Why Joe Biden's Dog Is Different Than Any White House Pup In History

The White House is about to welcome two brand-new residents. And no, we're not talking about president-elect Joe Biden and his wife, Jill. These two new faces actually each have four paws: Major and Champ, the Bidens' German shepherds. And while Champ has been with the family since 2008, Major is a more recent addition, coming to them in 2018, according to Vogue. More importantly, Major is about to make history as seemingly the first rescue dog to call 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue home, per TMZ. 

How did Major find his way to the Biden family? It was actually the couple's daughter, Ashley Biden, who first brought Major to their attention. After fostering the pup for a time, the pair apparently couldn't part with the cutie and chose to adopt him from the Delaware Humane Association, which posted an announcement on Instagram: "Today is Major's lucky day! Not only did Major find his forever home, but he got adopted by Vice President Joe Biden & Dr. Jill Biden! The Bidens have gotten to know Major while fostering him and are now ready to make the adoption official. Best of luck and thank you for being one of our Friends for life!"

Major and Champ will move into their new digs in January 2021. Trump, who has no pets, was the first president in 130 years not to have a dog with him in the White House, per HITC. But what makes Major such a trailblazer is his lack of pedigree. Before him, presidents always chose pure-bred pooches. These include the Obamas two Portuguese water dogs, Bo and Sunny. Bo apparently arrived as the result of a promise Barack Obama made to his wife, Michelle, in 2008 — if he won the election, she could get a dog. 

Before Bo and Sunny, there were Barney and Miss Beazley, Scottish terriers owned by George W. Bush and his wife, Laura (via George W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum). Barney was famously in the room with the former president when he fainted after choking on a pretzel, according to the New York Daily News. 

While we don't know what, if any, words of advice past pups might have for Major, we do know that the rescue German Shepherd is well-trained, per TMZ. So, there's no need to worry about the White House carpets.