I’m pretty sure that Major and Champ Biden didn’t have a return to their family home in Delaware as part of their First 100 Day plan in the White House. Unfortunately, moves are hard on everyone – dogs included. Since the dogs weren’t able to visit their new home and meet all of the staffers in advance, this was a particularly stressful transition. CNN reported that Major recently bit a staffer and has had a history of “agitated behavior”. I wasn’t there, nor do I know the family or their dogs, but there are some common patterns that are recognizable and predictable in dog behavior – and this bite was avoidable.
Genetics Matters
Let’s start with some facts. Dogs can’t escape their genetic makeup, especially when they were selectively bred for hundreds of years to do a specific job. German Shepherds are herding dogs with a tendency to use their mouths to get the job done. They are smart , loyal, protective and wary of strangers.
Many of these traits can make life in a new, bustling household challenging for any dog, not just a dog from a rescue or shelter. If you were wired to be concerned when new people come and go or to be protective of the people you love most, it’s not hard to imagine feeling increasingly stressed at the White House where routines are likely haphazard, at best.
P20210126AS-1271: President Joe Biden walks with his dogs Major and Champ in the Rose Garden of the White House Tuesday, Jan. 26, 2021. (Official White House Photo by Adam Schultz)
Setting Dogs Up for Success After a Move
There is a lot that can be done to set up dogs for success when they move to a new house.
- Keep dogs leashed until they are relaxed and familiar with the spaces where they are allowed. This is an easy way to manage where the dogs go and when.
- Limit where the dog is allowed to go and create safe spaces for the dogs to retreat and rest with little disturbance.
- Try to keep daily routines and exercise as similar to their patterns at their former home.
- If the dogs will be encountering lots of new people (as Major and Champ were), it would be helpful to slowly introduce the dogs to any staff members who are going to interact or share space with them. This can include the use of training games, such as Treat & Retreat, for anxious dogs to help build positive associations with these new people.
- Identify a small handful of dog savvy staffers who are allowed to interact with or care for the dogs on a more intimate level, particularly if the primary caregivers have to travel for work.
- Alternatively the dogs could have a professional positive reinforcement handler, dog walker or trainer be responsible for their care, keeping other people at a safe distance so that the dogs feel safe.
- Anyone who interacts with the dogs should be well versed in dog body language, so they can identify signs of stress that are precursors to any type of assertive behavior.
“Aggressive” Behaviors
It’s impossible to say exactly what happened in the recent incident with Major Biden. However, it’s worth noting that ANY dog can bite when overly stressed. While a particular behavior may be “aggressive”, it’s inappropriate to label a dog as “aggressive.” Behavior is circumstantial – and given the likely fluid and potentially chaotic dynamic at the White House, it should come as no surprise that sensitive, protective dogs would feel unsettled.
I suspect that Major Biden experienced what we call “Trigger Stacking” which is essentially like the straw that broke the camels back. Triggers likely include a change in routine, lots of different staff members coming and going, and an unpredictable routine.
Any Dog Can Bite
I hope that this unfortunate incident doesn’t turn into a bashing session on rescue or shelter dogs. While Major’s former life before landing with the Biden Family is unknown, what matters NOW is that he gets the support he needs. In order for dogs to behave safely, they need to FEEL safe. This bite could have been avoided by limiting the number of people who could see, meet and interact with Major and by providing him the space and training that he needed to learn to feel safer. Dogs have teeth and they will used them if they feel so compelled. This isn’t a shelter dog issue, it’s a DOG issue.
Hopefully President and First Lady Biden will use this as a learning experience and hire a positive reinforcement dog professional who can support Major so he can continue to live at the White House.
(Cover photo is from: https://share.america.gov/joe-biden-dog-major-shelter-pet/; The other two graphics are made by the amazing Lili Chin.)
