […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":44,"featured_media":19926,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[4],"tags":[6901,7770,7769,4758,4756,228],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19925"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/44"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=19925"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19925\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":19931,"href":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19925\/revisions\/19931"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/19926"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=19925"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=19925"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=19925"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}