In recent news, President Joe Biden’s dog, Commander, a German Shepherd, has gained notoriety for a behavior that resonates with many dog owners: reactivity and biting. The 2-year-old pup, who became a part of the Biden family in 2021 when they moved into the White House, has reportedly bitten several Secret Service agents on 11 different occasions. One of these incidents resulted in an officer being hospitalized after Commander bit his arm and thigh. Just last week, a spokesperson for First Lady Jill Biden disclosed that Commander had been relocated from the White House while further actions are contemplated.
While most of us don’t have famous dogs residing in the White House, it is not uncommon to encounter a dog that exhibits aggressive behavior, even if it’s a familiar pet that has never displayed aggression before.
One common misperception is that people tend to assume a dog will always interact with them in the same friendly manner as they have previously. However, as Dr. Cherese Sullivan, a veterinarian at Houston’s Skyline Animal Hospital, points out, this is not always the case.
Over 4.5 million people in the United States experience dog bites each year, with the potential for bites to escalate to fatal consequences in the most severe cases. According to the CDC, an average of 43 people lose their lives annually due to dog bites, underscoring the critical importance of addressing biting behaviors in dogs.
Nick White, a former Secret Service agent and owner of Off Leash K9 Training, emphasizes, “In general, no behavioral issue in your dog is going to fix itself. And a lot of people wait for that. They’ll say, ‘Oh, he bit this person. That was weird … maybe it was just a freak accident.’ What we see is it progresses and gets worse, as we’ve seen with Commander.” Ignoring aggressive behavior is not advisable, as it tends to escalate over time and poses serious risks, as highlighted by the case of Commander.
