Last year, we kept hearing stories about President Biden’s dog Commander Biden. Commander was given to the Bidens as a gift, after the Bidens had to send their beloved dog Major Biden away from the White House because Major kept “biting” people. Commander was just a puppy when he came to the White House, and many hoped that, with the proper training, Commander would be a friendly family dog. But according to the (delicious) Secret Service agents, Commander has the same “biting problem” as Major. The Secret Service claimed they had meticulously documented eleven biting incidents last year, which was weird because their meticulous record-keeping was nonexistent when it came to domestic terrorism on January 6th, 2021.
The issue with Commander’s biting problem became contentious within the White House – other people’s experiences with Commander were that he was a friendly, well-adjusted dog, and reportedly, the Bidens kind of thought that the Secret Service agents were lying about some of the incidents. Still, the Bidens sent Commander away as well and he’s been absent from the White House for like four months already. The White House press corps loves to write about this sh-t though, which is why CNN FOIA-requested the Secret Service’s records on Commander. Apparently, they recorded 24 biting incidents.
Commander Biden, President Joe Biden’s family dog, bit US Secret Service personnel in at least 24 incidents at the White House and other locations, according to new internal USSS documents obtained by CNN.
That number does not include additional incidents CNN has previously reported involving executive residence staff and other White House workers. But the new documents, obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request, reveal the extent to which the situation had become a serious workplace issue for the hundreds of staff supporting White House operations, and how agency personnel changed their habits to avoid being injured by the German shepherd.
“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.”
That warning came months before the dog was removed from the White House, with multiple biting incidents taking place in the interim.
CNN has reviewed more than 400 pages of documents, many of which were heavily redacted to protect USSS personnel anonymity and operational details. In October 2022, an unnamed Secret Service technician described an incident and said they were “worried about the family pets behavior escalating and that … something worse was going to happen to others.”
The documented incidents included members of the Secret Service’s uniformed division, members of the president’s protective detail and other USSS officials. They took place inside and outside of the White House residence, but also at Biden family homes in Wilmington and Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, at Camp David, and in Nantucket, Massachusetts, where the first family spends the Thanksgiving holiday.
A source close to the Biden family told CNN that the Biden family feels “awful” and has been “heartbroken” over the spate of biting incidents.
“They’ve been heartbroken over this. They’ve apologized to those who have been bitten, taken flowers to some. They feel awful. Commander was over-protective, and even though they tried and tried to work on it, they had to let him go live with other members of their family,” the source said.
Commander really was out there barking “ACAB” all the time. Like, do I believe that the Secret Service agents were being purposefully melodramatic about two different dogs? Yes. Do I believe that Major and Commander were both bitey? Also yes. Do I believe that there’s something really f–ked up happening within the USSS? 100%. Not for nothing, but I honestly think some of this is just the breed – German shepherds are protective animals and both Major and Commander were trying to be good guard dogs for their mom and dad. I always believed that Commander, being so young when he came to the White House, was just doing puppy things and he didn’t know his own strength when he nipped people. But yeah, whatever. The dogs were sent away from the White House, it’s over.
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, The White House, Backgrid.
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- Washington, DC – United States President Joe Biden, left, and first lady Dr. Jill Biden, right, pet their dog, a German Shepherd puppy named ‘Commander’, while virtually meeting with United States military service members on Christmas Day, in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building on the White House complex in Washington, DC, USA. Pictured: Joe Biden, Jill Biden BACKGRID USA 25 DECEMBER 2021 BYLINE MUST READ: MediaPunch / BACKGRID USA: +1 310 798 9111 / usasales@backgrid.com UK: +44 208 344 2007 / uksales@backgrid.com *UK Clients – Pictures Containing Children Please Pixelate Face Prior To Publication*
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- Washington, DC – United States President Joe Biden, left, and first lady Dr. Jill Biden, right, pet their dog, a German Shepherd puppy named ‘Commander’, while virtually meeting with United States military service members on Christmas Day, in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building on the White House complex in Washington, DC, USA. Pictured: Joe Biden, Jill Biden BACKGRID USA 25 DECEMBER 2021 BYLINE MUST READ: MediaPunch / BACKGRID USA: +1 310 798 9111 / usasales@backgrid.com UK: +44 208 344 2007 / uksales@backgrid.com *UK Clients – Pictures Containing Children Please Pixelate Face Prior To Publication*
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- Washington, DC – United States President Joe Biden, left, and first lady Dr. Jill Biden, right, pet their dog, a German Shepherd puppy named ‘Commander’, while virtually meeting with United States military service members on Christmas Day, in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building on the White House complex in Washington, DC, USA. Pictured: Joe Biden, Jill Biden BACKGRID USA 25 DECEMBER 2021 BYLINE MUST READ: MediaPunch / BACKGRID USA: +1 310 798 9111 / usasales@backgrid.com UK: +44 208 344 2007 / uksales@backgrid.com *UK Clients – Pictures Containing Children Please Pixelate Face Prior To Publication*
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- Washington, DC – United States President Joe Biden, left, and first lady Dr. Jill Biden, right, pet their dog, a German Shepherd puppy named ‘Commander’, while virtually meeting with United States military service members on Christmas Day, in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building on the White House complex in Washington, DC, USA. Pictured: Joe Biden, Jill Biden BACKGRID USA 25 DECEMBER 2021 BYLINE MUST READ: MediaPunch / BACKGRID USA: +1 310 798 9111 / usasales@backgrid.com UK: +44 208 344 2007 / uksales@backgrid.com *UK Clients – Pictures Containing Children Please Pixelate Face Prior To Publication*
I think whst seemes so suspicious is that the public leaks are all complaints of biting Secret Service personnel. The press vaguely refer to incidents involving other types of employees but never have details 🤔. Those dogs were surrounded by staffers and WH employees constantly. How are there not more details except for the Secret Service complaining?
I think, the secret service changes personnel frequently unlike people working in the white house. Also, they probably got closer to the president than others, which can trigger the dog’s protective senses. I don’t really see any conspiracy in this. The people protecting the president would be vetted thoroughly.
The head of secret service was replaced by a Trump lackey who did not get immediately removed once Trump took office so there is a reason why we don’t know whether or not the agents who deleted all their Jan 6 communications are fired or not. Assuming they are all properly vetting people is assuming a lot in this situation.
@Nic919, it isn’t one man’s job to vet the secret service agents who are protecting the president or the job of a group of people appointed by one man. We are talking about an old organization here, whose sole job is to protect the president of the USA. I see the deletion of the texts in the similar context here. They are always gonna protect the president even if the president himself is a racist, dangerous conman. If there is a precedent set where the secret service agents in the WH assist in taking down the president (in this case, by telling the truth, giving the evidence), in their view, it would danger their own mission. Maybe, if they did, in the future, the president would be less willing to trust them. There is no doubt, the Trump presidency ruined the perception of the public trust in many organizations, but he is an exception that many government professionals had to deal with.
Seven blue, your points would have been true 25 years ago. But the SS was removed from Treasury and placed under Homeland Security and it’s been kind of a shitshow ever since. If the dogs only ever bit one very specific type of person when surrounded by tons of people all day every day…there comes a point when you need to listen to the dogs. Who also may have been picking up on distrust of the SS from the Bidens themselves. So I have to ask myself, why would a lifetime DC politician distrust the SS to the point that the family dogs attack them all the time? And nobody else?
Sevenblue, remember that VP Mike Pence refused to get in the car driven by his SS people on Jan 6.
To assume the SS is full of well meaning officers is an old fashioned, pre Trump notion that doesn’t apply anymore.
@TeamCommander, lol first, I love your name 🙂
The simplest explanation is, the white house personnel working there daily don’t change frequently. Some are career people, some are with the current administration. Secret service agents are different, their job is exhausting and they need to be alert all the time especially when the President is on the move. So, as far as I know, they shift the agents frequently from a pool. A dog would naturally be more alert if there is someone unfamiliar around his human. Only president’s close aides and agents would get close to him physically and if the dog isn’t familiar with the agent, it can be a stressful situation.
@WiththeAmerican, I don’t know why MP refused to get in the car with SS (maybe he didn’t want to leave, which would prevent him from doing his job?), but I know, on that day, his agents (and the capital police) protected him and his family while the mob was planning to get to him. Trump may have corrupted some agents and appointed some corrupt people to the organization. But, in the limited view of their job description, they did their job.
Have all the agents who deleted their texts from Jan 6 been removed? If not then why not? Because Jan 6 was an insurrection and the Secret Service was protecting a traitor.
@sevenblue and @withtheamerican, Pence refused to get in that car that day because he did NOT know the driver or the other guy in the car. They weren’t the same ones who brought him there and he had never seen them before. He said that to the head of his detail – that he knew the head of his detail and he would stay with him but he did not know those guys in the car and he would not go with them.
I am not going to get into whether there are issues within the White House or USSS.
However, twenty four biting incidents is far too many. The Secret Service are employees just like other people, they should not have to fear getting bitten by an animal at their place of employment. Some dogs do not do well around strangers, which clearly that is the case with these two.
I agree. I assume it’s whoever is training him. My cousins had a dog they sent away to be field trained. The trainer would do negative reinforcement by pinching the dog’s ear. When the dog came home, my cousin’s wife was petting/rubbing the dog too on the ear (probably a bit too hard for what the dog liked) and the dog freaked out and bit her face. It was a golden lab and a super sweet dog by nature and my family is good with dogs. It came down to how he was trained. I think the dog maybe bit one of my cousin’s kids at some point or had another biting incident, so they sadly had to put him down. I doubt Joe or Jill are training these dogs, so I don’t blame them, but it seems like there is a pattern with whomever is training those dogs. It’s not the dogs themselves; it’s the trainers.
Yeah, I agree. Whether or not there are problems in the Secret Service it’s not safe to have an over-protective dog around people whose job it is to do things over-protective dogs hate, i.e. follow their person too close, watch their person too much, move too fast, talk too loud, etc. I’m sure the dogs can sense that the secret service is asserting dominance over their person / controlling the space and it triggers instincts that aren’t safe.
Maybe a different breed would do better in the White House environment?
Veeeeeery much this. This is also the 2nd dog with the same problems, so it’s either a breed issue or a training issue. Either way, it’s not ok.
even one bite is in some cases one bite too many.
but in the case of the dog that only bit the ranks of the USSS, the same USSS that sided with Trump and the insurgents, and no other people/staff on the White House grounds, I am on the side of the dog.
you can very well upset a dog with the use of certain odors/behaviors, ETA – or in some cases electronic devices (see below)
You are on the side of the poorly trained dog because some members of the USSS may have sided with Trump and they therefore deserve to be bitten by a dog while carrying out their duties? We do not even know if the agents bitten were sympathetic to Trump. An entire USG agency is not a monolith.
Do you support any other types of assault against people trying to do their jobs if they’re MAGAs or have committed unrelated crimes in the past?
Agree 100 percent. I was shocked that there were that many biting incidents. I get that the Bidens love their dogs and have tried to get them trained so they won’t bite. But after the 2nd or 3rd biting incident, it was time to send the dogs to Delaware so they couldn’t hurt people anymore.
Thank you. I believe that the Bidens love their fur babies, and sometimes love can blind you. 24 (!) biting incidents are way too many. Especially since they already had a dog with aggression issues. These dogs were anxious and in the wrong environment. I’m glad they’re in Delaware and hope they feel safer there. The Bidens cannot have dogs that habitually bite.
I have to defend German Shepherds as a breed here. I’ve had 3, all rescues, and none of them have ever bitten anyone. If the Biden’s dogs are biting anyone, there’s a training issue or something else happening. GSDs are incredibly smart and very willing to learn.
I agree that this is a training issue. German Shepherds are frequently used as dogs for police, military, and airport security — they aren’t constantly randomly biting people, even though they’re in high-stress environments. The Bidens also have the resources to properly train these dogs so there’s no excuse.
I’m so with you on this. If I was bit by a German Shepherd (or any dog) at work or having to work around a dog that was biting my colleagues I would 100% be on the phone to my union rep. If it happened 24 times? I’m so on the phone to CNN. Clearly this is not a good environment for these dogs whether it’s the breed, the training, or the super bizarre situation in which a person is constantly surrounded by armed security. Maybe get a cat or some doodleydog like Bobama.
Same. Setting all the politics aside, Commander is in the wrong home. I have heard this kind of story often and it is fixable. When trained dogs with responsible owners have any problems with aggression, it’s time to find a home that reflects the strengths of the dog.
We’ve experienced this and ended up finding new home for a 2 year old Lab with dog aggression issues. We’ve had Labs for years and had no issues. It was so hard and we wondered if we could have done more/better. But the new owners and home were so well suited to this particular dog. She is happy and well suited for a family that really don’t like spending time with other peoples dogs.
If they want a dog, get a dog. A dog that has a fenced in area and a walker who is not POTUS or USSS. Breed is never a guarantee but look into something lazy 😉
I trust a dog long before I trust a person. I do find it interesting that the dog is ONLY biting the secret service and no other employee in the WH. Interesting.
Agree 100% Snappy Fish, we’ve had shepherds in the family all of my life. Yes, some can be high strung, but I’d trust the dog’s instincts first and foremost. Obviously, we don’t know how they were trained, but if they were trained, and they’re biting (out of puppy playful biting, which can be a nuisance) , then there is a good reason –
I had a conversation with a dog person who told me the mics that the SS wear is at a frequency that the dogs can hear and puts them on edge. I raised German Shepherds and never had this problem with them biting people. I think the combo of the energy these agents give off and them hovering over the Pres and the !st Lady and the weird sounds the mics make causes the over protectiveness from the pups
THIS makes a lot of sense. Both German Shepherds being biters? Something else is going on. We have customers that have German Shepherds. My DH had one growing up. None of them were biters. Protective? Yes. Friendly. Yep. They didn’t detect any unfriendliness from us. One was quite bold. He came behind my desk and was quite smitten with my purse. Terrible behavior! He’s attacking my purse. No ma’am, I’ve detected beef jerky in your purse and want to save you from it.
The Biden’s need to get a Bernese Mountain Dog. Super friendly, beautiful (though German Shepherds are beautiful to me), and leavers of huge piles. Big, Huge. I can see the questionable SS writing complaints. He shat on my shoe and it was messy. It’s a security crisis! Must remove at once. Remember when Ireland’s President Higgins did an interview and his Bernese was playfully biting him and stealing the show. Best of Show. And, we have a cat who is QOE.
This was my thought too. I’m not going to defend a dog biting employees, but they don’t bite at random. They’ll bite when provoked and they’re good at sensing a-holes and weird energy. I also think @MMERWfan might be on to something with a high-pitched sound coming from the ear pieces.
As I read the comments, I sit here and watch my German Shepherd rescue play with her new Bark box toy. She’s a big baby.
However, if somebody tries to come in the house that she doesn’t like or know, I have no doubt she would attack them to protect me. She especially doesn’t like men, which makes me believe she was abused by one. That wasn’t the case with Commander as he came to the Biden’s as a puppy. So, maybe it does have something to do with the Secret Service and their microphones.
I’m just happy that they didn’t put the dog to sleep, instead moving it to family in Delaware.
Dogs bite because they’re good at sensing weird energy? Why were Hitler, Stalin, and John Wayne Gary’s dogs so inept at sensing weird energy? Hitler,in fact, had a GSD.
Yeah, trust dogs. The SS is a sh*show of Trumpers. No thanks.
This!
I had a very protective German Shepherd when my son was young. I trusted his instincts. He was always right about people. Always. Both dogs at the White House being over protective? I trust the dogs over the secret service.
I agree with you completely. I trust the dog’s instincts to suss out people that have bad intentions. Dogs have a sense about people that are up to no good.
Dogs do not have some special magical ability to detect when people are up to no good. Some of the world’s cruelest dictators and famous serial killers owned and adored dogs. Their dogs were likewise loyal to them. Dogs are loyal to whomever feeds them and will bite anyone who does something that triggers them if poorly trained.
Look at that face! The WH was an over-stimulated atmosphere for these dogs.
The article and the reports need to provide more context. When investigating, the person’s behavior is as significant as the dogs. The bites should have been classified as to whether it was provoked or unprovoked attacks.
Dogs know who is good and who is not. I have had a German shepherd and she didn’t bite but she did follow strangers like service people when they came into my house to fix something. She would go to the door with me when I let them in and if she followed them then I knew she didn’t like them and if she just greeted them at the door and left they where ok. I suspect the Presidents dog did the same thing but he let them know with a bite.
What about when they bite little children? Do they know then?
This idea that dogs magically know bad people from good people is silly. Dogs have their own mind and their own triggers.
💯, @Nanny
Yes, when dogs bite kids it’s also usually because the kids are provoking the dog by playing rough with them, or that the dogs haven’t been properly socialized around children and don’t understand not to be afraid of running, shrieking, high energy kids.
People kept saying this “dogs know who’s good and who’s not” last time and it is so utterly stupid. How can you possibly think dogs only bite bad people? Remove the prejudice against the USSS from this story and insert literally anyone else and this is a story about a wild animal that will NOT STOP BITING PEOPLE. I can’t believe the Bidens let it go this far before removing the dog. The number of bites should never have been more than one, let alone TWO DOZEN. Absolute failure of responsible dog ownership.
@tealily – See, whatever the reason for dogs mauling children, be it kids being loud or dogs not being properly trained, you are confirming that dogs have their own triggers that have nothing to do with our good/bad dichotomy.
What constitutes a “biting incident?” Particularly with a puppy? I ask this as my tenant’s 6 month old kitten gnaws on my foot. My experience with young animals is that everything must be tasted and tested for safety by mouth. I don’t trust the Secret Service in its current form
A six-month old kitten gnawing on your foot is hardly a 50-lb shepherd biting to draw blood. And if you think the proper way to raise a puppy is to allow it to taste and test everything in its mouth at will … please don’t get a dog. Or any pet. Or children. And this has nothing to do with all of the USSS commentary – it’s cruel to not give proper care and training to a pet.
Way to miss my point completely. I have had dogs and cats my entire life. As have all of my siblings and most cousins. Large dogs. Dogs weighing 100 pounds and no problems, except for the time my sleeping sister rolled over onto a sleeping beagle. You did not come close to even answering my question. WHAT IS BEING CONSIDERED A BITING INCIDENT? I know there’s a substantial difference but I am not seeing sufficient information to determine whether those covering this story are making those distinctions.
As for this kitten, he draws blood frequently and his bites hurt.
@lightpurple … cannot respond under your message so here. My point is that yours is irrelevant. No one from the WH has denied in any way shape or form that the dog bites. They have, in fact, removed not one but two dogs – finally. If only one qualifies as a bite serious enough for you, that’s enough. This poor dog is not properly trained, clearly in an environment not suited to its temperament, and constantly placed in situations where it is finding it necessary to bite/nip whatever. It’s not fair to the animal. There’s no need for tin hats in this – I’m #teamdog. And I fully stand by my not just allowing a puppy to “test” everything for safety with its mouth. Seriously?
And as for the kitten … draws blood frequently and it hurts? Why on earth do you allow it? Now is the time to teach it – not encourage it ffs.
@ Molly–Kittens bite just like babies teeth. Hell, my adult cats still bite from time to time. You don’t train a cat to not do what is natural to them and yes, cat bites can REALLY effin hurt. But that’s not the same as a large dog with the capacity to severely injure someone–agree with you on that.
As you and others have pointed out, this seems like a high-stress environment for this dog and it’s for the best that he was removed.
Dogs teethe too though. They have to mature and be trained. @Lightpurple’s point is that there’s a big difference between a young dog giving someone an exploratory lick or nibble and an actual dog bite. Is the dog intentionally clamping down or drawing blood being reported as a “bite incident?” Or is the dog putting it’s mouth on someone’s hand being reported as a “bite incident?” There is a big difference.
Well one person supposedly ended up in the hospital so presumably, we’re talking about more than just a nip.
ETA thank you, Kitten and Tealily. Good to know some people understand what I meant.
Molly, I did NOT say we were allowing anything OR that pets shouldn’t be trained. It has been well documented that the Bidens brought trainers in for all their dogs. My question, although you discount it, stands: what is being classified as a “biting incident?” And yes, it does matter. I’m fine with both Major and Commander being removed for their own safety; I never said otherwise. But it is unfair to an animal to classify it as a vicious biter when it’s not. Please spare me your lectures about my questions, my dogs, my cats or my life.
The sheer number of bites being reported makes me think they are reporting more that just *actual bites.* I can’t imagine a dog who has bit 24 times not being put down.
News breaks on the Republicans in Congress working with Russian intelligence to smear Biden–and CNN headlines are about Commander. Why won’t American media spend time looking into Trump/GOP shady stunts? It’s frustrating!
💯
Exactly what I thought. Why are we going back to this now?
So weird how they’ve been totally silent on that issue! Republicans = Russians, Russians h*te America… so?
This is all one big distraction from us getting confirmation of what we’ve known all along-Trump/GOP are owned by Putin & the Russians. This dog story is being trotted out months after it was put to bed on purpose. Stay awake America!
One of the people he bit had to be hospitalized. This is beyond just nipping. I am actually shocked that they let him stay at the White House for that long. And to whoever said, Oh dogs know and will only bite who isn’t trustworthy- that’s a crock. A dog that bites like this will bite pretty much everybody. It sees almost everyone as a threat outside of its immediate person/people.
I mean, ACAB always but the comments on the Commander Bit Someone Again threads are always a shit show. Commander isn’t attacking the SS because he knows they’re bad people, guys. Good, well-meaning people get bitten and sometimes even mauled by dogs all the time so let’s stop the tin foil hat insanity. And while some part of me really admires that Biden hasn’t given up on Commander, this dog clearly needs serious canine training. I get that this forum is full of people who love Biden, but nobody should be applauding or excusing a dog that has bitten people 24 freaking times. And this is for the dog’s safety as well: what if the next time he bites someone it’s serious enough for him to be ordered put down?
If he wasn’t the Biden’s dog he already would have been put down. Someone he bit had to be hospitalized.
My thoughts exactly. TBC, I would hate for either of their dogs to be put down, but I’ve read stories of dogs being put down for ONE bite, much less twenty-four.
I find these stories a bit hard to read because I had a dog who “bit” once and it turned from one bite into a full on frenzied attack where she became unrecognizable and killed another animal. She was put down and it killed a part of my soul forever, even having a new and lovely dog now, I will never be a naive dog owner again. I am shocked that he bit 24 times, regardless of how you define “bite”, because when a dog bites and that behaviour doesn’t change, there are so many what if’s and liability issues that come into play.
@ Grey, I’m so sorry about your dog. Just devastating 🙁
Thank you for weighing in with a sane take as usual, @Kitten. Twenty-four bites by one dog is outrageous and unacceptable.
In fairness, CNN is covering other news, including the many criminal charges against the 🍊🤡. But the dog was biting others at the WH, sometimes seriously. The Secret Service was making formal reports for workplace safety incidents. They’re not worried about their jobs when non- Secret Service might be. I am not defending the Secret Service which has had problems in the recent past. But a dangerous dog is a dangerous dog. Commander is better off out of the overstimulating atmosphere at the WH. And I guess some folks here just love their conspiracy theories.
THIS. The poor dog needs to be in a better environment.
While I love a good conspiracy theory as much as the next person, it needs to be said that dogs are not Santa Claus. They don’t know if you have been bad or good. They don’t understand the concepts of good and evil. They operate purely on an instinctual level. And those canine instincts can lead them to very wrong conclusions.
Dogs respond to positivity so yes they can weed out bad or good pretty quickly. No their not Santa but they are very good judges of character.
@Brassy Rebel You make such a good point about the difference in employment status between SS agents and WH staffers. SS agents are federal employees with all the protections that come with that, as well as a union to protect them against retaliation for speaking up in their workplace. Pretty much all other staff working in the White House (and on Capitol Hill) are political appointees which means they are not represented by a union and can be fired at will, at any time, for any reason. Quite often when you have two groups of employees working in the same workplace but only one of those groups is in a union, that group will advocate for everyone in the workplace because they safely can.
Long-time dog-owner here. USSS and other issues notwithstanding: 24 bites (a nip, btw, is a bite) is well past too many. (No one is denying that the dog bites.) 2 or 3 reported bites will get your dog removed and potentially put down out here in society. Yes, Shepherds are protective and well-abled guard dogs by nature – which makes their careful training all the more important. It was clearly not sufficiently trained or controlled. It’s sad for the dog … it’s working with its natural instincts. I feel worse for the dog (hopefully it went to a better environment) than whomever it left behind having gotten it in this position.
The dog isn’t there anymore so making this a story is just looking for a reason to bash Biden. It is interesting that he had a similar dog while VP where he also had Secret Service protection and there were not the same issues at all.
But if this is a workplace issue, then where is the FOIA request about the time Trump forced the agents to ride with him in a limo for a silly joyride while he was infected with a potentially fatal virus which at the time had zero treatment except experimental ones only used for the rich. Or the way the adult trump kids used them for personal security.
He’s not even there anymore? Wth is CNN focused on it for then?
My favourite gossip is gossip about Commander and Major Biden.
24 incidents is a lot though, they could have at least get him to wear a muzzle when people are around. Maybe he’s a nervous dog and doesn’t like to have too many people around him.
Why are they bringing this up again? Commander has moved out. Oh, that’s right…
Quick everyone, stop looking at the GOP Senators conspiring with Russia to take down a lawfully elected President. Look over here at the dog!
This is it. It’s one thing to cover the story if the dog was still at the WH but it is not a story because the dog was removed.
O.m.g. You are so right.
Yep. The fact that this ginned-up “story” has even wound up ostensibly liberal audiences like this blog’s readers proves that it’s an effective right-wing distraction technique. Review of the actual verbiage in one FOIA request (released by right-wingers) laid bare the tactic used. Dog Bite!!! Aaah!!! Freak-out!!! ignoring subjectivity involved in reporting “soft bite” incidents — how long was I ignored in this forum begging for ppl to explain “soft bite” to me. Let’s not even get into the stupidity of CNN hoping to spice up their typical “horse race” election year coverage, completely ignoring germane policy issues, but fearful of being seen as t-rump’s PR arm by broadcasting his rallies in their entirety.
Not sure what is meant by ‘soft bite’ incidents. The term ‘soft bite’ is often used for hunting/sporting dogs. Soft bite vs hard bite. If you have a dog that is going to retrieve for you, you don’t want what they pick up to be damaged, so you teach the dog to pick up with a ‘soft bite’. So maybe a ‘soft bite’ is one that didn’t break the skin?
Now I’m waiting for a bite count from Jill’s cat Willow!
My Alsatian (who I regularly walked beside me on our dirt road unleashed) was in a mid-air dive as a small child in helmet; on bike w/training wheels closed in wobbling up to us. The shepherd was off leash and I realized what was about to happen. I screamed the dogs name (never had raised my voice to her before) and she immediately dropped to the ground and crawled back to me on her belly. German Shepherds are no joke. They will protect the person from all any any perceived “threats” that dog should never have been at the White House. There are better suited breeds if Joe wants a dog around.
That is a poor dog that needs a field with critters in it to herd. Maybe a second larger dog for perimeter watch. Sometimes nature and breeding for specific skills just dominates.
Dogs don’t always have good instincts and I wish people would stop acting like this is a huge conspiracy. Some dogs are just highly reactive and that’s the way they are, it has nothing to do with the kind of person you are. A good friend of mine owned chihuahuas, they were high strung and always barked at whoever came in the door and ALWAYS nipped at my heels which I did not appreciate. I stayed away from them because I did not trust them. My own bichon frise would bark like a maniac at any delivery person/mail carrier that would come to our door, he even got out through the storm door once and was circling our poor terrified mail carrier. I had to run outside in bare feet and scoop him up and apologize profusely to him and tell him my dog only hated delivery people but was fine with everyone else.
Another former friend of mine (we lost touch after high school) also owned a very reactive dog and the dog only chilled out weirdly when I brought around my own dog and introduced him to my bichon frise. As soon as my friend’s dog met my dog, it was like a light switch and night and day. I dunno what went on in his doggy brain but he accepted my bichon and therefore accepted me. From then on, he would always bark aggressively when I entered her house but as soon as I offered my hand and he recognized my scent, he quieted down immediately and remembered who I was.
German shepherds are big dogs and highly protective of their owners. The only German Shepherd who did okay at the White House was the Biden’s older German Shepherd (can’t remember his name) who didn’t have that young manic energy and probably had mobility issues, so he just lazed around all day. It’s not a great environment for a dog with so many people coming and going and so much going on. I believe one of George Bush’s dogs was also known for biting people (I googled, one of them bit a reporter on live TV).
The secret service is not what it was (remember those agents drinking and hiring prostitutes when they were out of country with Obama?).
Every Shepard I had was smart and protective (one practically raised me), so I might be prejudiced in their favor.
Biting is not okay but both bitey good boys are no longer in the White House.
So, really a non issue at this point.
Though may I suggest a Labrador the next time someone is thinking of a White House doggie?
@JanetDR
Exactly. Like get a Collie or a spaniel or something.
It’s a busy place with a lot of different people around – not suitable for aggressive dogs like Alsatians.
Joe Biden just seems like an insecure man who has to have “macho” dogs – and calls them “macho” names like Commander and Major. He did the same with his sons’ names.
i’m happy the dogs are safe. This stinks of privilege. Normal people would have to of put their beloved pet down after 1 or 2 of these biting/nipping incidents.
@Jkl
Totally. A dog is supposed to be put down if it ever bites a human. With good reason.
Just this: The Secret Service claimed they had meticulously documented eleven biting incidents last year, which was weird because their meticulous record-keeping was nonexistent when it came to domestic terrorism on January 6th, 2021.
Very strange indeed. Meticulous in prejudiced cases but not meticulous in areas that affect national security.