Joe Biden’s German Shepherds return to Delaware after rescue Major bites White House security guard

President Biden tried to integrate the dogs into White House life, but 3-year-old Major has been agitated

Credit: Official White House Photo by Adam Schultz

Two German Shepherds belonging to President Joe Biden have been banished from the White House after one of them bit a security guard, according to reports.

Three-year-old Major, who was adopted by Mr Biden in November 2018, had what was described as a "biting incident" with a member of White House security, and has been sent back to Delaware along with 13-year-old Champ.

The two dogs only moved into the White House six weeks ago, but CNN has reported that they have been sent to Mr Biden’s hometown of Wilmington, Delaware, possibly to stay with minders.

Major, the first rescue dog to live in the White House, “has been known to display agitated behaviour on multiple occasions, including jumping, barking, and ‘charging’ at staff and security” people familiar with the situation told the network.

It is not the first time that Major has caused trouble for the President.

In November, Mr Biden fractured his foot while playing with the lively canine in Delaware and had to wear a walking boot for a number of weeks.

Mr Biden has had a long association with the breed. “I’ve had German shepherds from the time I was a kid. And I’ve actually trained them and shown them in the past, my past life,” Biden told  ABC’s George Stephanopoulos in December 2008.

Champ is the older of the two dogs, having been bought from a breeder as a puppy shortly after the 2008 election.

Major was fostered by the Bidens in March 2018 from the Delaware Humane Society. The family adopted him eight months later.

But settling them into life at the White House has not been easy.

"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 last month during an appearance on ‘The Kelly Clarkson Show.’ 

"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."

The White House has been contacted for comment.