In October 2017, a moment from a Turkmenistan meeting went viral, giving rise to the meme: “Even Vladimir Putin knows the proper way to hold a dog.” During the event, President Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov presented Putin with a Central Asian shepherd puppy for his 65th birthday. When Berdymukhamedov awkwardly lifted the puppy by the scruff, Putin stepped in, gently cradling and kissing it. The footage quickly circulated, portraying him as a tender animal lover. But the meme only tells part of the