Your house or the White House...Any move is a “major” change

For some dogs, transition is difficult. The adjustment period takes extra time and care. Just look at Major Biden who was adopted by President Biden and his wife Dr. Jill Biden when he was 10-months old from the Delaware Humane Association (DHA), after fostering him for several months.
See: Joe Biden Adopts a Rescue Dog Named Major - Time Magazine

For the previous 2+ years, Major had been living in the Biden family home in Delaware, and a significant portion of that time had been during the COVID-19 quarantine. Then on January 24, 2021 he and his older brother Champ moved from an exceptionally quiet family home to the most famous home in the nation.

Just six weeks after moving to the White House, headlines everywhere told us about Major nipping a White House staffer, causing a ‘minor injury.’ Weeks later, a similar incident was reported. Does this mean Major is an aggressive dog? Not at all. Rather it shows that a previously behaved Major didn’t acclimate to his new digs as quickly as hoped. Unfortunately, the massive new home full of strangers was too overwhelming for him despite the Bidens’ early mitigation efforts.
There are 132 rooms, 32 bathrooms, and 6 levels to accommodate all the people who live in, work in, and visit the White House. There are also 412 doors, 147 windows, 28 fireplaces, 7 staircases, and 3 elevators, and The White House receives approximately 6,000 visitors a day. (Scholastic)
“I've been getting obsessed with getting our dogs settled because we have an old dog and we have a very young dog," Dr. Biden said of the two dogs. “They have to take the elevator, they're not used to that, and they have to go out on the South Lawn with lots of people watching them," Dr. Biden added. "So that's what I've been obsessed with, getting everybody settled and calm."

See: First Lady Jill Biden Has Been 'Obsessed' with Getting Dogs Champ and Major 'Settled' at the White House - People

But, you don’t need to move your dog into the White House for him or her to experience stressors and require acclimation. Leigh Dempsey of Full Circle Dog Training, who works at the Delaware Humane Society where Major was adopted from, reminds us of the Rule of 3 when it comes to acclimation expectations:

• 3 Days - high stress, expect the dog to put themselves away and potentially even hide
• 3 Weeks - begin to trust their environment a little bit more and come out of their shell
• 3 Months - typically comfortable enough where we begin to see their true personality shine

The Rule of 3 are guidelines to help people understand and empathize when their dog is going through a change in routine or environment. The Bidens and their dogs, Champ and Major, went from living in a relatively low key family home - thanks to quarantine - that was about 6,800 square feet in size to an eventful White House which clocks in at 55,000 square feet, roughly eight times bigger.
A transition of this magnitude is bound to affect a dog, but in fact, changes far less significant than this can disrupt a dog’s well-being and that’s what we have to keep in mind. The change that Major and Champ went through is very obvious, but any change in routine or environment can have substantial consequences. As guardians, we need to do a better job of understanding this and listening to our dogs when they communicate to us.

Modern Perspective
Major is just one of many dogs who have acted out under similar conditions. Despite care, acclimating to a new environment can be a long process. Major Biden was in his new environment for 6 weeks when an ‘aggressive incident’ sent the media outlets into a tizzy. Though that seems like a long period, for some dogs it’s just the beginning. This is a good opportunity to apply the Rule of 3 and really try and understand what was going on in Major’s head at the time. Author and trainer Pat Miller explains:
“When dogs display aggressive behaviors, it’s rare for humans to consider whatever the dog was trying to communicate. Instead, the behaviors are just considered unacceptable, threatening, and dangerous. Look at it from their point of view, though. Dogs are expected to just deal with all of the situations they are put in, including many that annoy, terrify, or intimidate them, and to just get along with every dog or person they meet, without ever expressing their annoyance, fear, apprehension, or discomfort using their natural, normal canine communications tools.” (Peaceable Paws)
Luckily, the Bidens seem to understand these concepts and have empathy for Major. Biden said Major was just startled in his new home. "You turn a corner, and there's two people you don't know at all, and he moves to protect.”

See: Biden Defends Major As 'A Sweet Dog' Just In Need Of Some Training - NPR

When one White House reporter asked if Major would be euthanized as a result of the incident which, unfortunately, is many peoples’ knee-jerk reaction to news like this, the Press Secretary stated, “Major Biden is a member of the family so I can assure you that [he will not be euthanized].”

See: White House reporter asks if Major Biden will be euthanized - Independent

This attitude toward a dog who some might label as ‘aggressive’ is extremely refreshing and it’s a stance that all dog owners should adopt. Incidents happen. They happen with humans and they happen with our pets. We need to consider things like the Rule of 3 to contextualize and try and understand how changes may be impacting our dogs, we need to listen to them when they’re trying to communicate with us, and be empathetic to the situations that we put them in.
Major has become a spokesdog for his fellow rescues, while the Bidens have become role models for adopters. They followed standard advice for transitioning their dogs and when Major continued to have anxiety they did not give up. They sought help and are determined to work with him until he eventually feels at home.

“We’ve seen many successful adoptions over the years, but we’ve also had a fair number of dogs returned because the adopters expected too much and failed to provide an adjustment period. Many complained they didn’t have ‘time for all that’,” stated Mary Lou Maraganis, President of ARK. “If the president and first lady can make time to transition a dog, there’s no excuse for the rest of us.” The ARK staff will now use Major’s experience as an example for future adopters.
For those thinking about adoption, Maraganis suggests imagining yourself going through such a change...being thrown into a new environment with no advanced notice and with strangers whose language you do not speak or understand...new sights, smells, sounds, people, place, and rules. She said, “Such a small investment of time and patience is the foundation for a happy and healthy relationship. It’s something you’ll never regret.”

About Us
Animal Rescue Konnection (ARK) is a non-profit which specializes in helping dogs that have had moments of bad behavior, are marginalized, and mislabeled as ‘unadoptable.’ When people have nowhere to turn, ARK is usually their last hope. The rescue bridges the gap between at-risk dogs and the organizations or individuals that can help them, such as progressive shelters, other rescues, animal control officers, fosters, and loving adopters. In an average year ARK intakes around 100 dogs, resulting in more than 800 placements since its 2012 inception.