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The White House has just gotten a lot cuter. On Monday President Joe Biden took to Twitter to introduce Commander, an adorable German Shepherd puppy. “Welcome to the White House, Commander,” he wrote along with a photo of the puppy running happily with a ball in his mouth.
He may be a puppy but the “newest Biden” already looks well trained. The 79-year-old shared a video montage of Commander clips as he played fetch with the puppy and made him sit. There is also a video of him and First Lady Dr. Jill Biden walking their new dog son into the White House on a leash. “Meet the newest Biden,” Joe captioned the clip.
Donald Trump was the first US Leader in 118 years to not have a dog in the White House and when the Bidens moved in in January they brought their two German Shepherds Champ and Major. It was not only the first time in four years that the position of First Dog of the United States was filled, but it also marked the first time a rescue dog had the title. The Biden family adopted Major from the Delaware Humane Association in November 2018 and they shared the title of FDOTUS until Champ passed away this year in June.
The German Shepherd lived to be 13 and died at their home in Delaware. “Even as Champ‘s strength waned in his last months when we came into a room, he would immediately pull himself up, his tail always wagging, and nuzzle us for an ear scratch or a belly rub,” they wrote in a statement. “Wherever we were, he wanted to be, and everything was instantly better when he was next to us.”
While Commander never met Champ, he has his big brother Major to show him around the premises, but hopefully, he doesn’t show him any of his bad habits. The rescue pup made headlines earlier this year after having two “biting incidents,” involving a Secret Service agent and National Park Service member. “Major, the Bidens‘ younger dog, will undergo some additional training to help him adjust to life in the White House,” Jill Biden’s press secretary Michael LaRosa told CNN in April. The off-site, private training was expected to last a few weeks and according to PEOPLE, Major is back at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue helping Commander acclimate to his new home.