President Donald Trump talks with reporters during a visit with U.S. Army dog Conan. AP Photo/ Evan Vucci Alexandra Isfahani-Hammond, University of California San Diego The news was recently filled with stories about Trump’s praise for Conan, the Belgian Malinois used to hunt Islamic State Group founder and leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, alongside his vivid accounts of al-Baghdadi’s “death like a dog.” Calling someone a dog is more than a throwaway insult.