President Joe Biden’s younger dog, Commander, has been involved in multiple biting incidents both at the White House and in Delaware, according to email correspondence from the U.S. Secret Service. The messages reveal that agency personnel expressed concerns about safety around the German Shepherd.
In response to the incidents, the White House said the Bidens are implementing new training measures for Commander to address the behavior.
Commander is not the first Biden family dog to face such challenges. Major, another German Shepherd owned by the Bidens, was previously involved in similar biting incidents at the White House and was eventually relocated from the residence.
Emails obtained through Freedom of Information Act requests by the conservative group Judicial Watch reveal that Commander, President Joe Biden’s 22-month-old German Shepherd, was involved in 10 biting incidents, including one that sent a Secret Service officer to a local hospital.
Commander, who arrived at the White House in 2021, reportedly bit an officer on the arm and thigh during a November 2022 incident, leading to the officer being referred for medical treatment.
Other biting incidents detailed in the emails occurred while Commander was walking unleashed on the White House grounds, raising further safety concerns among Secret Service personnel.
In one incident last October, First Lady Dr. Jill Biden was unable to regain control of Commander as the dog charged a member of the Secret Service, according to internal emails. A staff member warned in a message, “I believe it’s only a matter of time before an agent or officer is attacked or bitten.”
Elizabeth Alexander, communications director for the First Lady, addressed the situation, acknowledging the challenges. “The White House complex is a unique and often stressful environment for family pets, and the First Family is working through ways to make this situation better for everyone,” she said.
Alexander added that the Bidens have been collaborating with the Secret Service and Executive Residence staff on enhanced leashing protocols, additional training for Commander, and the creation of designated exercise areas for the dog.
She also noted that, according to the Secret Service, each biting incident was handled like any comparable workplace injury, with appropriate notifications and reporting procedures followed.
“The President and First Lady are incredibly grateful to the Secret Service and Executive Residence staff for all they do to keep them, their family, and the country safe,” Alexander said.
The U.S. Secret Service is “aware” of incidents involving the first family’s pets, according to a statement from Anthony Guglielmi, the agency’s chief of communications.
“For the past several presidential administrations, the Secret Service has navigated how to best operate around family pets, and these incidents are no exception. We take the safety and wellbeing of our employees extremely seriously,” Guglielmi said, noting that employees are encouraged to report any job-related injuries.
He emphasized that all incidents involving first-family pets were treated similarly to other workplace injuries, with proper notifications and reporting procedures followed.
Guglielmi also clarified that Secret Service special agents and officers do not care for or handle the first family’s pets. Instead, he said, they “continuously work with all applicable entities to minimize adverse impacts in an environment that includes pets.”
