Major Biden is having a ruff time adjusting to life in the White House.
President Joe Biden’s 3-year-old rescue dog, a German shepherd, has already had a few scandals during his time in office. The pup has had two known biting incidents — one with a Secret Service agent and another with a Nation Park Service employee. He is also a suspect in the pooping incident that occurred outside the Diplomatic Reception Room (Champ is also considered a dog of interest).
But Major Biden isn’t a bad dog! And Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg is coming to Major’s defense in a new interview with TMZ.
Pete told the gossip outlet,
“The first time I went in for an Oval Office meeting, Major was there and I said a quick hello. We got along pretty well.”
He added,
“I know there have been some stories about him, but my interactions with him have been great.”
Pete confirmed that he was able to pet Major without any biting or nipping.
Unfortunately, the same can’t be said for an unnamed Secret Service agent, who sustained a minor injury after meeting Major in March. According to White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki,
“The first family’s younger dog, Major, was surprised by an unfamiliar person and reacted in a way that resulted in a minor injury to the individual.”
A second incident happened later that month when Major “nipped” a National Park Service employee while on a walk.
Major is also receiving the blame for a rogue poop found in the White House hallway, although his big brother Champ was allegedly also seen loitering in the same hallway.
Several celebrity dog trainers have weighed in on Major’s behavior struggles and they all agree that none of this is Major’s fault.
Cesar Milan, aka the Dog Whisperer, explained,
“What Major is saying is that he doesn’t feel safe yet. And if he doesn’t feel safe, he can’t trust. And if he can’t trust, he can’t feel calm.”
He added that the White House is surely an environment of stress and chaos, which isn’t helping Major to feel calm.
Fellow dog trainer Jason Cohen agreed,
“With dogs, there’s things we call layers of stress. Entering the White House and all the craziness that happens there, the amount of new people, new life changes — it adds a lot of layers of stress.”
President and Dr. Biden will have to work hard if they want to maintain an environment that makes Major feel safe. Because, as they say, there are never bad dogs, just bad handlers.
READ THIS NEXT
The Disney x Chewy Pet Collection is Literally Too Cute to Handle
