The December 2026 issue of Reason delves into the accomplishments of Argentine President Javier Milei and what remains to be tackled.
There is a time-honored line about the solitude that politics often imposes: if you want a friend in Washington, get a dog. The same adage might ring true in Buenos Aires as well.
Argentine President Javier Milei is recognized for championing economic liberty and the tenets of classical liberalism. He frequently cites renowned libertarian economists in his public remarks. He has pared back Argentina’s sprawling state, trimming expenditures and deregulating in an effort to curb the nation’s runaway inflation. When measured by that single criterion, his approach has yielded progress, bringing annual inflation down from 211 percent to 33 percent in under three years. Milei could be considered the world’s most prominent elected proponent, and practitioner, of a limited-government model.
Even though he advocates a lean administration, he has a penchant for his dogs being exceptionally large—very large.
Milei is reputed to own five English mastiffs, a time-honored British guardian breed that typically exceeds 200 pounds in weight.
Following an unexpected surge in the 2023 presidential primary, Milei thanked his dogs, describing them as his “four-legged children.” Yet they are not anyone’s children. His current pack comprises clones of a single dog, Conan, named after the barbarian portrayed on the big screen by Arnold Schwarzenegger. After the original Conan passed away, Milei, who had earlier preserved the dog’s genetic material, reportedly paid about $50,000 to have him cloned.
Dog-cloning efforts often yield a single viable pup, but in this instance the process produced at least five—some reports put it at six, one of whom apparently died young. (One source suggests only four dogs remain, though this is unconfirmed.)
In line with his free-market philosophy, Milei christened four of the canines after libertarian economists: Murray, for Murray Rothbard; Milton, for Milton Friedman; and Robert and Lucas, for Robert Lucas Jr. A fifth dog carries Conan’s name, honoring the original. Milei, who has no children, has said that the cloned Conan is “literally a son to me” and has likened the other four to grandchildren.
It isn’t hard to understand why a staunch libertarian like Milei would gravitate toward this particular breed. English mastiffs are gentle giants—calm and loyal, yet vigilant and observant. They safeguard people and property and possess a surprising ability to discern friends from threats and to recognize where property boundaries begin and end. If the night-watchman state had a canine avatar, the English mastiff would be a natural fit.
English mastiffs function as both bodyguards and property stewards. They also make reliable companions and friends. That seems to reflect Milei’s view of his dogs. Since ascending to prominence, he has repeatedly spoken of how the original Conan was his best friend, a source of comfort in moments of loneliness who remained steadfast by his side through difficult times. Milei endures his pets’ boisterous antics, recounting on television in 2018 that his “house is like Kosovo….In two weeks, they’ve eaten almost four armchairs.” The largest dog weighs 220 pounds.
Mastiffs are famed for their strong will and, at times, stubborn streak—partly a byproduct of breed temperament and partly a result of sheer size. Unlike many smaller dogs that can be picked up or moved, mastiffs can, in a sense, act as they please, given their capacity to topple you if they disagree. Each interaction with a mastiff becomes a negotiation, a test of persuading them to consent to your terms. Getting a mastiff to sit, stay, lie down, and quit chewing the couch serves as useful training for the give-and-take dynamics of a market economy.
In a profile of Milei’s relationship with his dogs referenced by this article, The New York Times noted that Argentine outlets have also reported Milei privately says he has received strategic counsel from his dogs. When queried, Milei did not outright deny that he sometimes heeds guidance from his pets.
As the owner of two bullmastiffs (a closely related, though not quite as massive, variety created by crossing the English mastiff with the English bulldog), I’ll say this might be less odd than it sounds. Large dogs carry humanlike traits simply by virtue of their size; they occupy as much space as a person. Mastiffs also feature large eyes and short muzzles, giving them a more human-like appearance. They are reassuring, thoughtful presences.
My bullmastiffs rested nearby as I composed this piece, silently watching me type; more than once I found myself speaking to them aloud. In their calm, expressive, ever-watchful faces, I found something that aided my thinking and writing. So if Milei is indeed taking economic policy cues from his dogs, the outcomes speak—or perhaps bark—for themselves.
