WASHINGTON — The Biden family’s younger dog, Major, will undergo additional training to help him adjust to life in the White House after two biting incidents in recent weeks, a spokesman for first lady Jill Biden said Monday.
“The off-site, private training will take place in the Washington, D.C., area, and it is expected to last a few weeks,” spokesman Michael LaRosa said.
The 3-year-old dog is the younger of the Bidens’ two German shepherds and was adopted from the Delaware Humane Association. The Bidens got their 12-year-old German shepherd, Champ, as a puppy.
The additional training comes after Major was involved in a pair of biting incidents at the White House and was first reported by CNN. In early March, Major nipped the hand of a Secret Service agent, causing what officials described as a “minor” injury that did not break the skin. He received training in Delaware, but then had a second nipping incident a few weeks later with a staff member on the South Lawn while leashed and on a walk.
President Joe Biden has publicly defended Major, saying his dog is protective and has been adjusting to many unfamiliar people on the grounds around the White House.
After the first incident, Biden told ABC News in an interview that he still thought Major was a good boy, but was just having a little trouble acclimating to his new surroundings.
"You turn a corner and there's two people you don't know at all," Biden said. "And he moves to protect. But he's a sweet dog."
