Putin's all smiles to get a puppy as birthday present

He gladly accepted the puppy and has named it Verny which means 'faithful' in Russian. The Central Asian Shepherd Dog known as Alabai, is a multi-purpose working dog native to Russia and the Former Soviet Republics of Central Asia. The breed is used for a number of purposes including livestock protection, dog fighting, personal and property protection, companionship, and military work. The two men held talks at the Black Sea resort of Sochi, on the sidelines of a summit of ex-Soviet states, with the Turkmen side keen to see a possible resumption of natural gas exports to Russia