Biden family dog Major to get 'off-site, private training' after two biting incidents

Jenna Ryu, USA TODAY
·2 min read
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The Biden family dog Major will receive training following two biting incidents at the White House, first lady Jill Biden's spokesperson Michael LaRosa confirmed.

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

Last month, Biden's two German Shepherds, Major and Champ, were temporarily sent back to Delaware during a pre-planned trip earlier this month to receive training after Major caused a "minor injury" to an employee of the U.S. Secret Service on March 8.

Previously: Biden dogs are in Delaware while Jill Biden travels after Major caused a 'minor injury'

Second biting incident: Biden family dog Major involved in second biting incident while 'adjusting to his new surroundings'

A handler walks Major on the South Lawn of the White House.
A handler walks Major on the South Lawn of the White House.

"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.

Weeks later, Major was involved in a second biting incident, days after returning to the White House. The victim was seen by the White House Medical Unit out of precaution and returned to work without injury, LaRosa said on March 30.

He added that Major, a 3-year-old German Shepherd the Bidens adopted in 2018, is "still adjusting to his new surroundings" in Washington, D.C.

Major and the Bidens other dog Champ moved in to the White House a few days after Joe Biden's inauguration in January, a return to the decades-long tradition of presidential pets following Donald Trump's dog-less administration.

'He's a sweet dog': President Joe Biden explains dog Major's biting incident

Contributing: Cydney Henderson, Hannah Yasharoff

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Biden's dog Major to get more training following biting incidents