One of my favorite stories of the week is that Champ and Major Biden have arrived at the White House. The First Dogs were escorted to the White House on Sunday, and Dr. Jill Biden has already been showing them around to their new home. Major has posed prettily on the lawn, while Champ – the older dog – seems to want to just chill out wherever he is. I’m really looking forward to four years of Major and Champ content, aren’t you? We got some great content yesterday evening, when President Biden signed an executive order allowing transgender people to serve openly in combat. In the background of the pool reporters’ videos, you can hear Champ and Major barking. Such a happy sound!
President Biden’s dogs Champ and Major can be heard barking outside after Biden signs an executive order lifting a ban on transgender people serving in the military pic.twitter.com/O0Lur6amga
— JM Rieger (@RiegerReport) January 25, 2021
The thing I would be concerned about with two German Shepherds is whether or not they’re possessive, or whether they’ll have a problem with people getting too close to their mom and dad. But I don’t think Champ and Major are like that? Again, Champ just seems like an older dog who wants to chill. Major seems like a ball of fur and chaos, but I doubt he’s going to cause problems. Well, problems beyond “barking in the middle of political events” and “being so rambunctious, he makes his dad slip and fall.” Anyway, First Puppy Coverage is something I’m really looking forward to, along with a return to political fashion coverage. I hope Vice President Harris gets a dog or cat too! And Dr. Jill still needs a cat!
Here's live look at Champ and Major at the White House: pic.twitter.com/44Es0raVq2
— The Recount (@therecount) January 25, 2021
First dogs Major and Champ arrive at White House https://t.co/2hn2vTwNM9 pic.twitter.com/fKzKH8P5NU
— The Hill (@thehill) January 25, 2021
Photos courtesy of the White House, Backgrid.
Adorable! This is the content I am here for 🙂
Such beautiful boys 🥰🥰
There’s a pic. where Major is much smaller than Champ but they’re “cuddling” together” and it’s so dear!
Newly “rescued”!
‘Champ had arthritis, probably, so the video of those two is so cute, different music!
Beautiful doggies!
Interesting that HRC commented on the dogs. I don’t recall the Clintons having a dog? I only remember Socks the cat.
Buddy the lab!
Hillary wrote a kids book about Buddy and Socks, it was letters from kids writing to their pets
I remembered Buddy right after I posted! He’s the reason the Clintons eventually rehomed Socks, iirc.
“I remembered Buddy right after I posted! He’s the reason the Clintons eventually rehomed Socks, iirc.”
Yup, and I still hold it against them. I’ve known too many people with cats who have adopted dogs and the cat gets pushed to the side, I’m always bitter on the cat’s behalf.
I do too, sa! Socks was there first!
Socks stole the show, but Buddy the brown lab was there at the WH with the Clintons as well.
Re: rehoming Socks. I’m generally of the mind that when you adopt a pet, it’s yours for life. However, if there are good reasons, like when the welfare and happiness of the animals is at risk, I can see a reason to do it. For instance, if Buddy & Socks attacked each other and couldn’t be trained out of that behavior and the Clintons were able to find a new home for one of them, it does make sense. And perhaps it’s easier to find a family member or friend to take a cat vs a dog. All that said, I’m not sure what the Clinton’s reasons were though, but I’m willing to withhold judgement. And if I already had one pet, I’d be extra careful to bring in another that would get along with the first one.
Pusspants- my guess was always that Socks was mostly Chelsea’s pet. When the Clintons left the WH, Chelsea was grown up, living elsewhere, and they figured it would be better not to have a cat and dog that hate each other, so they gave it to Bill’s secretary, as she was probably taking care of him anyway since Chelsea wasn’t in the WH anymore. Socks may have even preferred the secretary, so they sent him with her. I can’t imagine they rehomed a pet of 11 years without doing serious consideration. They’d have given him a new home earlier if they didn’t really care.
This made me smile so much! I can’t wait to see the cat they’re adopting
The dogs are magnificent. But that suit. Biden looks glorious in that suit!
Yes, so nice to have a President who has proper fitting clothing. And I guarantee Biden isn’t using Scotch tape on his ties, either!
Being President suits him and its nice to see a man in a well tailored suit for a change. At least his tie is the right length.
Am not really a dog person, cats are my creatures but those are beautiful dogs who am sure will continue to make their presence knows for the next 4 years.
They have their own twitter account: https://twitter.com/TheOvalPawffice
It even has their first press release! Love it!
The Oval Pawffice account is maintained by one of the granddaughters.
A couple of good zingers on that account: “Our schedule for tomorrow includes…multiple digging sessions in the Rose Garden, in order to expedite renovations to return it to its former glory.”
And, a call out to the author of the NYT article, about the Rolex being “the one thing you retained from the inpawguration ceremony”.
It also refers to Winston Biden, First Cat – it’s not the new one they’ve talked about, do the Bidens have another cat? Or does he belong to someone else in the family?
I love that dig about the rose garden!
Champ looks like such a good boy, I hope there’s some good quiet places for him in the residence, and it will be so nice for them on the lawn when the weather improves.
Major looks like such a fun trouble maker.
I get the impression that they are in the process of adopting the cat, who is named Winston, but he is not there with them yet. I love that they are selling merch to benefit animal rescues!
Awww kids in particular like to know about presidential dogs, so this is great! Also, Handsome Joe can wear a sharp suit!
More Champ and Major!
German Shepherds get a bad rep, they are very loving dogs
Do they have a bad reputation? I feel like all the police dogs I’ve seen have been German Shepherds, so I guess I just assumed that meant they are trainable. (I’m not a dog person, so I could have made a bad assumption). Either way, in my opinion they are the most beautiful and majestic looking dogs. If I wasn’t (just a little) scared of big dogs, I would a German Shepherd in an instant.
that last sentence was supposed to say I would adopt a German Shepherd.
They have a strong guarding/protecting instinct, which can be a problem with families that don’t pay attention to training or exercising them properly. As a former paper girl I am keenly aware of this.
I grew up with German Shepherds, and my parents are now on their sixth GSD. Beautiful, intelligent, loyal dogs — but strong willed, energetic, and in need of a firm but loving hand. Fail to train and supervise a GSD, and you’ll have an unhappy, biting monster on your hands. Train and socialize them properly and give them a job to do, even if it’s just bringing in the newspaper and/or the mail, and you’ll never have a better pet and companion.
They are wonderful, with the right training and the right owners. Not everyone can manage GSDs. The Biden’s dogs are beautifully trained. I have no worries about the behavior of those two, just that Champ is a 12 year old dog and clearly slowing down.
now I want a big house, a budget, and a chunk of free time to make it possible to have two german shepherds
As the proud hooman to the goofiest, sweetest German Shepherd girl: this warms my heart so much.
I remember Dlisted wrote about Socks. That Socks was “shacking up” with Bill Clinton’s secretary.
I love that there are animals again in the White House! Though not to be morbid, 12 is old for a German Shepherd! I’m not sure Champ will last all four years of Biden’s term, not many big dogs make it to 16! (My own dog, a bichon frisé, died a few days after turning 15 which was way longer than any of us expected him to live!). I hope we get a few years more though, they are both beautiful dogs.
Um, yeah, Champ is not going to last all 4 years.
12 is pretty old for a GSD, and he’s already slowing down a lot. Even the healthiest big dogs who have been well taken care of are going to start having some major joint issues. Plus other medical conditions start creeping up.
I don’t think it’s a coincidence that we have pics of Major walking into the White House, but not Champ.
Losing dogs breaks your heart. But you just have to remember the good life they had. He’s had a long, great life in a loving family, and that’s what’s important.
We have a poodle mix who plays well with all types of dogs. But pandemic so no doggie play dates.. my kids are shamelessly lobbying me for a German Shepard sibling and I am near ready to cave.. we have a big yard and I walk our current dog eVeryday anyway. I am on a local GS rescue site these days.. looking for a smaller one ( under 50 pounds). They are gorgeous.
German Shepherd steal your soul.
My Luna passed away years ago, and everytime I see one I am moved to tears.
Champ is a senior dog, but Major is defenitely the trouble maker!
They absolutely do! German Shephard dogs are glorious! I’ve never been in a living situation suitable for one, but have a close friend that always has a least one. I love her dogs and I’m more of a cat person. They are so intelligent and regal looking. I love pet sitting for that friend!
Those dogs grew up around a secret service detail and the Biden grandchildren. I think they will be fine with other people.
If I’m reading the Twitter account correctly, looks like the cat has already been chosen and is just waiting to move in? An adorable tuxedo named Winston! So happy there are animals back in the White House.
Really? Oh I love that they got a tuxedo cat! And that name, Winston, is befitting of a cat.
As someone currently owned by the sweetest tuxedo (Sissy!) I love it too. The pic shows him hanging out in the fridge….being nosy….I assume at his foster home?
A tuxedo!?!? Yay!!! Black cats and tuxedos are my favorite. I have one of each who are siblings.
i had German Shepard dogs growing up and they are great dogs, smart and loyal. Good to see dogs in the White House again.
They are so cute, have a special spot in my heart for Major. Also waiting to see if they get a cat, want to see a cat rule the White House again. I think the last one was Socks.
Champ probably feels more comfortable at the WH as she’s been there before.
Major looks like he’s having the time of his life.
There is something so amazing and sublime that happens when I see animals that you can tell are beloved. President Biden makes me smile every day.
IIRC, the White House has an on-staff dog trainer when needed. I remember the Obama dogs were fully trained and managed day to day by a staffer. Maybe Champ and Major will get their own handler!
A family friend worked in the Obama White House, and she had a video where Bo prances down the hall next to her. It was so adorable.
I just watched an old video of Bo and Sunny with their handler, and it looks like the same man as the one on the lawn with Major.
Bo and Sunny are so cute, I especially love Bo and his white feet!
The White House has Secret Service dogs on site all the time. It would be expected that there is a full time dog handler at the White House, regardless of whether or not the First Family has pet dogs. Making sure that the family’s dogs are properly trained to be safe around the staff and visitors could easily fall into their job description. And I’m sure there is no shortage of volunteers among the staff to take on dog-walking duties.
This made me laugh. It reminds me of Bo and Sunny Obama. They got Bo who ended up being a real chill dog so they thought they’d get the same in Sunny. Turns out she was like major. As kaiser put it, rambunctious.
So sweet, we need more of this!
Does anyone else think he puts off serious Jimmy Carter vibes?
Love the fact they’re rescues. Go Champ and Major!
This is so relatable as someone who is working remotely from home indefinitely with two dogs.