Putin turns to his dog at difficult moments

MOSCOW: Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday said that at difficult moments for him he takes advice of his black Labrador bitch Kony and reads Persian poet Omar Khayyam to improve his mood.

"Of course, like every human being, at times I also have bad mood. In such cases I try to consult with my dog Kony, she gives me a good piece of advice," Putin said.

When asked about whether he ever has bad mood, Putin said that verses of Omar Khayyam also help him in such cases.

"My wife recently presented me a very good book of verses of Omar Khayyam. There are many interesting things in the book, which could be very soothing in such situations (bad mood)," Putin said.

In response to another question Putin said that he respected the individual rights and freedoms of gays, but the country is facing a severe demographic crisis.

"This does not help in resolving the acute demographic problem," Putin said, who has launched a multi-billion national project to boost birth rates in Russia as the population is continuously shrinking despite a massive inflow of immigrants after the Soviet collapse in 1991.