DEBORAH CROMBIE: I'm sure we are all glued to our screens today, watching the inauguration of President-Elect Joe Biden and Vice President-Elect Kamala Harris (who's got their pearls on??) but we should take a moment to celebrate the new First Dogs, Champ and Major Biden!
Here's Joe with Major.
And Joe with Champ.
I can't tell you how happy these photos make me. And I love that the Bidens' house looks like ours--dog beds and toys everywhere.
Our Dax and Jasmine want you to know that they're pretty happy about the new dogs in the White House, too. You can guess why.
I'm sure you all know by now that Major is the first-ever shelter dog in the White House. He even had his own In-dog-uration on Sunday, hosted by the Delaware Humane Association. (Major is not the first rescue dog, however. That title goes to LBJ's Yuki, who was found by Johnson's daughter at a Texas gas station.)
But Major and Champ are not the first German Shepherd dogs in the White House. Herbert Hoover had two GSDs, King Tut and Pat. King Tut didn't care for White House life and was re-homed to the country, but Pat became well known for patrolling the White House grounds, wearing a tag stamped with "#1 Dog" on his collar.
Nor is Major Biden the first White House German shepherd called "Major." The Franklin Roosevelts had a "Major," too, but he apparently wasn't nearly as well behaved as the Hoovers' Pat. Major Roosevelt chased the White House cleaning staff and nipped visitors' fingers. We hope Major Biden will set a better example!
But the last German shepherd to occupy the White House was Clipper Kennedy. Although the Kennedys had a regular pack of canines, Clipper was Jackie Kennedy's favorite. She even took him to obedience school, where little John John and Caroline watched his training.
So I think it's high time we saw GSDs in the White House again--and I suspect the Bidens will appreciate having staff to help vacuum up the German shepherd hair!
REDS and readers, do you have a favorite First Dog? Has a First Dog ever inspired you to own a breed?
And a big question--should the new First Dogs have their own social media account?
P.S. Cat lovers, don't despair. The Bidens are said to be adding a cat to the household!
P.P.S. Tell us how you're celebrating the inauguration today!
