Champ, Major and Commander: Joe Biden’s dogs and a timeline of their bad behaviour over the years

Joe Biden’s dog, known as Commander, has been removed from the White House following a series of biting incidents.

The most recent occurrence took place in September when a uniformed Secret Service officer was bitten and later treated on-site by medical personnel.

Elizabeth Alexander, the first lady’s communications director, said Mr Biden and his wife care deeply about the safety of staff and those who protect them every day.

“They remain grateful for the patience and support of the U.S. Secret Service and all involved, as they continue to work through solutions,” she said in an emailed statement, adding, “Commander is not presently on the White House campus while next steps are evaluated.”

It is not yet known where Commander was sent, but he was last seen on Saturday on an upper balcony of the White House.

When moving into the White House, Mr Biden welcomed his first two dogs Major and Champ.

Champ Biden was one of the two German Shepherds in the family, and sadly died at the age of 13 years old – he was the more well-behaved dog out of the three.

At the time, the US president paid tribute to the family’s “beloved” German Shepherd in a statement and said: “Our hearts are heavy today as we let you all know that our beloved German Shepherd, Champ, passed away peacefully at home.

“He was our constant, cherished companion during the last 13 years and was adored by the entire Biden family.

“Even as Champ’s strength waned in his last months, when we came into a room, he would immediately pull himself up, his tail always wagging, and nuzzle us for an ear scratch or a belly rub. Wherever we were, he wanted to be, and everything was instantly better when he was next to us.”

The Biden family got Champ from a breeder as a puppy in 2008, after Mr Biden was elected vice president.

So, what about Major and Commander Biden? Well, they have a record of bad behaviour it seems.

Here is a timeline of Biden’s dogs biting people in the White House:

Major and Champ Biden

In 2021, Major and Champ were sent to the Biden family home in Delaware after aggressive behaviour at the White House while involved Major, sources at the time told CNN.

Major was adopted in 2018 from an animal shelter in Delaware and had what one of the people describes as a “biting incident” with someone from White House security.

At the time, White House press secretary Jen Psaki confirmed Major caused an injury to an unnamed individual.

“[Champ and Major] are still getting acclimated and accustomed to their surroundings and new people. And on Monday, 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,” said Ms Psaki, who added the injury was handled by the White House medical unit. The person bitten by Major was a United States Secret Service agent, according to a Secret Service official.

According to reports, Major, who was three years old at the time, was known to display aggressive behaviour on multiple occasions, including jumping and barking at staff and security.

The first lady had spoken about the difficulties of controlling dogs in the White House: “I’ve been getting obsessed with getting our dogs settled because we have an old dog and we have a very young dog,” Jill Biden said on The Kelly Clarkson Show in 2021.

“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.”

Commander Biden

After the death of 13-year-old Champ, the Bidens announced the arrival of a pedigreed German Shepherd puppy named Commander – which was gifted to them from Mr Biden’s brother.

Commander has caused a stir ever since entering the White House and he has now bitten his 11th person.

Earlier this year, following another incident, the White House said it was working on a new set of training protocols for Commander.

In emails obtained through Freedom of Information Act requests by the conservative group Judicial Watch, it said Commander was involved in 10 incidents, including one that required an officer to go to a local hospital.

In November, the German Shepherd sent an officer to the hospital for injuries to the arms and thighs.

“I believe it’s only a matter of time before an agent/officer is attacked or bit,” an anonymous staffer said at the time.

Now, Commander has been removed from the White House for the safety of employees in the building.

Additional reporting from agencies