Dogs bark. Dogs bite – and dogs definitely raise an alarm in a face of a threat. ‘First Dog’ Major isn’t an exception – but the Internet is convinced he should be.
President Joe Biden has sent his two dogs back to his family home in Wilmington, Delaware, after the younger of the two German Shepherds was involved in a “biting incident” with a White House security agent, US media said Monday.
Three-year-old Major, whom Biden and his wife Jill adopted in November 2018 from an animal shelter, had been displaying aggressive behavior including jumping, barking and charging at White House staff and security, CNN reported, citing two anonymous sources.
The sources described a “biting incident” involving a member of the security services but did not specify if the person was injured. The episode was, however, seen as serious enough for both dogs, including 13-year-old Champ, to be returned to the Bidens’ home in Wilmington last week.
The White House then confirmed to The Guardian that Major, one of Joe Biden’s two German shepherd dogs, was involved in an incident which left an unidentified person with a minor injury.
While the White House did not confirm if a Secret Service agent was injured, they said the human hurt in the encounter with the startled canine was treated by the White House medical unit and required no further medical attention.
Major is the first rescue dog to have lived in the White House, having moved in after Biden’s inauguration in January.
The Internet, however, was upset at Major, a dog, acting like a dog.
@JoeBiden's German Shepards have been removed from the White House for aggressive behavior. Big dogs make bad props.— Geraldo Rivera (@GeraldoRivera) March 9, 2021
Joe Biden can’t raise his son and he can’t train his dogs.But we’re trusting him with America?
— Buzz Patterson (@BuzzPatterson) March 9, 2021
VINDICATED—- I suggested Joe Biden’s dog needed a BATH. I said it with “love” —-But the whole world busted my chops. NOW we know that there was something “off” about the whole arrangement! Perhaps the Dogs (or Joe) need to be enrolled in OBEDIENCE SCHOOL. pic.twitter.com/H7B7ZT8Y0z— Greg Kelly (@gregkellyusa) March 10, 2021
Joe Biden can’t even train a dog.— Nick Adams (@NickAdamsinUSA) March 9, 2021
not joe biden dogs being bad as hell— ✨ Hoochie GOD ✨ (@_benjvmins_) March 9, 2021
Several people, however, did point out that you don’t just give up on a dog.
1) He’s only 32) It’s a very new environment & lots of strangers he doesn’t know3) Unsurprisingly, no one bothered to get a quote from Major. HIS side of the story remains untold. https://t.co/2TBFhGV1W8— @tiffanydcross (@TiffanyDCross) March 9, 2021
Joe Biden has abandoned his own dogs.— Stephen L. Miller (@redsteeze) March 9, 2021
In a personal piece last month in New Yorker Magazine, author Anna Heyward wrote on dealing with ‘a bad dog.’ — and why she put up with it.
“Why do we choose to live with difficult animals? “I saw Jack’s sweet laziness, his affection, his capacity to enjoy life. . . . When I got home from work, he would greet me with unhinged excitement. Loving animals can remind us of how strange, complex, and irresponsible our behavior as humans can be.”
First Lady Jill Biden said in an interview last month she had been focused on getting the dogs settled into their new home in Washington.
“They have to take the elevator, they’re not used to that, and they have to go out on the South Lawn with lots of people watching them. So that’s what I’ve been obsessed with, getting everybody settled and calm,” she said on “The Kelly Clarkson Show.”
“The dogs will return to the White House soon,” the White House confirmed.
