The Secret Service has confirmed that President Joe Biden's dog Commander has once again bitten one of their agents, The Hill reported. Monday's incident marks the 11th time the two-year-old German Shephard has bitten someone.
"Yesterday around 8pm, a Secret Service Uniformed Division police officer came in contact with a First Family pet and was bitten. The officer was treated by medical personnel on complex," Anthony Guglielmi, Secret Service spokesman, said Tuesday in a statement.
This same dog has bitten at least 10 times before this latest incident. The other events were revealed in an email released by Judicial Watch, a conservative activist group, in July.
Between October 2022 and January 2023, Commander sunk his teeth into people at both the Bidens' Delaware residence and the White House. An incident in November was so severe, an officer received injuries on the thigh and upper arm.
The young pup was given to the Bidens as a gift in 2021 from the president's brother, James Biden, and sister-in-law, Sara Biden. Since Commander has been so much trouble, the White House has announced it will work with the Secret Service and other staff on training and new leashing procedures.
The dog will also be given its own areas to run and play to minimize the risk to personnel. Many dog apologists insist the fault for aggressive dogs lies with the owners, and that perhaps is the case for the Bidens.
The president's other German shepherds, Major and Champ, were sent away from the White House to live with other family members after Major's own spate of incidents, CNN reported. The dogs were companions and were sent away together after Major showed aggression.
"We got Major, he’s a rescue dog. We asked the vet, ‘What can we do to keep Champ going?’ and he said, 'Get him a young dog,'" Joe Biden told reporters shortly after taking office.
"They’re buddies," he added. Major, the younger of the two "buddies," tripped his owner, resulting in a fractured foot before Joe Biden was even sworn into office.
"What happened was I got out of the shower. I got a dog and anybody who’s been around my house knows – dropped, little pup dropped a ball in front of me, and for me to grab the ball," the newly elected Joe Biden explained.
"And I’m walking through this little alleyway to get to the bedroom, and I grabbed the ball like this and he ran. And I’m joking, running after him and grab his tail. And what happened was that he slid on a throw rug, and I tripped on the rug he slid on," Joe Biden explained.
"Oh man, not a very exciting story," he added. Once in the White House, Major bit a Secret Service Agent, which the administration attempted to downplay.
"[Champ and Major] are still getting acclimated and accustomed to their surroundings and new people. And on Monday, the first family’s younger dog, Major, was surprised by an unfamiliar person and reacted in a way that resulted in a minor injury to the individual," then-White House press secretary Jen Psaki told the press.
Dogs are unpredictable creatures, but they are still largely products of their upbringing and training. It's no surprise that a man who is immoral and unable to keep his family in order would have such ill-mannered dogs.
