Major, a German shepherd whom the Bidens adopted from the Delaware Humane Association in 2018,was the first shelter dog to reside at the White House .His name recalled Biden's father, who used to tell him, "Any time you get knocked down, champ — get up!"

Michael LaRose, the press secretary for first lady Jill Biden, told NBC News that Major received training during his time in Delaware before returning to Washington, D.C.Major, who was adopted in 2018, became the first rescue dog to live in the White House when the Bidens moved in.

02:56Biden added that “85% of the people there love him.” Major, a 3-year-old rescue dog, and Champ, who is 12, were moved to the Bidens' Delaware home after the incident , but the president said they would return to the White House.

It’s been a busy week for animals in the media spotlight, with Prince Harry taking time out from his explosive interview with Oprah Winfrey to feed the chickens and US president Joe Biden forced to banish his two German shepherds Champ and Major home to Delaware following a “biting incident” at the White House.

Joe Biden after adopting Major, in Wilmington, Delaware (Picture: AP) The First Dogs on the South Lawn of the White House (Picture: Getty)She added that the dogs were not allowed on the furniture but Major had been caught on a sofa, adding: ‘They run all over’.

The patter of paws is being heard in the White House again following the arrival of President Joe Biden s dogs Champ and Major.Major burst onto the national scene late last year after Biden, then president-elect, broke his right foot while playing with the dog at their home in Wilmington, Delaware.

The move also marks the first time that a shelter dog has lived in the White House, as the president and his family adopted Major in 2018 from the Delaware Humane Society.

The soon-to-be first pet is being honored with a virtual "indoguration" celebration on Jan. 17, courtesy of the Delaware Humane Association — the shelter President-elect Joe Biden got him from.

That means inauguration day is as big a deal for Major as it is for his owners, Joe and Jill: Along with older brother Champ, Major will be ascending to the highest canine office in the land, First Dog. To celebrate, the shelter from which the Bidens adopted Major, the Delaware Humane Association, will be holding their own livestreamed inauguration event on January 17: Major Biden's Indoguration Party.

Delaware Humane Association / FacebookOfficials initially believed the president-elect twisted his ankle, and his personal physician, Kevin O’Connor, said later that Biden had sprained his right foot and X-rays did not appear to show “obvious” bone fractures.

Linda Torelli, director of marketing for the Brandywine Valley SPCA, which has three locations in Delaware and cares for more than 14,000 animals each year, credited a multipronged approach with helping the First State achieve no-kill status — and its citizens.“The community in Delaware is very oriented to pet advocacy, so we had their support,” she told TODAY.

Former Vice President Joe Biden and his wife, Dr. Jill Biden, have adopted a rescue German shepherd named Major from a Delaware animal adoption center.