In a recent development, Commander, the younger of the Biden family’s two German Shepherds, has bitten a Secret Service officer for the 11th time, reigniting concerns about the pet’s behavior. The incident occurred on Monday night, and the injured officer received immediate treatment at the scene, according to a statement released by the Secret Service on Tuesday.
This incident is part of a recurring pattern of biting episodes involving Commander, with previous attacks having taken place both at the White House and the Biden family’s residence in Delaware. The White House press secretary has, on previous occasions, attributed the dog‘s aggressive behavior to the unique and stressful environment of the White House.
“As you all know, the White House complex can be unique and very stressful. That is something I’m sure you can all understand,” she commented back in July. “It is unique and stressful for all of us. So you can imagine what it’s like for a family pet or family pets, more broadly.”
Secret Service spokesman Anthony Guglielmi reported, “Yesterday around 8pm, a Secret Service Uniformed Division police officer came in contact with a First Family pet and was bitten.” Guglielmi later informed CNN that the injured officer had spoken with Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle on Tuesday and was in stable condition.
In July, White House officials had stated their efforts to implement new leashing and training techniques for Commander in an attempt to curb these incidents, which had posed a consistent challenge to personnel at the White House.
