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Joe Biden victory means two First Dogs bounding into the White House

Meet German Shepherds Major and Champ, the two First Dogs-elect.

Gael Cooper
CNET editor Gael Fashingbauer Cooper, a journalist and pop-culture junkie, is co-author of "Whatever Happened to Pudding Pops? The Lost Toys, Tastes and Trends of the '70s and '80s," as well as "The Totally Sweet '90s." She's been a journalist since 1989, working at Mpls.St.Paul Magazine, Twin Cities Sidewalk, the Minneapolis Star Tribune, and NBC News Digital. She's Gen X in birthdate, word and deed. If Marathon candy bars ever come back, she'll be first in line.
Expertise Breaking news, entertainment, lifestyle, travel, food, shopping and deals, product reviews, money and finance, video games, pets, history, books, technology history, generational studies. Credentials
  • Co-author of two Gen X pop-culture encyclopedia for Penguin Books. Won "Headline Writer of the Year"​ award for 2017, 2014 and 2013 from the American Copy Editors Society. Won first place in headline writing from the 2013 Society for Features Journalism.
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Gael Cooper
2 min read

President-elect Joe Biden and wife Jill aren't the only ones who'll move into the White House in 2021. There will again be pets at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue -- the Bidens have two German Shepherds, Champ and Major. Jill Biden shared a photo of the pooches back in August.

The Bidens got Champ from a dog breeder in 2008, and adopted Major from the Delaware Humane Association in 2018, the Huffington Post reports.

This story is part of Elections 2020, CNET's coverage of the voting in November and its aftermath.

Most presidents have had at least one pet, although president Donald Trump did not. President Barack Obama and family shared the White House with two Portuguese water dogs, Bo and Sunny. Obama had promised his daughters that if he won the 2008 election, the family could have a pooch, and Bo moved into the White House in 2009. As many who have pets know, one pet often turns into two, and Sunny arrived in 2013.

Dogs are pup-ular

Some dog lovers thought the news of pooches returning to the White House was paw-some, including the Twitter account We Rate Dogs.

"This is Major and Champ," the We Rate Dogs account tweeted. "Champ has already been to the White House, but Major hasn't yet. Champ can't wait to show him around. Both 14/10 would be an honor to pet."

Dog Twitter responds

Some Twitter users let their own pets welcome Major and Champ to their new roles.

"I would like to congratulate Champ and Major," wrote one user, writing for a dog of course. "Would be willing to be on taste testing cabinet. Just call."

Said another, sharing a dog photo, "Tyson can rest easy now knowing that dogs are back in the White House."

Although Vice President-elect Kamala Harris does not have pets, she seems to be dog-friendly, at least based on a 2019 tweet. "Dogs are always welcome in my Senate office," she wrote, sharing some dog photos. "Here are a few paw-licy advisors who regularly stop by."

Unsurprisingly, a representative for cats did not respond to a request for comment.