There’s a new Biden in town! President Joe Biden and his wife, Dr. Jill Biden, added another member to their family just in time for the holidays: a new puppy named Commander.
The commander-in-chief, 79, and the first lady, 70, announced the news via social media on Monday, December 20. “Welcome to the White House, Commander,” the president’s official account tweeted alongside a photo of the adorable canine, seemingly a German shepherd.
Later on Monday, the @POTUS Instagram account shared a video of the pet with the caption, “Meet the newest Biden.” The video showed the Bidens walking the pup into his new home at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. At one point, the president threw a tennis ball for Commander to catch.
Commander joins fellow first dog Major, whom the Bidens adopted in 2018. Major has been spending much of his time in Wilmington, Delaware, after he bit a Secret Service worker and a National Park Service employee earlier this year.
The Bidens’ other dog, Champ, died in June at age 13. “Our hearts are heavy today as we let you all know that our beloved German shepherd, Champ, passed away peacefully at home,” the couple said in a statement at the time. “He was our constant, cherished companion during the last 13 years and was adored by the entire Biden family.”
Champ joined the family as a puppy in 2008 after Jill promised her husband that he could get a dog if he and former President Barack Obama won the presidential election. They did, so the Promise Me, Dad author picked out Champ and brought him home before the family moved into the Naval Observatory.
Back in 2015, the former senator joked that Champ was “a talker” during an interview with 60 Minutes. After the Pennsylvania native asked the dog if he wanted to play golf, Champ barked until the then-vice president got up to get him a club.
Though plenty of dog lovers were delighted by the arrival of Commander, some cat fanciers were miffed that the Bidens have not yet followed through on their promise to add a feline to the family.
In April, the Book Buddies cofounder told the Today show that a cat is “waiting in the wings.” She added that Major, whose time in Delaware includes training to help him adjust to White House life, was also spending time with cats to prepare him for his new sibling. “He did fine,” she noted.
