Major Adjustment: White House Dog Faces More Training After Second Biting Incident

The Biden family has decided to send their German Shepard, Major, away from the White House for a few weeks for additional obedience training following a second biting incident.

Major, a 3-year-old rescue, has had two biting incidents since moving into 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. The first involved a member of President Joe Biden's Secret Service detail, who sustained a "minor injury" in March. Later in the same month, Major snapped at a National Park Service member, who was uninjured, First Lady Jill Biden's spokesperson Michael LaRosa stated.

Major will "undergo some additional training to help him adjust to life in the White House," LaRosa confirmed to USA Today. "The off-site, private training will take place in the Washington, D.C. area, and it is expected to last a few weeks."

"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," White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki told reporters on March 9 when talking about the first biting incident.

"Yes, Major nipped someone on a walk. Out of an abundance of caution, the individual was seen by the White House Medical Unit and then returned to work without injury," said LaRosa about the most recent incident.

The German Shepherd was adopted by the family in 2018. Their other dog, 12-year-old Champ, has been in the family since 2008 and adjusted to life in the White House when Biden served as former President Barack Obama's vice president.

"Eighty-five percent of the people there love him. He just -- all he does is lick them and wag his tail," Biden said in an interview with ABC News. "But ... I realize some people, understandably, are afraid of dogs to begin with. Major was a rescue pup. Major did not bite someone and penetrate the skin."