President Joe Biden's family dog, Commander, bit Secret Service agents at least 24 times. The German Shepherd became part of the Biden family in December 2021, and recently released documents show that there were at least 24 incidents involving Commander from October 2022 to July 2023. The documents only include incidents involving Secret Service agents, not other White House staff, so it's unclear if there were more incidents involving the Biden family pet. Commander left the White House in October 2023 due to safety concerns.
It's not the first time Commander's biting habits have been brought to light, but the recently released documents show just how deep the issue really was. Though various measures were taken to try to improve Commander's behavior — training, leashing, working with experts — the family ultimately decided that "the White House environment simply proved too much for Commander," according to a statement from Elizabeth Alexander, first lady Jill Biden’s communications director, that was shared with CNN.
“The president and first lady care deeply about the safety of those who work at the White House and those who protect them every day," Alexander said in the statement.
The documents reveal that some Secret Service agents suffered from severe wounds and needed medical treatment after being bitten by Commander.
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In July 2023, a Secret Service agent had "a severe deep open wound" after Commander bit the agent "in the left forearm," as per CNN. The agent also "started to lose a significant amount of blood" and had to get six stitches.
The presence of Commander in their workplace affected the way the agents worked, as revealed by the documents. In an email, an agent wrote, "The recent dog bites have challenged us to adjust our operational tactics when Commander is present — please give lots of room (staying a terrain feature away if possible)," as per the BBC.
