 Franklin D. Roosevelt with Major, 1933 | |
| Species | Canis familiaris |
|---|---|
| Breed | German Shepherd |
| Occupation | Presidential pet (originally apolice dog) |
| Owners | Franklin D. Roosevelt,Eleanor Roosevelt |
Major, aGerman Shepherd, was apresidential pet belonging toUnited States presidentFranklin D. Roosevelt.
In 1933, while living at theWhite House, Major had incidents in which he bitUnited States SenatorHattie Wyatt Caraway andPrime Minister of the United KingdomRamsay MacDonald. After the latter incident, he was sent to live at Roosevelt's private residence inHyde Park, New York and never returned to the White House.
Major had originally been apolice dog.[1] When Roosevelt wasgovernor of New York, he was gifted to Roosevelt by theNew York State Police.[1]
A November 1932 article in theBrooklyn Eagle described Major's personality as "sedate", and described Roosevelt, who had multiple dogs, as being partial towards Major.[2]
Ahead of Roosevelt's inauguration, Major, along with the Roosevelts' other dog Meggie, took a six-hour car ride withEleanor Roosevelt to travel from New York toWashington, D.C.[1][3]
Major was known to chase the White Housemaids, who would wield their brooms and dust mops to ward him off.[1][4]
On March 24, 1933, Eleanor Roosevelt said that she had twice taken Major on trips toRock Creek Park, and he got into fights with other dogs on both trips. She said that if he accompanied her to the park in the future, he would do so wearing amuzzle.[5]
On April 29, 1933, Major bitHattie Wyatt Caraway (aUnited States senator) at a White House party.[6]
In 1933,Ramsay MacDonald (prime minister of the United Kingdom) made an official state visit to the White House, the first time such as visit had occurred during Roosevelt's presidency. During this visit, Major nipped MacDonald and tore off the bottom of his pants.[1][4] After this incident, Major was sent to live at Roosevelt's residence inHyde Park, New York and never returned to the White House.[4] Similarly, decades earlier, PresidentTheodore Roosevelt had exiled hisbull terrierPete from the White House after he bit numerous people, even tearing the pants off ofJean Jules Jusserand (ambassador of France to the United States).[7][8][9]
In 2021, Major and his biting incidents received new attention when United States PresidentJoe Biden's dog namedMajor, also a German shepherd, had incidents in which he bit people at the White House.[4][10][11]
