Terabith Posted March 9, 2021 Share Posted March 9, 2021 Apparently Major and Champ are being sent back to Delaware after "a biting incident" involving White House security. https://philadelphia.cbslocal.com/2021/03/08/president-joe-bidens-dogs-sent-back-to-delaware-after-biting-incident-involving-white-house-security-member/ Have they gotten their cat yet? 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tanaqui Posted March 9, 2021 Share Posted March 9, 2021 Oh, that's unfortunate. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terabith Posted March 9, 2021 Author Share Posted March 9, 2021 It's got to be a very stressful and overwhelming situation for them. Poor puppers. Maybe they'll find a great trainer in Delaware to work with them? 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
easypeasy Posted March 9, 2021 Share Posted March 9, 2021 😞 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pawz4me Posted March 9, 2021 Share Posted March 9, 2021 6 hours ago, Terabith said: It's got to be a very stressful and overwhelming situation for them. Poor puppers. Maybe they'll find a great trainer in Delaware to work with them? From what I've read they have a great trainer already. I remember reading an article about how they brought in a very well regarded trainer when they got Champ, and that the same trainer continued to work with Major. But a trainer can only do so much. The owner has to work with the dog in its own environment. And the WH has got to be a very stressful environment, both Bidens are super busy, etc. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Danae Posted March 9, 2021 Share Posted March 9, 2021 I read a different quote saying that there was no biting incident and the dogs always stay in Delaware when Jill Biden is on extended travel. Has anyone seen an official source on this? All the newspaper accounts seem to be “people on Twitter are saying.” 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alicia64 Posted March 9, 2021 Share Posted March 9, 2021 11 hours ago, Terabith said: It's got to be a very stressful and overwhelming situation for them. Poor puppers. Maybe they'll find a great trainer in Delaware to work with them? Poor babies. I have a GSD. They're berry sensitive. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kokotg Posted March 9, 2021 Share Posted March 9, 2021 (edited) I googled, and it still seems to be unclear whether it's a permanent move. Poor pups--that's got to be a really stressful transition. I would totally run for president, except that I know my anxious little terrier wouldn't be able to handle it 😉 (George W. Bush's Scottie, Barney, bit multiple people while he lived in the White House. I think you need a really chill dog in that kind of setting). Edited March 9, 2021 by kokotg 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Danae Posted March 9, 2021 Share Posted March 9, 2021 1 hour ago, kokotg said: I googled, and it still seems to be unclear whether it's a permanent move. Poor pups--that's got to be a really stressful transition. I would totally run for president, except that I know my anxious little terrier wouldn't be able to handle it 😉 (George W. Bush's Scottie, Barney, bit multiple people while he lived in the White House. I think you need a really chill dog in that kind of setting). Or you keep the dog in the family residence and take them out on a leash for walks. Like normal people do. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kokotg Posted March 9, 2021 Share Posted March 9, 2021 (edited) nm--misread, and i only have one hand free right now Edited March 9, 2021 by kokotg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kokotg Posted March 9, 2021 Share Posted March 9, 2021 20 minutes ago, Danae said: Or you keep the dog in the family residence and take them out on a leash for walks. Like normal people do. now I have both hands. Presidents aren't "normal people," but presidential pets having fairly free run of the White House has certainly been quite common, historically. People really like seeing presidents with their dogs. Dogs who are stressed because of new situations can act in unpredictable ways. If you've never misjudged how your dog might handle a new situation, then you're doing very well. I certainly have, multiple times and with multiple dogs. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kokotg Posted March 9, 2021 Share Posted March 9, 2021 Just saw that Jen Psaki confirms the dogs will be back. 8 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AbcdeDooDah Posted March 9, 2021 Share Posted March 9, 2021 Will they be circling back? 😂 Sorry, couldn't resist. Poor pup. Hope he transitions safely. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kokotg Posted March 10, 2021 Share Posted March 10, 2021 Secret service has confirmed that it was one of their agents and a very minor nip--no broken skin. It sounds like perhaps it's been blown a bit out of proportion by the press, if you can imagine that 😂 3 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scarlett Posted March 10, 2021 Share Posted March 10, 2021 Did anyone see Oprah's 'interview' with the pups last night on Colbert? It was so hilarious Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spy Car Posted March 10, 2021 Share Posted March 10, 2021 If they'd only read my posts on "bite inhibition" training here on this forum... Bill 1 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Danae Posted March 10, 2021 Share Posted March 10, 2021 20 hours ago, kokotg said: now I have both hands. Presidents aren't "normal people," but presidential pets having fairly free run of the White House has certainly been quite common, historically. People really like seeing presidents with their dogs. Dogs who are stressed because of new situations can act in unpredictable ways. If you've never misjudged how your dog might handle a new situation, then you're doing very well. I certainly have, multiple times and with multiple dogs. I know. I’m just saying if you have a dog that can’t handle free reign you don’t have to banish them, and it wouldn’t be a terrible thing for a dog to have to stay home except when taken out for regular walks. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kokotg Posted March 10, 2021 Share Posted March 10, 2021 4 minutes ago, Danae said: I know. I’m just saying if you have a dog that can’t handle free reign you don’t have to banish them, and it wouldn’t be a terrible thing for a dog to have to stay home except when taken out for regular walks. well, fortunately, sounds like they're not banished 🙂 I'm just hesitant to jump to conclusions about whether this was a one time, completely out of character thing for the dog or whether they should have known it was too much for him to handle and not had him in that situation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MercyA Posted March 10, 2021 Share Posted March 10, 2021 Nice summary of the incident / situation on Snopes. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ktgrok Posted March 10, 2021 Share Posted March 10, 2021 (edited) 3 hours ago, kokotg said: Secret service has confirmed that it was one of their agents and a very minor nip--no broken skin. It sounds like perhaps it's been blown a bit out of proportion by the press, if you can imagine that 😂 Ah, Secret Service can give off a vibe, if you know what I mean, of being assertive to the point I could see a dog misreading that as aggressive - and german shepherds are supposed to be protective. 1 hour ago, Spy Car said: If they'd only read my posts on "bite inhibition" training here on this forum... Bill Well, it was just a minor nip with no broken skin it sounds like the dog did use bite inhibition 🙂 Edited March 10, 2021 by ktgrok 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spy Car Posted March 10, 2021 Share Posted March 10, 2021 7 minutes ago, ktgrok said: Ah, Secret Service can give off a vibe, if you know what I mean, of being assertive to the point I could see a dog misreading that as aggressive - and german shepherds are supposed to be protective. Well, it was just a minor nip with no broken skin it sounds like the dog did use bite inhibition 🙂 I'd call a nip that happened in circumstances other than a violent attack on the dog or its people a pretty serious "fail." Bill 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pawz4me Posted March 10, 2021 Share Posted March 10, 2021 I don't think it's reasonable to speculate given that we have no details at all about what actually happened--what the people and dog involved were doing at the time of the incident, whether it was an actual nip or a scratch or something else, etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spy Car Posted March 10, 2021 Share Posted March 10, 2021 (edited) 18 minutes ago, Pawz4me said: I don't think it's reasonable to speculate given that we have no details at all about what actually happened--what the people and dog involved were doing at the time of the incident, whether it was an actual nip or a scratch or something else, etc. According to the White House press secretary Major “was surprised 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.” The whole purpose of bite inhibition training is built around the assumption that a dog will be "surprised" at many times during its lifetime, and even inadvertently injured (like a child accidentally stepping on a dog's tail), and that conditioning a dog not to react by biting is therefore essential part of responsible dog ownership. In fact bite inhibition training is the single most import aspect of having a dog, and by a wide measure. Bill Edited March 10, 2021 by Spy Car 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pawz4me Posted March 10, 2021 Share Posted March 10, 2021 (edited) 16 minutes ago, Spy Car said: According to the White House press secretary Major “was surprised 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.” The whole purpose of bite inhibition training is built around the assumption that a dog will be "surprised" at many times during its lifetime, and even inadvertently injured (like a child accidentally stepping on a dog's tail), and that conditioning a dog not to react by biting is therefore essential part of responsible dog ownership. In fact bite inhibition training is the single most import aspect of having a dog, and by a wide measure. Bill But you're assuming the bolded part = bite or nip. And I see no reason to assume that. ETA, just as one example of why, barring more info, I wouldn't automatically jump to the conclusion that a bite or nip was involved--IME and IMO, especially with a medium/large dog, teaching them to not jump on people is at least as important as bite inhibition. I've seen many more people injured by medium/large dogs jumping on them than by dog bites. I never get hung up on just one behavior. Never ever ever. Edited March 10, 2021 by Pawz4me 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spy Car Posted March 10, 2021 Share Posted March 10, 2021 3 minutes ago, Pawz4me said: But you're assuming the bolded part = bite or nip. And I see no reason to assume that. I don't see it the same way and would assume if it wasn't a bite/nip that the WH would have countered the widespread reporting on the incident. Bill 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alicia64 Posted March 10, 2021 Share Posted March 10, 2021 43 minutes ago, Pawz4me said: I don't think it's reasonable to speculate given that we have no details at all about what actually happened--what the people and dog involved were doing at the time of the incident, whether it was an actual nip or a scratch or something else, etc. I can never read what you're saying because I always just lovingly gaze at your puppy's picture. Sho cute. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ktgrok Posted March 11, 2021 Share Posted March 11, 2021 (edited) 7 hours ago, Spy Car said: According to the White House press secretary Major “was surprised 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.” The whole purpose of bite inhibition training is built around the assumption that a dog will be "surprised" at many times during its lifetime, and even inadvertently injured (like a child accidentally stepping on a dog's tail), and that conditioning a dog not to react by biting is therefore essential part of responsible dog ownership. In fact bite inhibition training is the single most import aspect of having a dog, and by a wide measure. Bill Ah, we have a different definition. Bite inhibition to me means able to modulate the force of their mouth. A dog that can easily crush the bones in my hand simply putting it's mouth on me, or more commonly catching the edge of my hand/arm with one tooth from the side, is exhibiting bite inhibition, in my mind. They inhibited the force. Bite prevention is what I'd term not putting their mouth on/near human skin at all. I think we have a difference in terminology. Also, we have no idea what this guy did, what the circumstances were, etc. For all we know the man tripped over the dog or something. More than once I've seen a dog whip their head around in surprise and catch a canine on flesh. Not a bite, but a smack. And I've had my nose bonked, hard, by a dog looking up just as I bent down to pet them - that can break a person's nose! Could have been something like that, too. Without knowing the details, I really can't say. Edited March 11, 2021 by ktgrok 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spy Car Posted March 11, 2021 Share Posted March 11, 2021 4 minutes ago, ktgrok said: Ah, we have a different definition. Bite inhibition to me means able to modulate the force of their mouth. A dog that can easily crush the bones in my hand simply putting it's mouth on me, or more commonly catching the edge of my hand/arm with one tooth from the side, is exhibiting bite inhibition, in my mind. They inhibited the force. Bite prevention is what I'd term not putting their mouth on/near human skin at all. I think we have a difference in terminology. Also, we have no idea what this guy did, what the circumstances were, etc. For all we know the man tripped over the dog or something. More than once I've seen a dog whip their head around in surprise and catch a canine on flesh. Not a bite, but a smack. And I've had my nose bonked, hard, by a dog looking up just as I bent down to pet them - that can break a person's nose! Could have been something like that, too. Without knowing the details, I really can't say. Yeah, I accept that we have different standards for our terms. A dog that nips as a reaction to anything other than a physical assault on itself or on its master has failed bite inhibition training IMO. Whatever took place with this dog required the person who was bitten/nipped to seek medical attention. I would not accept this as a trained dog or as a safe dog. Sorry to say. Bill 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scarlett Posted March 11, 2021 Share Posted March 11, 2021 My precious pup......the other day we wanted her to go outside and she did not want to. She ran into her crate instead. I grabbed into the crate and tried to pull her out by her leg...she put her mouth on my hand. That was it. No bite, no growl...but for her slightly non compliant. Dogs are dogs. 🤷🏻♀️ 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
klmama Posted March 31, 2021 Share Posted March 31, 2021 News reports say there's been a new incident. He nipped a park service employee he didn't know. That concerns me. When visiting the White House during the Obama administration, we were in line to go up the stairs from the portico when the family dog was escorted right past us and a hundred other people the dog didn't know. People got excited to see the cute dog, and the handlers had to tell people not to touch as they moved him (her?) quickly through. I can't imagine that kind of situation going well with a reactive dog. 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melissa Louise Posted March 31, 2021 Share Posted March 31, 2021 Ok, people should be able to go to work without getting 'nipped' by a dog. 4 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TravelingChris Posted March 31, 2021 Share Posted March 31, 2021 Yes, the dog that has repeated bites, nips, etc. should not be in the White House. The Bidens don't seem to have good dog handling skills. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sneezyone Posted March 31, 2021 Share Posted March 31, 2021 (edited) 45 minutes ago, TravelingChris said: Yes, the dog that has repeated bites, nips, etc. should not be in the White House. The Bidens don't seem to have good dog handling skills. I don’t think the Bidens are the ones handling the dog most of the time. They’re working/traveling and that may be part of the problem. Our dog is aggressive to anyone who comes to our house and isn’t a regular visitor. She embraces ‘family’ only. We don’t allow others to be around her at our house because of it. She stays penned when we entertain or boards with a kennel when we are away (which isn’t an issue b/c it’s not her turf). She is overly protective of her people and her home. The White House is probably not a good fit for any dog with prior trauma or highly developed territorial/protective instincts. Edited April 1, 2021 by Sneezyone 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
catz Posted April 1, 2021 Share Posted April 1, 2021 Unfortunate, but not every rehabbed rescue dog is going to well suited for that type of life. It seems like they have made a good faith effort to make it work and it isn't unfortunately. I hope they can find a good fit, low stress fit for the dog. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pawz4me Posted April 1, 2021 Share Posted April 1, 2021 2 minutes ago, FuzzyCatz said: Unfortunate, but not every rehabbed rescue dog is going to well suited for that type of life. It seems like they have made a good faith effort to make it work and it isn't unfortunately. I hope they can find a good fit, low stress fit for the dog. It has nothing to do with being a rescue dog. How was he "rehabbed?" My understanding is the Bidens formally adopted him when he was ten months old, and that was after they'd fostered him for a period of months. Do you know more about his history? I suspect if things don't work out in the WH Major will go live at their home in Delaware, with someone to take care of him. They seem like very responsible pet owners, I really don't think they're going to abandon their dog over what sounds like a couple of minor nips. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paige Posted April 1, 2021 Share Posted April 1, 2021 I hope they will send him off to doggie reform school. I think he needs some more intense training than they have the time for right now. I've been enjoying Canine Intervention on Netflix- he needs to go somewhere like that with a real trainer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
catz Posted April 1, 2021 Share Posted April 1, 2021 5 minutes ago, Pawz4me said: It has nothing to do with being a rescue dog. How was he "rehabbed?" My understanding is the Bidens formally adopted him when he was ten months old, and that was after they'd fostered him for a period of months. Do you know more about his history? I suspect if things don't work out in the WH Major will go live at their home in Delaware, with someone to take care of him. They seem like very responsible pet owners, I really don't think they're going to abandon their dog over what sounds like a couple of minor nips. Oh I do think they are responsible pet owners for sure, and I think it would be great if it works just to home the dog in Delaware for now on doggo's home turf. They just have their hands full right now and it doesn't seem like it's a fit in the WH for this particular dog. I don't know any more about the dog's particular history, just that this dog is a rescue and it isn't unusual to have more behavioral quirks and unknowns with some rescues and they sometimes require more patience. I adore rescue animals. My only pets have been rescues. But I also don't think it's the end of the world if a particular dog's best life is to rehome if they can find a good fit. Or doggie boot camp sounds good too! No matter what they do with the dog people will judge and complain. I'm sure they will make a responsible choice. I do agree having a stressed animal prone to nip in the WH isn't great. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pawz4me Posted April 1, 2021 Share Posted April 1, 2021 (edited) 30 minutes ago, Paige said: I hope they will send him off to doggie reform school. I think he needs some more intense training than they have the time for right now. I've been enjoying Canine Intervention on Netflix- he needs to go somewhere like that with a real trainer. That would be horrible, IME and IMO. I have no respect at all for training that takes place without the owner being involved. And those types of places? No. Just no. I would absolutely lose respect for the Bidens if they sent him somewhere like that. Edited April 1, 2021 by Pawz4me Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ktgrok Posted April 1, 2021 Share Posted April 1, 2021 10 minutes ago, Pawz4me said: That would be horrible, IME and IMO. I have no respect at all for training that takes place without the owner being involved. And those types of places? No. Just no. I would absolutely lose respect for the Bidens if they sent him somewhere like that. Agreed. And part of dealing with reactivity is NOT putting them over threshold, which may no be possible in the White House. You don't go from training to that level of social interaction overnight. Or in a few weeks. They likely need to keep him in the residence area mostly, and have one or two hired handlers to deal with him, that have experience with shepherds. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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