evidence: Dear Quote Investigator: I love dogs and live near Washington D.C. One of my favorite quotes is attributed to former President Harry Truman who experienced some bruising political battles and said, "If you want a friend in Washington, get a dog." Could you please investigate this quote? [...] There is no evidence that Truman employed a dog as a surrogate friend while he was in the White House. Expert Ralph Keyes discusses the origin of the attribution in his book The Quote Verifier [QVTR] and traces it to a 1975 play. The biographical drama "Give ’em Hell Harry" by Samuel Gallu contains the first known connection between Truman and the saying. The character depicting Harry Truman in the theatrical production says [GLL]: [...] I’ll close with some words from Harry Truman: "If you want a friend in Washington, buy a dog."