Dayton Daily News

Biden dog in doghouse after injuring WH agent

- By Darlene Superville

President Joe Biden has Major trouble.

Family dogs Major and Champ have been banished from the White House for a doggie time out in Dela- ware after Major caused a “minor injury” to a Secret Service agent.

White House press secre- tary Jen Psaki explained the canine caper Tuesday by saying the dogs “are still getting acclimated and accustomed to their new surroundin­gs and new people.”

“On Monday, the first family’s younger dog Major was surprised by an unfamiliar person and reacted in a way that resulted in a minor injury to the individual, which was handled by the White House medical unit, with no further treatment needed,” Psaki said.

An administra­tion official said a Secret Service agent was Major’s victim. The agent was not seriously injured.

Psaki said plans already had been made to send the dogs to Delaware for care while Biden’s wife, Jill, left town on Monday to spend Tuesday and today touring military installati­ons in Washington and California. The dogs will return to the White House soon, Psaki said.

Jill Biden has been preoc- cupied with getting the German shepherds settled in at the White House, which can be a difficult place even for a human to get used to. The president said a few weeks ago that even he is still getting used to the trappings of his office.

“I’ve been obsessed with getting our dogs settled because we have (an) old dog, and we have a very young dog,” the first lady told talk-show host Kelly Clarkson in a recent interview.

“They have to take the elevator. They’re not used to that. They have to go out on the South Lawn with lots of people watching them,” she said. “So, you know, that’s what I’ve been obsessed with, just getting everybod dy settled and calm.”

Major, who is about 3 years old, burst onto the national scene after Biden slipped during doggie playtime and broke a bone in his right foot. Champ, is 13, less spry and likely calmer. He joined the family after Joe Biden was elected vice president in 2008.

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