Republican presidential hopeful Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., and his wife, Cindy, pose with his Sheltie named Lassie Quinn as they leave a campaign rally in Holland, Mich., in this Jan. 14 file photo.

Washington ? If the presidential election were up to pet owners, John McCain could have a blue ribbon in his future.

From George Washington’s foxhounds Drunkard and Tipsy to George W. Bush’s terriers Barney and Miss Beazley, pets are a longtime presidential tradition for which the presumed Republican nominee seems well prepared, with more than a dozen.

Democratic candidate Barack Obama, on the other hand, doesn’t have a pet, though he has promised his daughters a dog after the election, win or lose.

An AP-Yahoo News poll found that pet owners favor McCain over Obama 42 percent to 37 percent, with dog owners particularly in McCain’s corner.

If voters identify with a guy who owns pets, then it’s easy to see why they’d like the Arizona senator.

He has a veritable menagerie, including Sam the English springer spaniel, Coco the mutt, turtles Cuff and Link, Oreo the black and white cat, a ferret, three parakeets and a bunch of saltwater fish.

The poll found that among people who don’t have pets, Obama leads McCain 48 percent to 34 percent.