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New reports indicate that President Joe Biden’s German Shepherd, Commander, engaged in a series of aggressive actions against US Secret Service agents, manifesting in no less than 24 biting incidents.
Information obtained from Secret Service records reveal the significant disruption caused by the Presidential pet’s conduct, leading to substantial alterations in how Secret Service agents interacted with the dog, implementing a policy of maintaining an extensive distance.
These cautionary measures seem to have been implemented a few months prior to the dog being relocated from the White House, an event revealed through documents acquired via Freedom of Information requests and subsequently publicized online. The documents, which were extensively edited to preserve the anonymity of involved Secret Service agents and safeguard their security operation details, reported numerous biting events occurring between October 2022 and July 2023.
Incidents ranged from agents being bitten in various areas—wrist, forearm, elbow, waist, chest, thigh, and shoulder. However, it is possible that these accounts do not exhaustively capture all such occurrences, since they pertain only to interactions with Secret Service agents, excluding staff from White House or Camp David in Maryland.
Commander’s aggressive behavior led to his departure from the White House in October the previous year, only a week after an instance of a severe bite on a Secret Service agent necessitated medical attention. Prior to that, in June, an agent sustained a considerably severe bite on the forearm, which required stitching and resulted in a temporary halt of the East Wing tours.
By July, another agent incurred a deep bite on his hand, requiring six stitches. The incident led to significant blood loss, resulting in colleagues creating a “small care package” containing medical supplies like painkillers, antibiotic ointment as well as safety accessories like pepper spray, a muzzle and dog biscuits.
As per an internal communication, a high-ranking agent emphasized the need for creativity in ensuring safety while in Commander’s vicinity. He urged fellow agents of the importance of substantial distance when around the dog.
First Lady Jill Biden’s office confirmed to CNN a series of efforts made to address the aggressive behavior, including increased dog training, consultations with animal behaviorists and routine leashing. However, they concluded that the White House environment exerted too much pressure on Commander, prompting them to relocate the pet to a relatives’ home.
Prior to this incident, the Biden family faced a similar situation with their other dog Major, who was relocated to Delaware following an aggressive incident with a Secret Service agent in 2021.
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