MINNEAPOLIS  — Gov. Mark Dayton has lost a canine companion to cancer.

Dayton wrote on his Facebook page Wednesday night that his 8-year-old German shepherd, Dakota, has died after battling cancer for three months. The governor learned late last year that the dog had cancer. She was being treated in hopes of extending her life. Dakota was one of two black German shepherds who sometimes accompanied Dayton on the campaign trail. The other is Mesabi, Dakota’s brother.

The Star Tribune says Dayton joked that he got the dogs to follow President Harry Truman’s advice. Truman said if you want a friend in Washington, get a dog.