Arabella Byrne

Why a dog is a politician’s best friend

  • From Spectator Life
Image: Rishi Sunak

Is there a better way to boost a politician’s fortunes than a puppy? Everyone knows that dogs buy a certain degree of political capital. Boris knew this when he acquired not simply a puppy, but a rescue cross from across the Union in Wales. Joe Biden was well aware of their political potency when he brought dogs back to the White House after Trump’s four paw-less years. And Chancellor Rishi Sunak must also have bargained on their public appeal when he posted a picture of his new Fox Red Labrador puppy Nova sitting on his lap in his No.11 office last Wednesday. Twitter barked back but not necessarily in approval, with many commenting that the Chancellor should concentrate on the aftermath of the pandemic rather than massaging his image with dog pictures. Woof.

Like them or loathe them, dogs not only catch our attention but also convey substantive messages. Dogs remind the electorate of their elected representatives’ humanity and, their humility (think dog poo bags and abject disobedience). You may not like Boris but how can you possibly object to little Dilyn, the argument usually goes. And there you have it: personality and policies blurred with just one shake of a dog’s tail.

In America, as with most things Stateside, this phenomenon is big. So big that it even has a term: ‘puppaganda’. We all know about the Obamas’ Portuguese Water Dogs Bo (recently departed) and Sunny, but long before their appearance, Hillary Clinton even went so far in 1998 as to publish a book of ‘notes’ to their dog Buddy from US schoolchildren. Never underestimate canine power to cover up the scent of something slightly off. Accordingly, Presidential campaigns are heavily influenced by the accompaniment of a dog by a politician’s side. Dogs might not necessarily win the race for you – candidate Pete Buttigeig went so far as to create dedicated Twitter accounts for his dogs Truman and Buddy – but they will guarantee you a devoted base ready to bark for you when the caucus comes.

Already a subscriber? Log in

Keep reading with a free trial

Subscribe and get your first month of online and app access for free. After that it’s just £1 a week.

There’s no commitment, you can cancel any time.

Or

Unlock more articles

REGISTER

Comments

Don't miss out

Join the conversation with other Spectator readers. Subscribe to leave a comment.

Already a subscriber? Log in