The German Shepherd, also known in Britain as an Alsatian, is a German breed of working dog of medium to large size. The breed was developed by Max von Stephanitz using various traditional German herding dogs from 1899.
Rin Tin Tin or Rin-Tin-Tin was a male German Shepherd born in Flirey, France, who became an international star in motion pictures. He was rescued from a World War I battlefield by an American soldier, Lee Duncan, who nicknamed him "Rinty". Duncan trained Rin Tin Tin and obtained silent film work for the dog. Rin Tin Tin was an immediate box-office success and went on to appear in 27 Hollywood films, gaining worldwide fame. Along with the earlier canine film star Strongheart, Rin Tin Tin was responsible for greatly increasing the popularity of German Shepherd dogs as family pets. The immense profitability of his films contributed to the success of Warner Bros. studios and helped advance the career of Darryl F. Zanuck from screenwriter to producer and studio executive.
Most United States presidents have kept pets while in office, or pets have been part of their families. Only James K. Polk, Andrew Johnson, and Donald Trump did not have any presidential pets while in office.
Jill Tracy Jacobs Biden is an American educator who served as the first lady of the United States from 2021 to 2025 as the wife of President Joe Biden. She previously served as second lady of the United States from 2009 to 2017 when her husband was vice president. Since 2009, she has been a professor of English at Northern Virginia Community College. She is believed to be the first wife of a vice president or president to hold a salaried job during the majority of her husband's tenure.
The family of Joe Biden, the 46th president of the United States, includes members prominent in law, education, activism and politics. Biden's immediate family was the first family of the United States from 2021 to 2025. They were also the second family of the United States from 2009 to 2017 during Biden's vice presidency under Barack Obama. Biden's family is mostly descended from the British Isles, with most of their ancestors coming from Ireland and England, and a smaller number descending from the French.
Bo was a pet dog of the Obama family, the first family of the United States from 2009 until 2017. President Barack Obama and his family were given the male Portuguese Water Dog as a gift after months of speculation about the breed and identity of their future pet. The final choice was made in part because elder daughter Malia's allergies dictated a need for a hypoallergenic breed. Bo was occasionally called "First Dog". In August 2013, Bo was joined by Sunny, a female dog of the same breed.
Jennifer Rene Psaki is an American television political analyst and former government official. A political advisor who served under both the Obama and Biden administrations, she served the Biden administration as the 34th White House press secretary until May 2022. A member of the Democratic Party, she previously served in the Obama administration as the White House deputy press secretary (2009); the White House deputy communications director (2009–2011); the spokesperson for the United States Department of State (2013–2015); and the White House communications director (2015–2017). Psaki was a political contributor for CNN from 2017 to 2020. As of March 2023, she hosts the talk show Inside with Jen Psaki on MSNBC.
Vladimir Putin, the current president of Russia, has owned many dogs over time. His fondness of dogs has led to dogs becoming a notable political gift in Russian diplomatic relations.
Joe Biden's tenure as the 46th president of the United States began with his inauguration on January 20, 2021, and ended on January 20, 2025. Biden, a member of the Democratic Party who previously served as vice president for two terms under President Barack Obama from 2009 to 2017, took office after his victory in the 2020 presidential election over the incumbent president, Donald Trump of the Republican Party. Upon his inauguration, he became the oldest president in American history, breaking the record set by Ronald Reagan. Biden entered office amid the COVID-19 pandemic, an economic crisis, and increased political polarization. He withdrew his bid for a second term in the 2024 presidential election due to low popularity and concerns over his age and health. Trump won the election and succeeded Biden as president, making him the second president to be succeeded in office by his predecessor after Benjamin Harrison.
The presidential transition of Joe Biden began on November 7, 2020, and ended on January 20, 2021. Unlike previous presidential transitions, which normally take place during the roughly 10-week period between the election in the first week of November and the inauguration on January 20, Biden's presidential transition was shortened somewhat because the General Services Administration under the outgoing first Trump administration did not recognize Biden as the "apparent winner" until November 23.
Major is a German Shepherd owned by Joe Biden's family. Major, who was born in 2018, was the first shelter dog to live in the White House. Previously, President John F. Kennedy and his wife Jackie had owned two German Shepherds.
Major, a German Shepherd, was a presidential pet belonging to United States president Franklin D. Roosevelt.
The following is a timeline of the presidency of Joe Biden during the fourth and last quarter of 2021, from October 1 to December 31, 2021. To navigate between quarters, see timeline of the Joe Biden presidency.
Commander is a German Shepherd owned by former President of the United States Joe Biden and former First Lady Jill Biden.
The following is a timeline of the presidency of Joe Biden during the second quarter of 2022, from April 1 to June 30, 2022. To navigate between quarters, see timeline of the Joe Biden presidency.
The following is a timeline of the presidency of Joe Biden during the third quarter of 2022, from July 1 to September 30, 2022. To navigate between quarters, see timeline of the Joe Biden presidency.
The following is a timeline of the presidency of Joe Biden during the fourth quarter of 2022, from October 1 to December 31, 2022. To navigate between quarters, see timeline of the Joe Biden presidency.
Dale Haney is an American gardener who is the superintendent of the White House grounds. In 2022, he celebrated his 50th anniversary tending to the 18 acres of White House gardens and grounds. He has also taken responsibility to walk presidential dogs from Richard Nixon's Irish Setter King Timahoe to Joe Biden's German Shepherd Commander.
