Putin jokes as his Japanese pet barks at Japanese journalists: Yume is no-nonsense dog!

Journalists from Nippon Television Network Corporation (Nippon TV) and Yomiuri Shimbun newspaper, who went to interview Russian President Vladimir Putin on Dec. 12 in Moscow, were greeted by a surprise guest. Yume, an Akita breed dog that was gifted to Putin in 2012 by the Japanese government, was present in the room.
When a few journalists said they were scared of the dog, Putin replied that Yume was a “no-nonsense” dog.
“I was told that you wanted to see my dog, Yume. You can see that she is in great shape,” Putin said. “There are many people here, with camcorders running, lights shining and cameras clicking. She is being a guard dog.”
The Japanese government had planned to present the Russian President a male Akita as a companion to Yume during Putin’s upcoming summit with Shinzo Abe. But Russia apparently turned down the offer.
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