Major Biden is being sabotaged by the Deep State. This German Shepherd rescue just wants to live his best life with his mom, dad and big brother Champ. Major also has a lot of “puppy” in him, so he wants to play with his mom and dad and cause a little bit of chaos. But he’s a good dog and he’s a guard dog. He’s protecting his family. I will simply not allow this good puppy to be slandered by a vast right-wing conspiracy. So, “sources” claim that Major “bit” another person at the White House. Then the story quickly changed to “nipped.” WHICH IS IT, YOU LIARS?!?
Major, one of President Biden’s two German shepherds, was involved in another biting incident at the White House this week, his second in less than a month, the White House said Tuesday. The incident involved a National Park Service employee on the South Lawn on Monday afternoon, according to CNN, which first reported the story.
“Major is still adjusting to his new surroundings and he nipped someone while on a walk,” Michael LaRosa, press secretary for first lady Jill Biden, said in a statement. “Out of an abundance of caution, the individual was seen by [the White House Medical Unit] and then returned to work without injury.”
It’s not the first time Major has gotten negative press since Biden’s election, despite the much-heralded return of dogs to the White House after a drought of presidential canine companionship during the Trump administration. In November, Biden slipped while playing with Major and injured his foot, necessitating the temporary use of a walking boot. Earlier this month, Major, who is about 3 years old, reportedly nipped at a Secret Service agent’s hand at the White House. The bite didn’t break the agent’s skin, and there was no bleeding, according to a White House official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe a sensitive subject.
First of all, there IS a difference between nipping and biting. Major is a big German Shepherd with a powerful jaw. If he wanted to bite someone and break the skin, he would. Very easily. The fact that he’s nipped two people – if these reports are real, and I still feel like he’s being framed – means that he’s unsure about certain people, or that other people aren’t greeting him the way they should greet an unfamiliar dog. I seriously doubt Major is, like, hunting for people to nip. It’s far more likely that people reach down to pet him and he reacts… like most dogs when someone unfamiliar tries to touch them. It also sounds like Major is majorly overstimulated and there are too many new people and new smells in his life. Poor Major. He’s doing the best he can. Stop slandering this good dog.
Photos courtesy of Backgrid, Instagram.
I think the press was so conditioned by the constant insane stories from the orange muppet whitehouse that they can’t… just step back and understand ‘there’s professionals here’. So even the slightest hint of a story, they can’t stop themselves.
For a dog to go from being a rescue to living in the most heavily guarded home on the planet… I’m not surprised he’s nipping a big, especially if those he’s nipped are not approaching him cautiously. I have the sweetest golden retriever ever and I know she would react poorly to that, and German Shepherds are known for being guard dogs.
#freemajor
my dogs are rescues and they would not do well at all if we switched from our low-key household to an extremely busy active one where there were constantly new people, especially handling them.
dogs like routine and thrive off of routine and clear expectations. I’m not surprised he’s having a rough time adjusting. Champ has already been through it, and a lot of former WH pets are bought while their owner is in office, I think, so it’s all they really know.
I imagine living at the White House with all of the people around is very difficult for a dog, especially a German shepherd. The constellations of stressors must be immense. I know several vet behaviorists have reached out to work with Major and I hope the Biden family will work with one of them instead of that abusive fraud, Cesar Milan, to learn how to manage Major’s fear.
I think they should send him to Brandon McMillian formerly of CBS’ Lucky Dog. I agree, a fear based dog should not go to Cesar Milan.
Team Major. They need to train some of these people that are near Major to approach him more cautiously while he is adjusting, and to be honest he’s getting imprinted about the energy at the White House so I’m not sure he’s ever going to stop being guarded about being approached. He probably just wants Mom and Dad instead of whoever it is they’ve got handling him.
Listen, I am a dog lover. And I would love to take my dogs with me everywhere. But I also know I can’t expect other people to change their behavior to make my dogs more comfortable. The White House is not a private residence. The White House is a place of business. It’s an office building for dozens of people. The people who work there are just going to work every day. They do their jobs regardless of who is living in the small area of the White House that is actually private quarters. It is a very hectic, chaotic situation for the people who work there, and I can understand how that environment would be very confusing, and possibly disastrous, for a high strung dog. As ecstatic as I am to have Team Biden/Harris in office, the only people who have a responsibility to Champ and Major are President and Dr. Biden. It is their responsibility as pet owners to ensure their pets’ well being, both emotional and physical.
Completely agree.
@Agirlandherdog the White House is a place of business, but it’s also a residence for the Bidens. I basically agree that it’s not reasonable to expect others to change their behavior for your pets (beyond general dos and don’ts around dogs that everyone should know), but I also think that being President and living and working at the White House with so much staff is a unique situation and therefore may require a unique approach, such as training those that work there, on a day-to-day basis, on the proper ways to interact (or not interact) with the dogs that have taken up residence. It may also make sense for Major to be kept to the residence areas of the White House until he’s a little older and more used to the constant activity.
But, I do think that nipping versus biting is a BIG distinction here. When I hear that a dog as big and strong as Major bit someone, I expect to hear about how many stitches the person needed. That he’s not broken the skin of either person he’s nipped, tells me that Major isn’t a violent dog (and I say that as someone with a healthy fear of big dogs).
Agree. It’s not appropriate to have to have a dog that “nips” at your place of work.
THIS!! Exactly right!! “They need to train some of these people” !! SO well said. But they also need to figure out what’s triggering the dog and a way to resolve the issue. Leashes are GREAT tools for communication w/ one’s dog, when used properly.
@TitusPullo ~ Cesar Milan has done some good. He’s clarified for many what is assertive leadership (NO! You may NOT walk out the door before me. No! you may not leap out of the car without permission), what are boundaries (you may not jump on me/people) (you may not beg at the table) and limitations (You may bark, you may not bark hysterically, you may not bark non-stop). He’s also clarified for many what NOT to do.
I have books going all the way back to 1959 when my god-mum gifted me my first dog book (I was 5). Canine communication has been a life-long passion. A rescue once tried to deny me a dog because I had the Monks of New Skeet on my bookshelf. They were the first to recommend bringing your dog inside to live with you, sleep in your cell (bedroom not garage or kitchen or laundry room), to further bonding. But they were still using chain training collars so they decided because I owned the book, I was unsuitable. No one trainer is the be all and end all. If one is wise, we take what we can from many different sources so we have many options in our tool kits to manage different dogs, different dog behaviours, in different settings. Demonizing & completely erasing one trainer makes no sense to me. In dog training (people training) there is no one perfect trainer/solution because in inter-species communications, mistakes will be made. Misunderstandings will ensue. I do not excuse any of Milan’s mistakes, but will also not demonize him to the point where the good he has done is erased. With well over 80 books in my library, all dog focused, and having worked w/Vancouver City Police Dog Squadron Leader one on one, having read extensively, intentionally and internationally, and having met Mr. Milan and worked beside him, the bottom line for me is what works for the dog so s/he understand what you need from them, and do it in a positive, encouraging manner without disrespecting dog (no baby voices, no excited squealing) by offering positive, low-key, consistent reinforcement and rewards. Thanks for your consideration.
We’ve always used chain collars because out first dog couldn’t wear a collar because it caused hot spots. We just use something that is easy to slip on and off. It’s not attached to the leashes in a way the hurts the dog and we don’t use the type with prongs.
They have nothing else. This is a professional class White House shop. They can’t get their drama fix. The fig is all they have got and it is just so so stupid.
No one should be surprised by this. We have no idea what trauma this dog suffered before arriving at the DHA nor how he was treated while in the shelter. GSDs are a protective breed by nature. They typically do not warm up to strangers easily.
When I was a rescue coordinator, I advised new adopters to spend *at least* two weeks establishing a routine at home with their dogs and avoiding too much outside stimulation, including meeting new people and especially strangers on the street, at cafes, etc. Dogs need time to build trust and understand the expectations.
It sounds to me like Major needs to stop being shuffled home to Delaware randomly and instead should stay at the White House and be cared for by a small circle of family and staff that he knows and trusts. He should keep to a routine daily and should not be allowed off-lead except in a confined area with people he trusts – no visitors, landscapers, or other strangers around. Otherwise I fear more of these stories will appear.
Actually we know quite a lot about Major’s life before he was adopted because there is a Dodo video about it. He and his puppy siblings were dropped off at the Delaware Humane Association when they were really, really young. You can watch the video, Major was barely a few weeks old and then went to foster to adopt to be with the Bidens. So he’s been with them almost his entire life, save for a few weeks in the beginning and while I guess he could have been heavily traumatized in those first few weeks, I really don’t think that’s the case here. He looked like a happy well-adjusted puppy in the DHA videos from the Dodo video. Obviously it’s impossible to judge from a video only a few minutes long but it’s not like he was a one year old dog roaming the streets when he got dropped off at the shelter.
Any issues he has, it might just be his personality and the way he is. Or maybe he wasn’t socialized well enough as a pup? In the video when Joe Biden goes back to the shelter to officially adopt Major, he has a good handle on him. Major isn’t jumping around or pulling, he’s behaving really well.
I really think this is a case of a young dog with a lot of energy who needs a routine and needs to be exercised regularly. My own bichon frise didn’t calm down until he was about 5 or 6. We thought we were going to deal with the puppy energy forever! It was a relief but then he kind of became a grumpy old man LOL. It went from one extreme to the other and we had to be careful when letting him approach other dogs because as he got older he would snap unprovoked at larger dogs. No idea what triggered that.
Thank you. My service dog is a Lab, sweetest dog on the planet and highly trained. When she turned nine, she decided she didn’t like little boy dogs and became dog reactive. She’s fine with female dogs and dogs her size, but a Dachshund in my neighborhood? Lost her mind. It voided her training. We love to hike together. She’s fine with people, kids and cats, but Coco, nope, she hates him. I had planned on retiring her because of this but then pandemic happened, so she stayed inside with me still working and helping me.
Now after being vaccinated, I’m looking at GSD puppies for potential of becoming my new service dog. These Major stories are not deterring me. GSDs are smart, protective and highly trainable. The Bidens just need the right trainer. I tried a Cesar Milan type when my dog first started acting out, it did not help. In fact, I think it made the behavior worse. We have no idea what triggered this behavior either.
If he and his siblings were removed from their mother before eight weeks of age and placed in a shelter, then that would explain a lot. He likely was NOT properly socialized and needs a lot of extra training, a strict routine, and most importantly, stability.
@H just here to say GET A GSD AS YOUR SERVICE DOG! We lost our girl Mia in October and she was the greatest dog we will ever have. Just something special. There was one time my mom was annoyed with my dad for leaving his socks everywhere, and Mia ran upstairs, grabbed a pair of socks from the laundry, and dropped them at my mom’s feet. She learned the words all on her own. I can’t even imagine how great they’d be as service dogs! That said, they do take training dedication. It took a bit to get Mia to go on walks and not loudly bark at every dog she saw. You will get it back tenfold if you spend the time.
@Bearcat yes
Agree 100% I love your comment
@Amelie & H ~ Joan Klucha (Canine Connection) once told me it’s okay for a dog not to like another dog; we don’t like all the people we meet, either. But good manners, whether human or canine are a must. She teaches the 3 second rule when meeting another dog, both leashed. Sniff-hi. Sniff-how are you. Sniff-bye now and everybody moves on. It has helped my fear-based, leash-reactive (rescued, but that was then and this is now) dog immeasurably. I hope her tip is helpful for you, too.
Thank you Gail! I will keep the 3 second rule in mind! My dog has been deceased for many years now so this is no longer a concern but good to know for any future dogs I may adopt!
I don’t see a conspiracy here. He’s probably not well suited for life with lots of different people in and out of his space, and may not be happy with the proximity of secret service agents to his people. It doesn’t make him a bad dog, but since there have been 2 incidents, Major clearly needs less exposure to strangers, some more training or both.
His breed alone isn’t well suited to this WH life unless extremely well trained.
New people, new smells, aggressive nature of politics. It sounds like a huge load for any dog. But a GS will react protectively/aggressively imo.
And yeah, I think the right media is latching on or instigating major.
My sister and BIL fostered, and have now adopted, an older 7 yr old Australian Shepherd mix. He had been abused, and ended up living most of his life in a shelter until my sis/BIL rescued him. He is ok with women (once he’s allowed to go up to them on his own and “sniff” a proffered hand of those he doesn’t know), but is VERY wary and can be snippy with men (though funnily enough, not *older* men, like my dad’s age). He does need to take his time being SLOWLY introduced to new people, and NO ONE new is allowed to approach the dog.
I think Major, being only 3 yrs old, and a rescue, is somewhat skittish (and we do not know what his history is, before he was adopted by the Bidens). Dogs, like little kids, DO get overwhelmed with too many people and smells. I can’t imagine being in front of a press pool that are shouting questions at a rapid pace; it’d be disconcerting for an adult who wasn’t it used to it, let alone a dog who doesn’t understand.
I think the Bidens should keep Major in residence until he’s more acclimated to the WH and SLOWLY introduce him to the noise and crowds of the press, Oval Office etc.
He’s a sweet boy…he just needs time and patience. He’s in full protection mode for his humans now. He’ll come around. Good boy, Major!
Poor pup! My heart goes out him! He must be so stressed in his new home :((
Some dogs are just not cut out for this sort of life. German Shepherds are not easy going dogs, they are anxious, and with him being a rescue they have no idea what he has been through. Was he properly socialized, what is is hreeding( some lines are more anxious than others)
This just may not be the life for him.
The media’s glee in taking down Major is pissing me off.
Yeah, it’s disgusting. So many truly important things are going on, like the GOP’s efforts to roll back voting rights, and this is what too much of the media is focusing on.
They’re going to ask about Major’s emails/laptop/business deals selling dog biscuits to strays in Ukraine tomorrow.
Trauma can be experienced by all creatures — human and animals. This poor dog has been through shelter life and now he’s living in the spotlight at the White House. What he probably needs is peace and quiet, living in an environment with less people traffic, activity, and noise. I’m glad that no one was hurt from the incident. I think the media hyped up the whole “medical attention” was administered to the people “nipped” angle WAY out of proportion, but I hope they consider what’s best for the dog and his needs. Take him away from the White House and let him live with relatives back home in Delaware, in a safe environment, where he can just be a frolicking, happy doggie.
Absolutely pathetic that the best they can do to distract from disenfranchising black voters is to make a big deal of a dog who may or may not have bitten someone.
Well they can’t nail Biden with covid, the economy, or “witch hunts.” So. Dog must go.
I don’t know why people are taking this at face value– then again, we’ve been conditioned for four years now to take blatant falsehoods as serious news and react to stories that take the conversation away from the substantive issues. Major literally has no voice to say what actually happened. He’s getting judged based on his breed and history as a stray. Seems like textbook Republican crap to me.
I have to disagree. Nipping and biting are not far off from each other. Nipping more times than not turns into biting. Clearly the dog is struggling with adjusting to the changes. He may be better off elsewhere…
One of my friends has a rescue dog – not sure what breed but he’s big – she was saying that he’s very nervous around humans esp if he does not know them and she has to tell people when she takes him out not to approach him as he gets nervous.
It could be that he is struggling to adjust to having more people around him as well as all the new smells and sounds.
I was attacked by a relative’s aggressive rescue dog, and many of the same excuses were made for why it wasn’t really the dog’s fault. The dog, after eventually biting its owner, was put down. I don’t want anything bad to happen to Major (or to the human residents of the White House), so I think he needs to move back to Delaware permanently, or maybe be given to Biden’s daughter.
Strong disagree with this, unless Major’s behavior escalates. We have a rescue GSD who is anxious, and it’s entirely possible to create a safe environment for such dogs. My recommendation would be that Major be kept in the residence portion of the WH when he’s not outdoors, to minimize contact with larger groups of people and unfamiliar people.
It’s also quite possible that Champ and Major are a “bonded pair” at this point, and that separating them would be traumatic. And God knows Joe and Jill Biden are stressed enough digging out of the Trump damage without having to give up their dogs.
It’s genuinely usually not the dog’s “fault.” Dogs are very different from us, it’s the owner’s responsibility to give the dog a safe and protected life. A dog that is loved and safe and protected isn’t going to be aggressive. I used to rescue and foster and there was a saying “there are no bad dogs, only bad owners” and frankly it’s true. People don’t take the time to understand what the dog needs. Probably the Bidens are super close to Major and want him around, but in that case he needs a dedicated and understanding handler who’s going to prevent these situations where he’s provoked (also there was a saying “set your dog up for success” meaning to ensure he doesn’t have stressors and all his needs are met). Because I can imagine that is a crazy busy environment. I wouldn’t want my rescue dogs around that many people. You have as the owner the responsibility to protect your dogs from stressors and recognize their limits.
I don’t know if it’s a nip or a bite. I do however know that it’s The White House full of staff and government employees, and should the dog be nervous about such an environment, his needs should come before the need to have a rescue around for photo ops. I have no doubt the Bidens are awesome parents. Full stop. Too bad they’re presiding over a seriously divided nation, half of which are insane hypocritical dangerous buffoons, so keep the dog away from people wherever and whatever that might mean.
#TeamMajor
The WH press corps can take a flying leap. They miss the orange blob’s daily drama so much that they HAVE to gin something up.
These a-holes need to peace out.
We have a shepherd mix rescue pup and he has nipped a few times as a warning when he’s tired or feels confined and someone enters his personal space. Even with extensive training he did it again and we just learned that while he’s the sweetest dog to us we need to keep him separated from strangers and kids to keep everyone safe and happy.
Major is adjusting to a massive disruption to his routine and a huge influx of strangers, some of whom may trying to get too close to him before he is comfortable. Even with training it may happen again and I hope they consider reducing his contact to a small group he trusts or keeping him in the residence or somewhere he feels safe. Shepherds are the best dogs and I’m sure he’s a very good boy who is under stress. Rescues have experienced so much trauma and I really hate how the media is gleefully trying to take him down over a not uncommon behavior.
I want to review the social media content of the people that Major objects to. I trust his instincts.
I think the dogs need to be limited to roaming the residence and walked on leashes unless there is no one else around and then they can be let off leash to run. We don’t know what kind of trauma Major faced before he ended up at the shelter.
He is a good dog, he is a guard dog and he is a beautiful dog. I had never seen that color pattern on a german shepherd before. Gorgeous.
I do believe he’s a sable. Maybe he had a black shepherd mama/daddy, but he’s not a black and tan like Champ.
Poor dog. 🙁
Major Biden is just a dog doing the best he can to adjust to something that would be a big change for any animal. I hope they get him a “handler” of sorts who he likes and who can take care of him while the Bidens are busy. A friend of mine had a German shepherd lab mix who was a very sweet well-trained girl. She was calm, friendly, and obedient. But if you approached her from behind and tried to touch her head when she couldn’t see you, she’d go into fight-or-flight mode immediately. That’s probably what happened to Major. I think a lot of times people don’t realize that dogs can have trauma responses just like people do. People just need to give him space, and maybe they can have designated areas in the house for Major. It’s a big enough house.
As @darth would say,
THIS PUP IS INNOCENT
CASE CLOSE
Why aren’t we asking the important question: WHO IS SNITCHING?!?!
Snitches get stitches. Which neither of these ‘victims’ got from Major!
Jokes aside, it is weird that someone is talking about two nips that didn’t result in any actual injury.
Major needs 1 handler, who is trained to properly handle him. He’s still relatively young and has had a much different life than the one he’s in now. Champ is old and doesn’t give af as long as he gets to nap, eat and get rubs from his favorite humans. Saw a story about poop outside the formal dining room. Seriously? Who cares. Stop villianizing this dog and go find a Republican who’s doing far worse.
NOTHING and no one is off-limits for these nasty thuglicans. Let the poor dog live his life. If he nips, keep people away from him. Moving to the White House is a big adjustment for anyone. And I object more to those horrid adult children of Trump’s, who are all troublemakers, grifters and liars and far more dangerous than poor Major. Major may nip, but he doesn’t interfere with elections or quash people’s right to vote.
I had a Rhodesian Ridgeback mixed with golden retriever rescue that often nipped at people until he got comfortable. They would always exclaim “he bit me” but there was nary a scratch. And I was constantly saying “leave him alone” but, some dog people think they’re ceasar Milan or something and have the magic touch and won’t listen.
This dog was so gentle yet nervous. He would hold my wrist in his mouth when nervous (idk why). And people would lose it (he’s biting you!) No, he’s not even clamping down or hurting me at all. Idk.
You know your president is doing a good job when the only thing they can go after is your dog who is nipping staff. #teammajor
I also can’t help but wonder if these are actual bite-type things, or situations of a young dog/older puppy who hasn’t shaken his “mouthiness” and still tries to use people’s hands as toys. It’s a tough habit to break, especially in high-spirited dogs, and can be an issue. I have an American Staffordshire Terrier mix, she’s almost a year, and she’s so mouthy still! She accidentally caught my arm just yesterday when playing, actually. But we’re working on it, along with all her other training.
Bigger dogs just catch extra flak, too.
He’s just trying to be a good boy! It’s stressful protecting mom and dad all the time!
100% with you on this.
I am team Major.
Did not appreciate the poop-gate innuendo this morning either.
Team Major too…I’m sure it’s so difficult being shuffled between Delaware and the White House. All these new people and new things. Must be so overwhelming for the pup. I hope that the Biden’s can assign one handler to him to help him adjust to his new surroundings and send out a memo to all staff not to approach him unless invited. I would never touch a dog unless I’m told it’s okay.
Team Major. I agree with the other posters that Major should be kept away from people he doesn’t know until he’s had more time to acclimate to the busy-ness of the WH. With one exception: I want him to be in the room if Putin visits. 😉 On edit: Or Mitch McConnell, Lindsey Graham… you get my point.
I was bitten horribly twice in my childhood both by German shepherds that I didn’t know and just randomly attacked me from out of nowhere walking on the street.
Sorry, I love dogs, but German shepherds scares me like hell. And that has zero influence on my opinion of Biden, because you know, I have a working brain.. most of the time 😉
We lost my German Shepherd Mia in October after 10 years. She was the best dog I ever had. And probably ever will have. My mom, who wears a little bit of makeup every single day, couldn’t wear makeup for a month because she was crying it off.
GSDs take a LOT of training. It’s a time investment, and that investment should continue with big changes like that. They could be doing that training for all I know! But I wouldn’t be surprised if Major is acting up when Mom and Dad aren’t around and/or he’s surrounded by strangers.
Team Major. I absolutely love dogs but will never trust any dog 100% (even the very best dog may bite when scared or in pain). I hope he can continue to live at the WH with a designated handler, a veterinary behaviorist and lots of structure in his life.
Major is a playful rambunctious puppy with a naughty side and since living in the white house probably means that he will have a significant number of strangers rotating in and out of his proximity for the next 3+ years, he might not be the best fit for the bidens right now. Maybe he could stay with family so the elder bidens can visit him, but he’s not put in a position where his temperament is going to get him in trouble.