Buffy (dog)

Early life

Buffy is a caramel and white Bulgarian shepherd Karakachan Dog. Buffy was ten-weeks old when he was given to Putin. Buffy was born in Boyko Borisov's personal nursery in August 2010, under the name Yorgo. Buffy was the oldest of a ten-puppy litter - nine males and one female.

Buffy's breed is known to be brave and to guard property and livestock, and was commonly used as an Army watchdog in the past.

Buffy

Putin admitted that the arrival of Buffy was completely unexpected. Buffy's first home in Russia was Putin’s country residence, Novo-Ogaryovo. After receiving the unexpected present, Vladimir Putin announced a contest to select a new name for the puppy. Putin received thousands of letters, most proposing names linked with Bulgaria such as Balkan or Sofia. The winner was Dima Sokolov, 5 years old, who proposed the name, Buffy. President Putin invited Dima Sokolov and his family to Novo Oraryovo, where the boy played with Buffy, while the President had a conversation with his parents.

President Putin described Buffy’s character as persevering (Russian: настырный). Putin recounts that Konni’s attitude towards Buffy was benevolent, although Buffy sometimes pulls Konni by the ears. Konni responds with patient composure. Presidential Press Secretary, Dmitry Peskov, described Konni’s interaction with Buffy (and with the President’s other dog, Yume), by virtue of her 13 years, as complicated. Konni died in late 2014, at age 15 years old, although this was not reported by the press until February 2015.

Buffy lives in the President's residence in Moscow, along with Yume.

Yume

In July 2012, the three-month old Akita Inu puppy named Yume arrived in Moscow from Tokyo, Japan. Yume is the Akita prefecture’s gift to show gratitude for Russia’s assistance after the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami.