President of Ireland, Michael D. Higgins, loves dogs. He loves dogs so much, he has two Bernese Mountain dogs named Sióda and Bród. They often go wherever President Higgins does. So, they have been in the spotlight quite a bit, and the Irish people adore the dogs. Now, even more than ever.

Why? Because the president’s dog Bród decided to steal the show at a press conference.

On the day of an International Women’s event, President Higgins and his wife Sabina Coyne, are seen sitting next to each other chatting.

Then with a wag of a tail, their dog Bród enters the room, and smiles abound.

Bród makes his way through the group of attendees, circling the room. He’s clearly a hit with everyone, as they extend many pets and are laughing and smiling along his route.

The big dog makes his way to President Higgins and demands his attention.

Being the good man Higgins is, he obliges, and Bród rolls over to expose his belly. The president offers some scratches but still tries to keep his attention on the event.

The moment was captured by Iranian-Syrian journalist Razan Ibraheem. She posted the video of the adorable interaction on her Twitter page, and the post ended up going viral.

It has received over 9.9 million views since it was uploaded.

Star Wars actor Mark Hamill even shared the clip with the caption:

“I like a president who understands the need for belly rubs” followed by another tweet: “I adore Michael D. Higgins!”

This was not the first time one of the President’s dogs has been at an official event. As the two often travel with the President around the world, joining him at the hip during his duties. Every good man needs a dog by his side, after all.

Higgins is the 9th President of Ireland.

Aside from being a dog-lover, Higgins has also served as the Minister for Arts, Culture, and the Gaeltacht for the country.

He has also served in a variety of other political positions within the Irish government. During his run for his second term as the Irish President, he got a record 822,566 first-preference votes.

The Bernese Mountain dog.

Why does Higgins love this breed of dog so much?

Higgins told Matt Coopers of Today FM’s, The Last Word why:

“I’ve had dogs all my life. I’ve had three dogs because one of the originals died, [I like them very much because they are a] very sociable breed and they’re very safe [around] children.”

The Bernese Mountain dog is a large breed with a friendly and calm disposition, and they are also well-suited to conformation, obedience, tracking, herding, and carting competitions. Not that you need any more reasons to adore them.

They are one of four types of Swiss Mountain dogs and the only one with long hair. The Bernese Mountain Dog comes from the canton of Bern, hence their name.

Keep an eye out there.

These two dogs won’t be stopping their appearances anytime soon. Wherever President Higgins will be going, be sure the dogs will be with him. I think they could even be considered ‘D-list’ celebrities by now. ‘D’ for dog, by the way.

Enjoy the video of the moment Bród stole the show below.

Please SHARE this with your friends and family.

Bród stole the show @PresidentIRL event. pic.twitter.com/Gfwh2AymtH

— Razan Ibraheem (رزان) (@RazanIRL) March 6, 2020

Source: Dogtime, Twitter, Animalscene, RonProject