The White House has a new resident: a German shepherd.
President Joe Biden introduced the puppy, Commander, in a video posted Monday to Twitter.
“Meet the newest Biden,” the tweet said.
In the video, the playful pup runs to the president, who greets it with “Hey, pal. How you doing? How are you?”
The 3-month-old dog, which arrived at the White House on Monday, was a birthday gift to Biden from his brother and sister-in-law, a spokesperson for the first lady said.
The first family isn’t done welcoming pets to the White House, the official said. The Bidens are expected to add a cat to the mix next month.
The new presidential pet arrives six months after Biden and his family mourned the loss of their German shepherd Champ.
“Our hearts are heavy today as we let you all know that our beloved German Shepherd, Champ, passed away peacefully at home,” a statement from the White House said at the time. “He was our constant, cherished companion during the last 13 years and was adored by the entire Biden family.”
The statement continued, “He loved nothing more than curling up at our feet in front of a fire at the end of the day, joining us as a comforting presence in meetings, or sunning himself in the White House garden.”
In March, Biden’s second German shepherd, a 3-year-old rescue named Major, nipped a Secret Service agent’s hand in an “extremely minor” incident, another Secret Service official confirmed.
Major was sent to live at the family’s home in Delaware after the injury. Champ was also being cared for by family friends in Wilmington at the time.
The dogs returned to the White House later that month.
Michael LaRose, first lady Jill Biden’s press secretary, said Major underwent training in Delaware before he returned to Washington, D.C.
Major, who was adopted in 2018, became the first rescue dog to live in the White House when the Bidens moved in. The family fostered him from the Delaware Humane Association.