"Babydog" banned: Jim Justice's bulldog can't visit Senate floor

How it happened: Justice was told by Senate floor staff that only service dogs are allowed onto the floor of the Senate, and that even in that case there would need to be an analysis on potential allergies.

• Justice, the current West Virginia governor, is in Washington for orientation alongside his fellow incoming senators.
• Senator-elect Bernie Moreno (R-Ohio) first raised the question in jest about Babydog being on the Senate floor, sources said.
• Update: After this story published, Justice said in a statement that he was aware of the rules and "told them they do not have to worry about Babydog on the Senate floor."

Zoom out: Many dogs are regulars on the Hill, lounging in their owners' offices and even wandering the halls with members.

• The restrictions seem to apply specifically to the Senate floor, where votes take place.

This isn't the only rule around access to the Senate floor to draw scrutiny recently.

• Senators voted last year to force members to wear a suit and tie when voting or presiding in the Senate after Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.) started arriving at work in shorts.

Editor's note: This story has been updated with Justice's statement that he had been aware of the rules and the question had only been asked by Moreno in jest.