They say even Hitler loved his dogs and Vladimir Putin certainly doesn't buck the trend when it comes to dictators and their beloved pooches.
Throughout his premiership in the Kremlin, he has had no less than seven canine companions of varying sizes and breeds.
When he was 'elected' to power in 2000, Putin arrived with two poodles which he lost to his ex-wife Llyudmilla in their divorce.
His longest-serving dog was a black labrador named Konni who was by his side from 1999 to 2014, even attending meetings with Putin.
He currently owns four dogs – three shepherd's dogs and a Japanese Akita mountain dog named Yume, which by all accounts is his favourite.
So when Putin's not violating the sovereignty of another country or hiding in a bunker, he's usually found playing with Yume, who was a special gift to him from the Japanese people themselves.
Vlad received Yume, which means dream in Japanese, in 2012 as a sign of appreciation from the country for Russia's help following the 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster.
The Akita is known as a hardy, unfriendly dog, which spurns people it has just met, and is compassionate to those it knows well.
Like Putin, Akita dogs are generally territorial in the protection of their property and have been described as feline hounds.
The breed is also notoriously intolerant of mixing with dogs of the same sex as them, which again draws comparisons with Putin's view of same-sex relations.
All in all then, the two friends are perfect for each other, which makes his refusal of Japan's second gift in 2016 all the more odd.
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Concerned that Yume was growing lonely, the Japanese offered to give Putin a second male Akita dog to mate with her.
However, Putin declined to accept this offer and according to Japanese MP Koichi Hagiuda he did not give a reason.
Who knows what goes on in his head at the best of times?
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