"Franklin D. Roosevelt's German shepherd, Major, allegedly bit the United Kingdom's prime minister and tore his pants. (Major Roosevelt was sent away from the White House grounds shortly thereafter.) Theodore Roosevelt's bull terrier, Pete, chased a French ambassador up a tree. (Pete was also removed from the White House.) And Calvin Coolidge's fox terrier, Peter Pan, ripped the skirt off of a woman, and was eventually given away to Coolidge's secretary."
"Major, the first rescue dog to live at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, was sent away less than a year into Biden's term after a biting incident, only to return and promptly bite someone else. Commander was sent away in 2023 for similar behavior-it was later revealed that he had attempted to chomp down on Secret Service members some two dozen times."
""It is against his nature to be so repressed," Henry Childs Merwin wrote in an article about dogs in The Atlantic in 1910. My 6-year-old cattle-dog mix can get whipped into a frenzy over the sight of a man wearing a hat; I can only imagine how she would act if left to live in a sprawling new house full of strangers."
Throughout U.S. history, presidential pets have caused recurring scandals by acting aggressively toward dignitaries, staff, and visitors. John Adams's dog was named Satan, suggesting early behavioral issues. Franklin D. Roosevelt's Major allegedly bit the British prime minister and tore his pants. Theodore Roosevelt's Pete chased a French ambassador up a tree. Calvin Coolidge's Peter Pan ripped a woman's skirt. More recently, Joe Biden's Major and Commander both exhibited biting behavior, with Commander attempting to bite Secret Service members approximately two dozen times. These incidents reflect the fundamental conflict between dogs' natural instincts and the repressive environment of the White House, where animals must adapt to an unnatural living situation filled with strangers and constant activity.
Read at The Atlantic
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