Arnold Schwarzenegger's 'Sweet' New Puppy, Schnitzel, Melts Hearts Online

Arnold Schwarzenegger has melted the hearts of his army of social media followers, after introducing them to his "sweet" new puppy, called Schnitzel.

The Terminator star, 74, took to his Facebook and Twitter accounts to unveil the new addition to his family on Tuesday, sharing photos and video footage.

In an accompanying caption, the Austrian-born star revealed that Schnitzel has been living with him for two months, as he explained the origins of the puppy's name.

"I told my newsletter subscribers last week and now it's time to introduce the new member of the family to you," he wrote. "I got her for Christmas!

"Her name is Schnitzel, after my favorite Austrian dish and my own nickname. I can't wait to keep sharing pictures and videos of her as she gets older."

The former Governor of California then went on to detail how Schnitzel has been settling in with his other pets, including dogs, Dutch, Noodle and Cherry; miniature horse, Whiskey, and donkey, Lulu.

He wrote of Schnitzel: "She and Dutch are already best friends. Cherry shows her teeth to her nonstop, and Lulu tried to trample her, so we are working on all of the relationship dynamics.

"At least Whiskey doesn't care about anything as long as she gets her food. But she is such a sweet little meatball."

Schwarzenegger's post prompted a flood of gushing comments from his Facebook followers, with many praising both the choice of name and Schnitzel's looks.

Wrote one: "Aww… Schnitzel is Beautiful! She looks like a fun Fur Baby with a lot of energy! I can't wait to see her adventures! Congratulations on your new Fur Baby!"

"Arnold she is so beautiful just like the rest of your fur babies you have such a gentle soul and you love your fur babies," commented another.

"Hi Arnold, it's great to see that you have a beautiful soul that you love animals," said another. "Animals our best friends and without animals our life would be empty. They give you unconditional love and they love you for who you are."

In an August 2020 interview with Los Angeles Fox affiliate KTTV, the father of five, who was once married to Maria Shriver, spoke about the joys of quarantining with his eclectic group of pets.

"It's so wonderful when you have animals around you, and they play with you, and they do funny things, and they roam around the house," Schwarzenegger said.

"I'm very fortunate that I can afford animals like that, or have the space for animals like that, or have the time now because of the coronavirus where I can stay home most of the time," the screen star went on.

Noting the popularity of the videos of his pets, he added: "It's so much fun to watch this, and see this energy. I think, in a way, it's also therapeutic."

Back in March 2020, the action star debuted a merchandise collection featuring Whiskey and Lulu in a bid to raise funds for those affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

"Since you guys love Whiskey and Lulu so much, 100% of the proceeds from this shirt will go to @afterschoolallstars, to help in our mission to provide food for the families we serve while schools are closed," he wrote in an Instagram post.

Arnold Schwarzenegger
Arnold Schwarzenegger took to his Facebook and Twitter accounts on Tuesday to introduce followers to his new puppy, Schnitzel. As well as sharing photos and footage of the dog, the star revealed why he chose... Arnold Schwarzenegger/Facebook

Uncommon Knowledge

Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.

Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.

About the writer


Ryan Smith is a Newsweek Senior Pop Culture and Entertainment Reporter based in London, U.K. His focus is reporting on ... Read more

To read how Newsweek uses AI as a newsroom tool, Click here.
Newsweek cover
  • Newsweek magazine delivered to your door
  • Newsweek Voices: Diverse audio opinions
  • Enjoy ad-free browsing on Newsweek.com
  • Comment on articles
  • Newsweek app updates on-the-go
Newsweek cover
  • Newsweek Voices: Diverse audio opinions
  • Enjoy ad-free browsing on Newsweek.com
  • Comment on articles
  • Newsweek app updates on-the-go