President Joe Biden’s German shepherd, Commander, has bitten Secret Service personnel at least 24 times, according to documents obtained by CNN, adding to a troubling string of incidents involving the president’s dog.
Why this story matters: Commander, Biden’s two-year-old German shepherd, has been involved in incidents with uniformed Secret Service personnel and members of Biden’s protective detail, according to records obtained by CNN via a Freedom of Information Act request.
According to the report, the attacks forced Secret Service personnel to change their workplace habits to avoid further injuries. The report included an email from an anonymous agent who stated, “Recent dog bites have challenged us to adjust our operational tactics when Commander is present.”
Commander was given to the Bidens as a puppy in December 2021
The incidents took place at the White House, Biden’s homes in Rehoboth Beach and Wilmington, Delaware, as well as Nantucket, Massachusetts, where the Bidens spent their last two Thanksgiving holidays, and Camp David.
Those 24 incidents do not include previous incidents involving Commander that CNN reported, and a report published last July by conservative watchdog Judicial Watch listed at least ten more instances, including one that forced a uniformed officer to seek treatment at a local hospital.
Secret Service communications chief Anthony Guglielmi said that personnel have been “navigating how best to operate in an environment that includes family pets for many presidential administrations,” and that the incidents with Commander were treated as workplace injuries.
According to a source close to the Biden family, the incidents have left them feeling “awful” and “heartbroken”.
Commander was given to the Bidens as a puppy by Joe Biden’s brother James in December 2021, five months after Champ, their other German shepherd, died at the age of thirteen. However, since bringing Commander to the White House, he has exhibited “extremely aggressive behavior,” according to an email obtained by Judicial Watch from a uniform division officer. Some of the incidents detailed in Judicial Watch reports occurred while Commander was free to roam, and First Lady Jill Biden stated that she “couldn’t regain control” of the German shepherd. In September, a tourist visiting the White House captured a photo of Commander biting a groundskeeper.
In March 2021, the Bidens brought another German shepherd, three-year-old Major
In October, a spokesperson for Jill Biden announced that Commander was no longer living at the White House, stating that the family would decide where to keep the pet.
In March 2021, the Bidens brought another German shepherd, three-year-old Major, to their Delaware home after the dog became aggressive and occasionally charged at White House staff. The family adopted Major from a shelter in 2018.