While the mainstream media fixated on the soon-to-be Obama puppy, Biden had a secret. Jill Biden had promised her husband that if they got elected, a new puppy would be moving into the Naval Observatory (the official Veep residence) with them.
All puppies are, as a rule, adorable. But a sleepy-looking German Shepherd sweetheart puppy? I actually squealed. The world is too complicated and horrible right now – we need more puppies. This little baby comes from a breeder’s kennel in Pennsylvania. Yeah, it’s not a rescue, and yeah, animal rights groups are already jumping on that. But apparently Joe Biden already knew what kind of dog he wanted.
“I’ve always had a big dog my whole life, even the time I was a kid. I’ve had German Shepherds and Great Danes and Labs and Golden Retrievers,” Biden said on November 4. “So with Barack inquiring about would I be willing to get vetted, Jill said, ‘I’ll make you a deal: if you get the vice presidency and get elected, you can get a dog.’
“I know what kind I want, I don’t know what kind I’m going to get yet,” he added before reiterating that the ticket hadn’t won yet.
Biden spokeswoman Elizabeth Alexander said the vice president-elect had owned three German shepherds in his life, “so he’s familiar with the breed and its personality.”
“He’s excited to bring it home when it gets a little older and has promised that his grandchildren can name it after the New Year,” Alexander said.
[From CNN]
Joe Biden’s also taking precautions – the puppy is being sent to some kind of Veep puppy boot camp. In reality, it’s just a “six week training period” which I assume will involve learning how to not gnaw on the Resolute Desk. Also, I’d like to throw out a name for the puppy! How about “Literally” – it’s Biden’s favorite word.
photos via Huffington Post.
Awww… too adorable 🙂
My husband wants a German Shepherd when we finally get a dog.
But he wants a Newfoundland to go along with it. 🙄
German Shepherds are the BEST dogs!
And Leah, you’re so lucky — I’d die to have a Newfie! They’re gorgeous, and they’ve got the most gentle personalities.
*wiping drool from my keyboard* That second pic! Look at him! Want now.
Agree, Kaiser. Puppies make everything better! 😀
Disgraceful not to get a rescue dog.
Count us in with the German Shepherds. We adopted a full-blooded GS rescue last year – she was four years old – and she’s been one of the best dogs ever. We totally love her. Her name is Lola. Goes well with Lucky, our Lab/Pit Bull mix that was dumped in a parking lot a month after we put one of our dogs down due to cancer.
I am OK with purchasing from a breeder, as long as it’s a Code of Ethics, reputable breeder; that is, someone that does necessary health checks on their dogs (hip & elbow OFA, PennHip, cardiac/thyroid/eye clearance) before they’re bred. From what I was reading on a dog forum I belong to, the breeder that Biden got this dog from is less than stellar… but to each his own. Maybe because Biden bought his dog, it will put more pressure on Obama to adopt?
I am also in the GSD club. I have an old lady shepherd that just turned 10. We also live with an almost 3 y/o rottweiler (who is a registered therapy dog), a terrier mix, a golden retriever, and a chow chow. My GSD and my rottweiler are my heart dogs. The others I love, but there’s something about my Germans… 😉
I have all the admiration in the world for people who adopt rescue animals and I have adopted and loved many over my lifetime. When I got my latest cat, though, I wanted, for once in my life, to own a registered cat. And so I bought one. He’s no more fun than the other cats I’ve owned, but I still feel a little thrill at how pretty he is, and enjoy others admiring him.
German Shepherds are wonderful dogs, and I’m glad Joe Biden got what he wanted.
It seems like whatever you do, you’re damned. May as well get what you want and be damned as to do without and still be damned.
Agreed Syko, I’ve three rescue cats here and a pedigree elderly dog that I (OMG) bought. People need to climb down off their soap boxes and look up what the word ‘disgrace’ actually means. People who choose to buy a pedigree dog, who give careful thought to the demands and needs of that breed, who will love it, vaccinate it, train it socialise it and make sure it lives a long and healthy life are NOT the reason pounds are full of unwanted dogs.
Leah, my dog is a Newfie-Chow-something else mix. He’s a total sweetheart – very loyal.
Newfies rule!
Personally, I would never buy a dog from a breeder when there are so many dogs in rescues who need good homes. However, neither will I pass judgment on someone who chooses to do so, provided that he does his homework and purchases a dog from a responsible breeder. At least he didn’t buy the dog from a pet store!!
PUPPY!! Oh I love puppies. German Shepherds are wonderful dogs
It’s Joe’s deal what he wants to adopt. What a precious little pup.
Seriously, the rescue dog zealots need to take a break. I think that its ridiculous and shameful that the Obamas are being manuevered into making the choice of a puppy for their little girl into some sort of political statement or something to appease the animal rescue supporters. Yes, it is wonderful that there are so many people out there who care about animals and who want to rescue those who have suffered or been abused, but back the f*ck off and let people enjoy the kind of pets that they choose. Not every decision has to be about supporting a cause.
The best dog I ever had was a beautiful harlequin great dane which was given to me by his breeder who took him back from an abusive home. I had a black dane too that I bought from a breeder but aside from him, my Aussie shepherd and GSD cross were ‘found’ dogs, as is my cat.
It’s not a disgrace to buy from a breeder. Puppies are often hard to come by in shelters and shelter dogs often come with baggage that some people are not prepared (or equipped) to deal with. The working breeds especially can be a handful if you’ve never had one before, shelter dog or not.
buying from a breeder contributes to overpopulation of unwanted dogs & cats that have to be euthanized by shelters because they aren’t enough homes. anyone who thinks differently should go volunteer at a shelter some day. there’s nothing wrong with wanting a certain breed, but there are purebred rescue organizations all over the country that people can choose to go to instead of a breeder. why not do the responsible thing instead of the easy thing?
We have 2 Shepherds ourselves! We have our “oldest” who will be 1 year in January and we just got our second one, who is only 14 weeks old. Boy, our hands are full!! We love German Shepherds!
No it does’t. Not spaying/neutering your dog contributes to the pounds, getting a dog with NO idea how to look after it contributes to the pounds, getting a dog and NOT realising it’s a responsibility for 10/15 years contributes to the pounds.
It’s not MY fault there are so many idiots out there who can’t think beyond tomorrow. But when my old boy’s time is up I will still buy another pedigree dog, same breed, and that dog will NOT end up in a pound. So I won’t be contributing to jack except my dog’s well being.
^
I don’t think that’s true.
Not if it’s a responsible breeder.
Most breeders have a “return policy” and pretty much, they make you sign a contract saying that if for any reason, you are no longer able to take care of your dog, you should return it to them for their care.
I’m all for rescue dogs, heck, my family dog is a rescue dog (half sheperd, half corgi…I have no idea how THAT mix happened so don’t ask) and he’s the world’s BEST DOG. He’s an absolute DOLL. But that isn’t always the case with rescue dogs.
Then you take MY dog, who I received as a surprise gift for my birthday a couple years back…pure bred pembroke welsh corgi. And I gotta say, nothing beat watching him go from 8 lbs to 35lbs. There’s just something about it.
I can understand wanting a puppy and wanting a specific breed. As long as you’re not going to a puppy store and you’re going to a reputable breeder, people shouldn’t judge.
It’s a shame that people are so self-righteous in this world.
The man just wants a best friend of his choosing. Our society always has to judge everything.
“So I won’t be contributing to jack except my dog’s well being. ”
LOL.
Agreed!
I’ve already been telling my boyfriend that when our Corgi’s ready, he’s gonna get a purebred corgi sister. And both will live with us until they’re gone. And during that time, they will exist in happiness (and for corgis, that means tons and tons of food and things to herd. lol) And before the flamers start, I keep my dog in tip top shape. He goes to the dog park and the dog beach very regularly and maintains a trim little waist line. (Shocker, since he IS a little furry vacuum)
Annie: I’m so jealous! I want Corgis. My dog is a Corgi mix…we got him from the pound and he had behavioral issues. But we deal with shelter animals a lot, so we know what we’re doing.
Anyway, Joe Biden’s puppy is soooooo cute. I just wanna hold it and play with it and kiss it goodnight.
By the way, I totally “squeed” when I saw that second picture. 😀
Annie, my cat’s breeder also made me sign a contract to neuter him. I would have done so anyway, but I think it shows some responsibility in that you can’t buy a Maine Coon from them and then go out breeding hundreds more Maine Coons. The breeder was very responsible, I didn’t get to pick my baby up until he was 3 months old, although she sent me weekly photos and progress reports by e-mail. And then the picking up was delayed by a week because one of their cats got worms (they had four breeding females) and they wanted to have the vet treat all the cats in the house, just to be on the safe side. I’ve continued with his careful care, he’s had all shots and was neutered at 4 months, although I chose not to declaw because I don’t believe in carving up animals for our convenience (which is why I once had a Doberman with floppy ears and a long tail) and I also chose not to do the implant, for fear of it causing problems later. He never goes outside anyway.
I just wanted a purebred after over 60 years of mixed breeds. So kill me.
Breeders are not the cause of all the unwanted, homeless animals. People who have pets and don’t spay or neuter are the cause.
🙂 Yup. My sweetheart did not come to me until he was fully ready, and was neutered as soon as the vet okayed the operation.
I hear ya on the not declawing part.
My corgi actually has a rudder of a tail because of that. 😀 And people are always asking if he’s mixed because it so rarely is seen and I just go “Nope, I just didn’t want to get rid of it.”
That is of course, not to be misinterpreted as my way of advocating that people stop that practice because there are reasons behind it being the breed standard (for anyone curious, it’s the standard because of the fact that they are originally working dogs and the tail serves as a huge detriment to them in the field). And if you do it young enough, it can be done with a piece of string without any complications whatsoever.
You bring a pet into your home and promise to love and cherish it for it’s whole life. Very similar to what you do when you have children. Why look on in horror at someone who carefully chooses a well-bred dog from a kennel? Would you look down your noses on that same friend who found out she was expecting? After all, there are so many children up for adoption for her to choose from, isn’t her natural pregnancy contributing to increasing numbers of children in foster care and orphanages?
Just saying…
I have a family of rescued critters (horses, included), and they’re all wonderful, sweet, and incredibly loyal. That being said, I grew up with pedigreed German Shepherds and they were also fantastic dogs whom we all loved dearly. As long people adore and take care of their pets, then I say more power to ’em.
NotBlonde: LOL. Our corgi mix, I must say is better behaved than my corgi. Just in the sense that he’s less mischievous, he’s all about the hugs and kisses and loving. Veryvery well mannered. While my monster is all about begging for attention and then chasing big dogs around like he rules the world. He’s beyond smart, it’s scary. I’m nervous for two, because I truly believe they’re going to conspire against me and find ways to get into the trash more efficiently.
Some people see that as a horrible thing when they get in, and that it means they have a terrible dog. I just see it as, well, shit, I gotta keep the trash can locked tighter. lol
I have a rescued basset hound and a Lhasa and a shih tzu that I got from breeders. I love all my dogs but I don’t think I will buy from a breeder ever again. You can certainly find pure breed dogs at shelters or rescue groups.
What a cute little pup 😀
Two weeks ago we adopted a little female Husky/Klee Kai mix from a rescue group in Toledo.
She is a darling pup that likes belly rubs and thinks our king sized bed belongs to her.
Annie – that was the thing with the Dobie’s tail, he was rescued from a shelter, some puppy mill operating nearby dumped several litters on the shelter overnight. Poor little thing was only 5 lb. at 8 weeks of age, and had not had his tail docked. I can verify that a tail on a full grown Doberman is a dangerous thing if you have coffee tables and such. Because he had the tail, and because he was a red Doberman, I wouldn’t even think about doing his ears, it didn’t matter to me if they were big soft floppy things. So he actually looked more like a hound of some kind than a Doberman. 😀 He was a big baby and insisted on sitting on my lap even after he reached his full weight of 95 lb.
I love animals. 😀
What a sweet dog! I have a rescued racing greyhound named Katie…she was a racing dog for the first 5 years of her life now she lives with myself and my husband and kids getting spoiled beyond all reason. She’s wonderful…and I would love to see more people get ex racing greyhounds they are the nicest, most gentle, intelligent non aggressive dogs you will every meet.
I’ve also had purebreds (Shelties)that I bought from a breeder and an SPCA dog.People should be able to get what suits them…
Fluffy T: I just noticed your post, and I gotta say: Agreed! Although, it should be noted that it doesn’t stop people from bitching about people who adopt too much (ie all those Brangelina haters)
Sheesh!
I think people just like to judge. That’s the bottomline.
Please understand the situation as it is with comments going to moderation. I know it’s frustrating, but they are cleared just as quickly as we can get to them.
The frequency of comments tripping the moderation filter is increasing and I don’t know why, but as long as I am in front of a computer, I am checking often to make sure comments clear. There is no need to comment again telling me to clear the comment, as soon as I look at the page I know there are comments in moderation.
You know what I forgot to comment on but love?
That Biden had to get the puppy “okayed” by the Mrs’s.
That’s cute. 🙂 And shows that he respects her opinions and views. He could’ve easily been like “I’m getting one anyway! I want it!”
for every dog that is bred by a breeder a dog who is already here is denied a home. and there are tons of purebred dogs and cats that were bought from breeders who end up in shelters, just so you know. look, don’t get me wrong, many people who buy from pet stores or breeders give those animals great homes. and it is hard to resist cute puppies and kittens at the mall, and i am just at vulnerable as any of you- i want to buy them all and take them home! but after working in shelters and humane societies, all i’m saying is there are so many wonderful dogs and cats of all breeds who are already here, languishing in shelters and waiting for a home why contribute to the problem by going to a breeder? its not that difficult a concept to grasp, is it? i’m not judging anyone, just trying to educate a little. if you feel defensive and guilty about your decision to go to breeders then maybe there is a reason and it has nothing to do with me.
So Kate, I’m assuming you’re going to adopt a child instead of breed one yourself? It only makes sense.
“if you feel defensive and guilty about your decision to go to breeders then maybe there is a reason and it has nothing to do with me.”
I’m wasn’t defensive, just amazed someone can parrot off clap trap and not think for a second where the real problem lays with regard unwanted dogs. Guess what, it is not with wanted dogs. If dogs are getting destroyed daily so be it. Maybe finally through a spaying and neutering program we can finally get the numbers down until no dog has to wind up on the end of a needle. But don’t think by coming on to a gossip site and trying to guilt thoughtful considerate owners who don’t mistreat their much loved pets is going to further your agenda. And by the by, what do you think happen to the unsold puppies breeders have? Have a little think about that too. Puppy mill and carefully chosen breeders, big difference. Put your soap box away.
@mello: we aren’t talking about kids. but yes i would actually adopt a kid if i wanted one.
@rose: what does happen to unsold puupies? if you think they go live happily on a farm someplace you are sadly mistaken. they end up in shelters or sold to labs. and supporting spaying/neutering is great…but how do you think breeders would breed if they spayed their dogs? i don’t have an agenda, nor do i have a soapbox, just facts about overpopulation from years of doing this kind of work. i had no idea that you were so defensive. wow. all i said was it would be nice if people would adopt from shelters and give a home to an animal that is already here instead of going to breeders. so put your head back in the sand and go to your “carefully chosen breeder”…i won’t respond to you again.
Oh please, If you’re going to thow passive aggressive lines like ‘if you feel defensive and guilty about your decision to go to breeders then maybe there is a reason and it has nothing to do with me’ around you deserve the response.
Most ‘good’ breeders I know make their prospective owners sign a contract to spay and neuter pups, thus putting a stop to a further generation of pups. Maybe you should do a little research into what consititues a good breeder.
if you call that not judging anyone, you might want to try a little harder.
i think one big minus for families especially is that shelter dogs can be really unpredictable. i know some families with shelter dogs who turned out great, i also know some who turned out not so great. for example, my best friend in elementary school had a rescued toodle who had been abused, and who now peed automatically in fright whenever she was in a basement or a basement-like room. and they couldn’t untrain her. for like 10 years. minor problem, and she was a sweet dog, but sometimes it’s trickier than that. granted i’ve known some awful purebreds as well, but a rescue dog can have a lot more baggage.
also, it’s… an attack dog! for an attack dog! HA! oh gee that’s a good one, i wonder if he noticed that…
I have a black German Shepherd, and he’s the best dog. He’s sweet and cute, but menacing enough to deter people who knock on the front door. He’s never once been aggressive with my brother’s kids, who are all under 7 years old.
Plus he’s beautiful, especially when he runs (or glides, as my dad describes).
Oh, yeah – he was a shelter dog.
Your hard work and dedication is not lost on us, thanks CB Moderator!
Total puppy love from those pictures!
All my dogs have come from the pound, rescues or the street. It can be a heck of a lot of work to resocialize those animals after they have been neglected, abused, starved or otherwise mistreated. I completely understand why someone would want a puppy without those kinds of issues, especially if they have a high-pressure job and can’t devote the time I have to healing shelter dogs. I can’t fault the Bidens for picking a dog to love and care for just because they don’t do what I do.
My local shelter has NO puppies, so if I wanted to get one and not go through the 2+ years of undoing someone else’s crappy treatment of their animals, I would likely end up buying a dog from a reputable breeder. One assumes that, in order to buy it, it would also have to “already be here” so my deciding against getting another dog at all rather than buying a puppy would change nothing.
reba: it’s called supply and demand. breeders breed puppies because they know people will buy them. they are simply filling an order. many breeders will also put people’s names on a list for the next litter, so they are kind of made to order. the shelters are full of loving dogs looking for a home, and you shouldn’t have to wait too long before there is a litter of abandoned pups. talk to your shelter – often if you let them know what you are looking for they will be happy to call you when that type of dog comes in. we do that at my shelter quite often.
What a great decision to get a German Shepherd. We have 2 of them, one 4yrs old & the other is 2yrs old. They are extremely smart, especially loyal & also very loving. We loved our first one so much that we decided to get another. These are by far my favorite dog (that I have owned). We wish Joe the best with his new puppy 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂
@ those who objected to me using the word disgraceful:
I’ll just say that where I live (Ireland) there are 40,000 dogs destroyed in pounds every year. These dogs could be rescued and loved. Instead they are killed.
Rigth, and there’s nothing wrong with saying that is a disgrace.
I have a friend who has three rescue greyhounds, the nicest most gentle dogs you’re ever likly to meet, but she can tell you some horror stories about the pups and young dogs from that ‘industry’. That is a disgrace. Dog welfare is not black and white, not every animal can be saved as much as you might wish it. The Blue Cross in Ireland has released a statement this very year suggesting that people who want to own ‘registered’ dogs like GSD/Rotties/ Staffies/ Doberman, and a number of other breeds, should be discouraged. This is going to turn many people from rehoming these animals. This kind of blame the breed not the deed crap in endemic in animal welfare in Ireland and creating problems year on year. Call that a disgrace. Certain pounds like Ashburn have a kill policy for pitbull and pit bull ‘like’ dogs, DESPITE homes being available for said dogs. That’s a disgrace.
There are numerous problems in Ireland that culminate in the needless deaths of large numbers of animals, Joe Biden getting a pure bred pup from a chosen breeder is not one of them.
I think it’s great he got the puppy from a reputable breeder. Not everyone has the patience for a rescue.
What a cute little thing it is!
We had a geman shepherd dog for alittle over 13 years,one of the best, smartest anyone could hope for. His passing took a peice of our hearts with him forever. We are now waiting for a new litter of puppies we are using a breeder also. We have also taken in 2 cats brother & sister so they could stay together and had a dog that found us for 15 years and had a good life and became the shepherds Mom. All animals want is your love and care and they return it 10 times over.
Got to love our vice pres!!!
Best breed! Owner of 5 in my lifetime, only one regretful purchase, lacked breeding history became a fear biter. Many reason to “know what you’re getting” with this breed. Sorry the breeder is getting the backlash, doesn’t deserve it.
As a professional dog trainer who focused on training gsd puppies I must say this puppy already has natural instincts to sniff out a bad man!
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Well, I guess I have one thing in common with him.