\n<\/p>\n
While America\u2019s political landscape remains divided, there is one thing that most people can agree upon: Tim Walz<\/strong>‘s dog Scout is a very good boy.<\/p>\n Scout is, of course, the rescue dog who allows Democratic vice presidential candidate, Minnesota Gov. Walz<\/a>, as well as the rest of the Walz family, to share his space. While poll numbers relating to the upcoming 2024 election can be interpreted in any number of ways, Scout\u2019s numbers are rock solid, earning a 14\/10<\/a> from the dog-rating authorities at WeRateDogs. (They rate dogs.)<\/p>\n This content can also be viewed on the site it originates<\/a> from.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Scout (and Walz) recently took time out of his busy schedule for a walk with WeRateDogs founder Matt Nelson<\/strong>. In a video posted Monday<\/a>, the trio romps through one of Minnesota\u2019s off-leash dog parks, where Walz shared Scout\u2019s origin story, what he\u2019s learned from being a dog owner, his pup\u2019s crimes (and Walz\u2019s subsequent excuses for them), and more, with plenty of deep thoughts along the way. First, some key facts about Scout: He’s a 5-year-old labrador\/boxer\/chow chow mix who was found in a box near a high-kill shelter in Oklahoma, he got over his fear of water thanks to a tennis ball covered in bacon fat, and he shares a name with the model of vintage truck Walz spends his downtime tinkering with<\/a>. (Dog and truck frequently share the frame in photos Walz shares on his social media.)<\/p>\n Walz said that son Gus<\/strong> was the \u201clead negotiator\u201d when it came to getting both Scout and Honey, a cat the family rescued. Walz promised Gus that the family could adopt a dog if he won the governor\u2019s office in 2018.<\/p>\n \u201cHis mom and I had forgotten about that and on election night 2018 they announced the winner and instantaneously, with everyone in the room, Gus said, \u2018I\u2019m gettin\u2019 a dog!\u2019\u201d And thus it was so.<\/p>\n A key part of Gus\u2019 argument for both pets, Walz said, wasn\u2019t a promise that he would tend to the animals\u2014it was that he would love them.<\/p>\n \u201cGus made the case that they need a home: \u2018We\u2019ve got this big house!\u2019\u201d he said. \u201cMy advice is to pull on the heartstrings of your parents. Don\u2019t tell them you\u2019re going to clean the litterbox.\u201d<\/p>\n Walz steered clear of party politics during the discussion, which Nelson wrote on Instagram<\/a> was the \u201cfirst episode that required a background check,\u201d making the afternoon more about dogs sniffing butts than politicians shaking hands, but did share some insights into what kind of person he is, via comments about his dog.<\/p>\n Asked about leadership, Walz said, \u201cHaving a dog or pets makes you a better human. He counts on me, he\u2019s loyal, he gives unconditional love. I think because of that, that sense of empathy that you\u2019d like to see in all leaders, you hope you have it already, but it certainly gets magnified. He\u2019s counting on you, and he gives it back, so I do think that.\u201d<\/p>\n Walz credited Scout with lowering the stress level in his household, bringing him joy via his exuberant zoomies, and forcing him into getting a new pair of glasses after chewing up Walz\u2019s old ones. \u201cNo one but me thought I looked cool in those glasses,\u201d he admitted. The one piece of constructive criticism Walz did have for his pup?<\/p>\n \u201cHe does not pay rent, so he should probably step it up a bit.\u201d<\/p>\n Ella Emhoff<\/strong>, stepdaughter of Walz\u2019s running mate Kamala Harris<\/strong>, showed her approval of Scout\u2019s message in an Instagram comment<\/a>. \u201cThis is the collab we all needed,\u201d she wrote.<\/p>\n Walz offered the following words of parting: \u201cGet a dog, get out the vote!\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\nX content<\/h4>\n