Bidens' new dog Commander arrives at the White House as Major bids farewell

By Kathryn Williams
published

It was a day of joy at the White House as the Bidens new dog Commander took up residence and the young pup couldn't be happier with his new home

Bidens new dog Commander running across the lawn with tennis ball in his mouth
(Image credit: @POTUS/Twitter)

In what is set to be a week of mixed emotions for the President and First Lady, the Bidens new dog Commander has officially taken up residence at the White House just as two-year-old Major gets set to say goodbye. 

Introducing the newest addition to their family on Twitter, President Joe Biden shared an adorable photo of little German Shepherd pup Commander running through the grass with a tennis ball in his mouth and captioned it with the words “Welcome to the White House, Commander.”

The President also shared a video welcoming the new bundle of fur in which he can be heard saying ‘hey pal, how are you?’ as Commander comes bounding over to him.

The latest addition to the Biden family comes just six months after the family shared the sad news that their 13-year-old German Shepherd, Champ, had sadly died.

"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," the president and first lady wrote in a joint statement that they issued shortly after Champ died.

Alongside Champ’s death, the President and First Lady also struggled with helping Major to settle in, with the young dog having to leave the White House to undergo training following a biting accident.

And while Major did return for a short spell, the happy news of Commander’s arrival is also tinged with sadness as the Biden’s revealed on Monday that Major would be being permanently moved to a new home.

"After consulting with dog trainers, animal behaviorists and veterinarians, the first family has decided to follow the experts' collective recommendation that it would be safest for Major to live in a quieter environment with family friends," a spokesman for the President said. "This is not in reaction to any new or specific incident, but rather a decision reached after several months of deliberation as a family and discussions with experts."

And while that means Commander has free reign of the White House lawn for the time being, he might not want to get too comfortable - word has it that the Biden’s are awaiting the arrival of a new foster cat. Will this kitty and canine duo become inseparable buddies or arch rivals? Only time will tell! 

Kathryn Williams
Kathryn Williams
Freelance writer

Kathryn is a freelance writer who has been a member of the PetsRadar family since it launched in 2020. Highly experienced in her field, she's driven by a desire to provide pet parents with accurate, timely, and informative content that enables them to provide their fur friends with everything they need to thrive. Kathryn works closely with vets and trainers to ensure all articles offer the most up-to-date information across a range of pet-related fields, from insights into health and behavior issues to tips on products and training. When she’s not busy crafting the perfect sentence for her features, buying guides and news pieces, she can be found hanging out with her family (which includes one super sassy cat), drinking copious amounts of Jasmine tea and reading all the books.