Jill & Joe Biden’s New Puppy Is The Best Christmas Surprise

Santa doesn’t skip the White House! With just a few days to go until Christmas, it looks like the president has gotten his gift early — a new puppy to add to the family. Who needs a white Christmas when you can have a fuzzy, yappy Christmas?

According to CNN, the new puppy was first spotted playing on the White House lawn on Dec. 20, and appears to be a German Shepherd or something similar. The pup — named Commander, omg — is reportedly a gift from family to the POTUS. A spokesperson for first lady Jill Biden confirmed to the publication that the puppy was a new addition to the first family. "Yes. There is (a puppy)," the first lady’s press secretary Michael LaRosa told CNN. Best press statement ever?

The Bidens are apparently keeping to tradition regarding both breed and name, as the family has previously favored shepherds and military-inspired names for their dogs. The new addition comes after the Bidens’ previous German Shepherd, Champ, passed away over the summer at age 13. The family also owns Major, a 4-year-old German Shepherd, who has apparently been a bit of a bad boy: Major is reported to have bitten two people at the White House in March 2021. This led to Major relocating primarily to the family’s Wilmington, Delaware home, which is likely a calmer environment than the half-public, half-private White House. Major was the first shelter dog to live at the White House.

The official presidential account confirmed the new dog in the most adorable way — and yes, I mean with a photo. On Dec. 20, the official @POTUS Twitter account posted a pic of the pup running across a lawn with his ears perfectly perked, tennis ball in his mouth. “Welcome to the White House, Commander,” the post read. Excuse me, I’m sorry, I have too many emotions about those giant ears and floppy paws.

Of course, if we’re all really lucky, we could get even more pics. Back in 2020, the first pups made a joint holiday video to share the cute with the rest of the country — here’s hoping for the same in 2021? After all, the holidays are about giving!