First Family welcomes new German Shepherd puppy to the White House

The First Family has a new four-legged member, as President Joe Biden and First Lady Dr. Jill Biden welcomed a 4-month old German Shepherd puppy to the White House on Monday.

The new addition comes just a few months after the passing of the couple’s 13-year old German Shepherd, Champ, who died in June.

It also coincides with the news that the President and First Lady’s other dog, who was the first rescue dog to go from a shelter to the White House, will be moving to a new home after a difficult adjustment to life in DC and a couple of biting incidents at the Bidens’ home in Delaware this year.

“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,” Michael LaRosa, Press Secretary for the first lady, told NPR.

Commander, as the new dog has affectionately been named, is a purebred who was given to the first couple as a 79th birthday gift from the President’s brother and sister-in-law, James and Sara Biden.

The president shared the news of his newest furry family member via social media on Monday, along with some photos and video footage of the first couple welcoming the puppy to its new home at the White House.

The Bidens are rumored to be welcoming a cat to the White House in January. The First Lady expressed her excitement at the possibility in an interview in April this year, saying she was “waiting in the wings.”