From doghouse to White House: Meet Biden pups heading to 1600 Pennsylvania Ave.

When President-elect Joe Biden moves into the White House come January, he’ll be bringing along some furry friends: two lovable German shepherds, Champ and Major. The two Biden dogs — you could call them DOTUS, or “Dogs of the United States” — will be the first presidential pets since 2016, after President Donald Trump broke with tradition when he became the first POTUS of the modern era without a pet at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. One pup will also make history for another reason: The Bidens adopted Major in November 2018 after fostering him, which likely makes him the first shelter dog at the White House, according to the Humane Rescue Alliance.

The Bidens have had Champ, their other pup, since Christmas 2008, according to People magazine. Presidential pets often become media sensations, and these pups seem ready for their close-up. Within a day of Biden’s projected election win on Saturday, a social media account for Champ and Major had already sprung up and racked up more than 142,000 followers. [related_gallery align=”none”] One of the posts Monday said Champ has already visited the White House — when Biden served as vice president in the Obama administration — but that Major was looking forward to “Inpawguration Day.”

Both four-legged companions were also featured heavily on the social media feeds of Biden and soon-to-be first lady Jill Biden. A Nov. 1 video shared on the official Joe Biden Instagram account depicted Major and Champ, as well as an array of pups, sporting “Dogs for Biden/Harris” bibs and the tagline “Let’s bring dogs back to the White House.”

Jill Biden showed off Major and Champ for National Dog Day in August, with the caption “Build Bark Better” — a play on the Biden campaign theme “Build Back Better.”

Presidential pets have a long history. Presidential pets provide companionship and can also humanize a president’s political image — and, often, “presidential pets had to accept the same scrutiny as their distinguished masters,” according to the White House Historical Association. Most recently, the White House was home to Sunny and Bo, the two Obama Portuguese water dogs.