Biden's Dog Wreaking White House Havoc

Dogs are affectionately known as man’s best friend, but the Secret Service agents in the Biden Administration might disagree when it comes to the President’s German Shepherd, Commander. A new report states the dog has had more than 24 bite incidents with the Secret Service agents on duty protecting the president daily.

A New Puppy for the White House

Excitement buzzed through social media when newly elected President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill welcomed an adorable new resident to The White House; a German Shepherd puppy they named Commander.

The pup was a gift to the president from his brother, James Biden, for his 79th birthday.

When they originally moved into the White House, the Biden’s had two German Shepherds. An elderly dog named Champ, who soon passed away at age 13, and a rescue named Major. The former made headlines when he was sent back to Delaware for behavior training after two bite incidents of his own, shortly after his arrival to Washington, D.C.

Eventually Major was relocated to live in a “quieter environment” with family friends.

New Job Hazard: Bite Marks

From the very beginning of his arrival at the White House there were reports that Commander showed aggressive behavior.

This posed a challenge for the Secret Service, according to CNN, “The recent dog bites have challenged us to adjust our operational tactics when Commander is present – please give lots of room,” an unnamed assistant special agent in charge of USSS’ Presidential Protective Division wrote to their team in a June 2023 email, warning that agents “must be creative to ensure our own personal safety.”

These warnings happened months before Commander was removed from The White House. However, the incidents were not isolated to Washington, D.C. but also occurred at Biden family homes in Wilmington and Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, at Camp David, and in Nantucket, Massachusetts. The 24 incidents reported do not include more than 10 previous incidents that already occurred. Despite allegedly being given assurances that Commander would receive training, the incidents continued to happen without any changes.

Removal From the White House

Troubled by the pet’s behavior, and their lack of ability to control Commander, the Bidens made the choice to remove the dog from The White House.

The First Lady’s spokesperson confirmed that Commander “is not presently on the White House campus while next steps are evaluated,” in October 2023, as reported by the Associated Press. The spokesperson said that President Biden and his wife care deeply about the White House staff and Social Security agents. There was no news of where exactly Commander was sent.

Dog ownership is not for the faint of heart. Given all the commotion present there, the White House is likely not the best environment for a high energy breed like the German Shepherd. Thankfully, no staff was seriously injured, and Commander was hopefully relocated to a more peaceful setting.

References: CBS News YouTube | Bidens’ dog, Commander, bit Secret Service personnel in at least 24 incidents, records show | Biden’s Dog Commander Bit Secret Service Agents At Least 24 Times, Report Says | President Joe Biden’s Dog Bit Secret Service Agents 24 Times, Documents Show | Bidens Welcome New Puppy To The White House| Biden’s dog Commander no longer at White House after biting incidents