President Joe Biden’s dog Major was reportedly involved in another biting incident that required medical attention Monday.
Two sources familiar with the matter told CNN that three-year-old Major, the younger of Biden’s two German Shepherds, nipped a National Park Service employee during his walk on the South Lawn of the White House. The employee, who was working at the time, required medical attention from the White House medical unit.
.@POTUS’s dog Major enjoying the sunny day. pic.twitter.com/P4fbmH7Ahx
— Jeff Mason (@jeffmason1) March 29, 2021
Michael LaRosa, first lady Jill Biden’s press secretary, chalked up the biting to Major “still adjusting to his new surroundings.”
“Yes, Major nipped someone on a walk. Out of an abundance of caution, the individual was seen by WHMU and then returned to work without injury,” LaRosa added.
Biden said during an interview with ABC News earlier this month that Major was being trained to wield his protective instincts more responsibly.
“You turn a corner, and there’s two people you don’t know at all,” said Biden. “And [Major] moves to protect. But he’s a sweet dog. Eighty-five percent of the people there love him. He just — all he does is lick them and wag his tail. But … I realize some people, understandably, are afraid of dogs to begin with.”
Earlier this month, both Major and his Biden’s other German Shepherd, Champ, were removed from the White House and taken back to Delaware following “aggressive” behavior.
As The Daily Wire reported:
“Major, who was adopted by Biden in November 2018 from a Delaware animal shelter, had what one of the people described as a ‘biting incident’ with a member of White House security,” CNN reported. “The exact condition of the victim is unknown, however, the episode was serious enough that the dogs were subsequently moved to Wilmington, Delaware, where they remain.”
The report noted that Major, which is the younger of the two dogs, “has been known to display agitated behavior on multiple occasions, including jumping, barking, and ‘charging’ at staff and security.” A White House official told NBC News on Tuesday morning that the dogs would “be back” and “went to Delaware to stay with family friends.”
The dogs have reportedly been allowed to roam around the White House complex as they please without a leash.
White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki also blamed the dogs’ behavior on the stress of a new environment at the time, telling reporters, “Champ and Major, the president and first lady’s dogs, are members of the family, are still getting acclimated and accustomed to their new surroundings and new people.”
Psaki explained that Major was startled 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.”
Asked to reassure the public that there were no plans to euthanize Major, Psaki said, “Well, certainly Major Biden is a member of the family, so I can assure you that.”
WATCH:
ICYMI: President Joe Biden’s two dogs ‘are still getting acclimated and accustomed to their new surroundings and new people,’ White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki said https://t.co/NNmiZvkkWv pic.twitter.com/B5Sb6chsfv
— Reuters (@Reuters) March 14, 2021
Related: Biden’s Two German Shepherds Removed From White House After ‘Aggressive Behavior,’ ‘Biting’ Security