White House biting incident shows proper adjustments, training sometimes needed to acclimate pets to new surroundings (Editorial)

Moving to a new location is stressful. The process is often fueled by anxiety and the unknown. Common concerns and questions fill the mind: Will the neighbors like me? Will I make new friends? Will I be accepted for who I am? When I meet someone on the sidewalk, should I start a conversation, or just walk on minding my own business? Should I be friendly? Aloof? Is there good food around? Where is the closest park?

Making healthy connections in a strange place is not something that comes with a manual.

For 3-year-old German shepherd Major, President Joe and Jill Biden’s rescue dog, these questions likely come up often. Starting up in a new neighborhood is tough enough. But the stress of being in a fancy place like the White House adds up to serious pressure.  All those perfect landscapes with people wearing shiny shoes. Not knowing where the bathroom is located.  These things can lead even the most calm of sorts to become unraveled in short order.

Ultimately, the pressure proved too much for Major.  There was a biting incident. Nothing serious. Just a bit of a nip on the sidewalk. The Bidens adopted Major in 2018 from a Delaware animal shelter.

Then, while walking leashed on the South Lawn, another bite. This time a bit more serious and the individual bitten, a secret service agent, received minor medical attention. Major has an older brother, Champ.  Both dogs are back at the Biden family home in Delaware.

“(Champ and Major) are still getting acclimated and accustomed to their surroundings and new people. And on Monday, the first family’s younger dog, Major, was surprised by an unfamiliar person and reacted in a way that resulted in a minor injury to the individual,” said White House press secretary Jen Psaki.

This is National Dog Bite Prevention Week and it couldn’t come at a better time. According to the American Veterinary Medical Association, 4.5 million people in the U.S. are bitten by dogs and more than 800,000 require medical attention. Champ and Major are receiving some training, a plan experts say is essential when handling aggressive dogs. Other advice includes, spay or neuter your dog; socialize your dog or puppy to children; avoid tethering, chaining or tying up your dog and never let your dog roam free.

Over the course of the pandemic, animal shelters were often inundated with families wanting to adopt pets. Reading up and learning best practices on how to shape a new pet’s behavior can save a household a good deal of stress and strain as the new family addition acclimates to new surroundings.