US President Joe Bidens' older dog, Champ, has died; German shepherd was 13

US President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden's dog Champ is seen on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington in March. Champ has died, aged 13. Photo / AP

US President Joe Biden announced Saturday that Champ, the older of the family's two dogs, had died "peacefully at home." The German shepherd was 13.

"He was our constant, cherished companion during the last 13 years and was adored by the entire Biden family," Biden and first lady Jill Biden said in a statement posted to the president's official Twitter account. The Bidens are spending the weekend at their home in Wilmington, Delaware.

RIP to our sweet, good boy, Champ. We will miss you always. pic.twitter.com/63hXXp8W9P

— Jill Biden (@FLOTUS) June 19, 2021

The Bidens got Champ from a breeder after Biden was elected vice president in 2008.

Champ was a fixture at both the vice president's residence at the Naval Observatory and now the White House. In their statement, the Bidens said that when Champ was young, "he was happiest chasing golf balls on the front lawn of the Naval Observatory," and that more recently he enjoyed "joining us as a comforting presence in meetings or sunning himself in the White House garden."

Joe Biden pictured with Champ in Delaware on January 18 before Biden was inaugurated as US President. Photo / Naomi Biden

"In our most joyful moments and in our most grief-stricken days, he was there with us, sensitive to our every unspoken feeling and emotion," the Bidens said.

Champ's passing leaves the Bidens with their younger German shepherd, Major, whom the family adopted from the Delaware Humane Society in 2018.

US President Joe Biden pets Champ in the Oval Office on February 24. The Biden's family dog has died, aged 13. Photo / White House

The Bidens could occasionally be seen walking their two dogs on the White House South Lawn, and the dogs sometimes would join the president on trips to Camp David or visits home in Delaware.

Major has drawn headlines for his bad behaviour in the past. Major caused Biden to suffer a foot injury in November, after the then-president-elect tripped over the younger dog while they were playing. Major and Champ were brought home to Delaware at one point, and Major went through training after the younger dog had two separate biting incidents at the White House and an unknown dog appeared to have pooped in a White House hallway.

Build Bark Better.

Happy #NationalDogDay. pic.twitter.com/64HXEBscwO

— Dr. Jill Biden (@DrBiden) August 26, 2020

Champ, who showed his age in recent months in his graying fur and slower gait, was often a more tranquil presence.

The Bidens are expected to bring a cat to the White House to join the family sometime soon.

- AP