Harry S. Truman famously said, “If you want a friend in Washington, get a dog.” But if you want a fancy title and a position of power, you might be better off being a dog.
Your pooch probably commands a lot of power in your household, so maybe it’s no surprise that some pups have held pretty high positions in society over the years. And why not? Dogs are loyal, loving, and protective, which are qualities we should all look for in our leaders.
Here are a few ridiculously lofty positions held by canines.
1. Mayor
Thomas Jefferson believed the best government is that which governs least. Some towns take that literally.
Way back in August of 2014, DogTime reported on Duke, the Great Pyrenees who received twelve votes to win the mayoral race in Cormorant, Minnesota–a landslide victory.
But he wasn’t the first dog mayor. In 1981 a Labrador mix named Bosco was elected honorary mayor of Sunol, California.
And in 1998 a dog named Goofy won the election in Rabbit Hash, Kentucky. Rabbit Hash has since elected two more dog mayors, which shows democracy in some small towns is like the old VCR tucked away in the garage somewhere: It still exists, but no one remembers how it’s supposed to work.
2. President
If you live in a town called Whangamomona, some shenanigans can be expected. So it’s no surprise that when residents of the New Zealand hamlet threw a fit over plans to redraw their county boundaries, they declared themselves the Republic of Whangamomona and elected a goat named Billy Gumboot president in 1999.
Two years later, when Billy died while serving his term, a Poodle named Tai took office. President Tai served as well as you’d expect until another dog attacked him while he was eating a bone, which some considered to be an assassination attempt.
Tai survived, but found it difficult to keep up with the stress of the job after that.
3. Saint
In the 13th Century, a French knight left his Greyhound named Guinefort to guard his son while he hunted. When he returned, Guinefort had blood on his mouth, and the knight’s son was nowhere to be found. The knight killed Guinefort because he believed the dog killed his son, and because he was a big dumb jerk (and I don’t like him).
The knight then heard a child crying, turned over the bed, and found his son near the body of a viper. Turns out Guinefort saved his son from the venomous reptile.
After that, the family laid Guinefort to rest in a well and built a shrine. Locals called Guinefort a saint, and his cult lasted into the 1930s; the knight, however, is forever known as a really not cool guy. Stupid humans.
4. King
There are several Scandinavian legends of dogs who earned the highest title in the land. It’s hard to pick out historical truth from myth, but one of the most interesting accounts is of Saur the Dog King.
According to the story, a Scandinavian king sent his son to rule over a newly conquered territory, but when the citizens assassinated the son, the vengeful king gave them the choice of having a slave or a dog as their new ruler.
The people chose the dog, and Saur came into power, reigning for three years as a wet-nosed, bone-chomping, rug-wetting, adorable little despot.
Have you heard of any other dogs with lofty positions? Which powerful pups should we add to the list? Let us know in the comments below!
