Call it the latest gender reveal stunt gone wrong.
The Pentagon confirmed Tuesday that Conan, the Belgian Malinois who helped U.S. special forces kill Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, was in fact male after an unusual back-and-forth regarding the sex of the hero dog made nearly everyone barking mad.
The "tough cookie" — as President Trump called him — was initially identified as female, but administration officials later reversed course and said the dog is male. That was followed by a defense official telling ABC News that Conan is female, which was later corrected.
Trump referred to Conan using male pronouns when he presented him with a medal and a plaque in a ceremony with Vice President Mike Pence in the White House Rose Garden on Monday.
White House: Conan is a good...dog?
Nov. 26, 201903:02"So this is Conan, right now probably the world’s most famous dog," Trump, who has said he's not a dog person, told reporters. "Conan did a fantastic job. We're very honored to have Conan here."
Trump said Conan had already gone out on other "important raids" since the al-Baghdadi mission, despite his injuries.
Conan was injured while pursuing al-Baghdadi when he came into contact with cables in a tunnel underneath a compound in northwestern Syria. After recovering, Conan was returned to active duty.
