Biden's dog Commander has bitten Secret Service officers 10 times in four months, records show

[Celerity]

https://apnews.com/article/biden-dog-secret-service-commander-bite-89448214f0832edabd28940f7a2c8d4c



WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden ‘s dog Commander bit Secret Service officers at least 10 times between October 2022 and January, including one incident that required a trip to the hospital for an injured law enforcement officer, according to records from the Department of Homeland Security. The conservative watchdog group Judicial Watch on Tuesday released nearly 200 pages of Secret Service records that it obtained through a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit.

The group said it filed suit after the agency, a division of DHS, “failed to respond adequately” to its request last December for records about biting incidents involving the purebred German Shepherd dog. The group said it filed the request after receiving a tip about Commander’s behavior. The White House and the Secret Service appeared to play down the situation on Tuesday.

Elizabeth Alexander, communications director for first lady Jill Biden, said in an email that the White House complex is a “unique and often stressful environment” for family pets and that the Biden family was “working through ways to make this situation better for everyone.” Anthony Guglielmi, chief spokesperson for the Secret Service, said in a separate email that his agency has for the past several presidents “navigated how best to operate around family pets and these incidents are no exception. We take the safety and wellbeing of our employees extremely seriously.”

The Secret Service provides security protection for the president and his family, and scores of its officers are posted around the executive mansion and its sprawling grounds. Biden received Commander in December 2021 as a gift from his brother James. The president’s previous dog, another German shepherd named Major, had been sent to live with friends in Delaware after some biting incidents of his own involving Secret Service officers and White House staff.

snip

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

1. Send him to bite Kevin McCarthy

and the rest of the GOP malcontents.

[snowybirdie]

2. Annnnnnnd?

[LizBeth]

48. Seriously? If dg can't be around people, he should not be or on a leash to where he cannot bite or

if around people one of those mouth things. That would be an and. Do something to address not ignore... After the FIRST bite

[cilla4progress]

3. Too stressful for a dog.

And the energy those agents put out would be threatening to a dog, I would think. Especially a guard dog type.

I know what of I speak.. 😳

[hlthe2b]

9. Golden Retriever and similar breeds would be better suited. German Shepherds are great dogs

but there is a reason they are temperamentally selected for police duty, guard dogs, and drug-detection.

[ShazzieB]

85. Makes sense.

Makes sense that a breed temperamentally suited to police and guard dog work would find life in the White House stressful. I agree that a more laidback breed like the golden retriever or maybe a lab would be a better fit.

[yardwork]

51. That's what I thought, too.

That breed is very protective.

[TheBlackAdder]

107. Ace

.

.

[Merlot]

4. I hear Commander also takes bribes.

The group said it filed suit after the agency, a division of DHS, “failed to respond adequately” to its request last December for records about biting incidents involving the purebred German Shepherd Dog. The group said it filed the request after receiving a tip about Commander’s behavior.

Wow, more corruption! Full house investigation!

The conservative watchdog group Judicial Watch

[dchill]

12. Let's go after his DOG!

Yeah! That'll get him! We'll win for sure!

[The Unmitigated Gall]

30. We need to see what's on Commander's laptop.

[FSogol]

5. He probably read, "Zero Fail: The Rise and Fall of the Secret Service" by Carol Leonnig.

Some of them deserve to be bitten.

[ShepKat]

6. time to investigate their backgrounds

I'd trust a dog over a human most days.

[liberalla]

10. I'm with you on this!

[canuckledragger]

33. Exactly. what are those agents doing to provoke that dog...

...in the dog's own territory?

[zuul]

44. Yes! We know to whom the dog is loyal.

Not so sure about the Secret Service anymore.

[uponit7771]

123. +1,

[kimbutgar]

7. Why is this story showing up again?

Didn’t that dog get re homed or lives in Delaware? it must be a slow news day and no real scandals about President so they write an old story about the dog being a biter.

[brer cat]

20. It was his earlier dog, Major, that was banished after biting incidents.

This is a newer dog, Commander, who seems to have the same opinion about SS agents.

[yorkster]

21. The dog that was removed was Champ, not Major.

[GoCubsGo]

36. No. It was Major.

Champ was the old dog that died not long after Biden took office.

[Celerity]

22. it's the new dog Commander, the other dog Major was removed from the White House earlier for biting

It shows that clearly in the article:

[JI7]

24. That was Major. This is the newer one

[pinkstarburst]

29. This is a second Biden German Shepherd that bites

They took the other dog that was biting, Major, back to Delaware. Apparently this second dog, Commander is biting everyone too and should probably go home to Delaware as well.

[wnylib]

105. Or, maybe there is a reason why two different dogs

are not comfortable with SS.

SS agents could be walking or moving about in ways that look suspicious to the dogs, like quickly getting physically close to Biden.

Also, dogs can be good at picking up cues that people don't notice. SS agents don't have to like the person that they are assigned to. It's just a job to them. But a dog can sense people's attitudes because they pick up subtleties in body language - the way someone stands, eyebrow or mouth movements, or subtle shifts in voice tone. Those things don't need to be overtly threatening, but if they indicate dislike for the dog's human, the dog will view the other person as someone to be wary of. Then when that person gets too close to the dog's human, the dog takes protective action.

Or, if Biden distrusts any of the SS agents assigned to him, the dog will sense that and react.

[SickOfTheOnePct]

122. Pretty irrelevant

If the dog is consistently biting people, Secret Service or otherwise, the he shouldn't be there.

[pinkstarburst]

124. This is just a dumb statement

like suggesting that when toddlers are mauled and killed by the pit bulls their parents owned it is because the dogs "can be good at picking up cues that people don't notice" or "Those things don't need to be overtly threatening, but if they indicate dislike for the dog's human, the dog will view the other person as someone to be wary of. Then when that person gets too close to the dog's human, the dog takes protective action."

Some of the comments in this thread are just plain dumb. When a dog has bitten ten times, in most cases, animal control takes it and puts it down. The fact that the Bidens covered this up is first off, shameful. And second, the fact that not one, but two of their dogs have gotten a pass for aggressive behavior when any other dog would have been put down already, speaks of privilege (they're the president's dogs.)

If this story were flipped around, and Ron DeSantis had an aggressive dog (TWO aggressive dogs!) who had bitten an employee ten times, and he still kept taking it to work, forcing the employee/staffer to come to work and be bitten, we would be having a field day. Why is this any different?

[wnylib]

136. Actually, what's dumb is comparing this situation

to a toddler being mauled by a pit bull.

I suggested a reason why it was happening. That was not a suggestion that nothing should be done about it.

Good grief.

[Captain Zero]

127. Biting everyone? Or just SS agents?

Other people besides SS AGENTS are around Biden too, are they being bitten?? Hmmm?

Are we sure about that?

[spanone]

8. According to Judicial Watch

News we all need to know.....

[GoCubsGo]

43. Yep, and the fact that it comes from them

tells us all we need to know. I wouldn't be surprised if it turns out that the bites were to Trump-humping agents, who deliberately provoked the dog just to give Judicial Watch and their ilk something with which to attack Biden. It's just the sort of shit these garbage people would pull. Right up their alley.

[Hassin Bin Sober]

50. Gotta keep the donations coming so Tom Fitton can pay himself $800k per year.

Those Baby Gap shirts won’t buy themselves.

[Liberty Belle]

11. That's just too many.

The dog is aggressive, at least toward the agents. It needs to be moved out of the White House. In many areas a dog that's bitten people multiple times would be required to be put down.

There have been plenty of dogs in the White House that were not biters.Send this one to Biden's personal residence or to someone who doesn't mind an aggressive dog.

Get a less aggressive breed for the White House, a higher stress situation for a dog.

[Recycle_Guru]

18. its not that high stress. maybe Commander had the cocaine

[WhiteTara]

35. Dogs are very intuitive and I believe

that Champ bit the SS guy who was in areas he was not allowed in. The President needs his guard dog.

[tritsofme]

97. You're joking....right?

It’s hard to tell humor from ridiculous nonsense in a thread like this.

[BigMin28]

13. Are they supporters

Of tfg? Dogs know character.

[Hermit-The-Prog]

14. Good boy!

[Chakaconcarne]

15. Republicans need this to move Biden impeachment proceedings forward

[Recycle_Guru]

16. IMPEACH!

[magicarpet]

17. Would Commander and Major,...

....Possibly like to dine on the Orange Fascist Fuhrer in unison. Could they just rip him to shreds in a fabulous rabid feast ?


Yum-yum,...

[JI7]

19. Considering some of the things reported about the agents

maybe the dogs are sensing something is off with them.

[MrsCoffee]

27. Exactly.

[Beastly Boy]

23. Commander and Secret Service are in competition for the same mission: protect Biden

Each considers the other one to be a threat. Conflicts are inevitable unless both are trained to cooperate rather than compete with each other.

[Hortensis]

25. Wish Commander would bite the Judicial Watch dogs.

Obviously, if true, the Secret Service should not have to put up with this.

[Hope22]

26. Trust the dog's intuition.

Change out any agent that gets bitten and interview and investigate them as well. The last time we heard about this I believe the dog was right. I hope Biden remains safe.

[FreepFryer]

28. These dogs are telling us something about the Secret Service (Nt)

[SYFROYH]

31. Send him to the corn field.

[pinkstarburst]

32. Way too many biting incidents

German Shepherds are a breed that is not going to be well suited in most cases for the sort of environment they have at the White House. They are putting the dogs into a situation where they constantly think they need to guard and protect their "people" and the dogs are behaving aggressively to protect them because that's what the breed does.

Commander needs to be sent back to the Biden residence in Delaware just like the first German Shepherd with the biting problem. The Bidens can see them when they go home on the weekends. It sucks, but I feel sorrier for the White House staff and the Secret Service. The lovely White House staff should not have to worry about being bitten by a vicious dog with a history of biting ten times. The secret service is charged with protecting the president with their lives. They should not have to deal with being bitten by his badly behaved pets. Send the dog back to Delaware.

[dsc]

34. This isn't a joking matter and for the dog's sake they need to put him somewhere else

Maybe put him in Delaware and have him be Biden's dog on the weekend and the staff's dog during the week. The fact this is apparently a continuing problem across two dogs and several incidents for each dog shows either a complete lack of training for the dogs and/or the people involved or an extreme unsuitability of the dogs and/or the people involved for this living/working arrangement. In either case, the dogs, for their own sakes, need to be removed from the situation.

[BlackSkimmer]

79. Thank you.

This thread is horrendous in so many ways.

First, that so many think the Bidens must be clueless about their SS protection and only the poor dog knows the truth!

Second, the dog is NOT happy.

[Jose Garcia]

131. The Bidens need Secret Service protection on the weekends too

[dsc]

132. I think it would be way less crazy there

and thus the dog should be better behaved. The dog could also be sent outside to play there. It should be helpful.

[Happy Hoosier]

37. He can smell Trump-humping traitors.

My respect for the USSS plumetted during the reign of Shitler.

[WhiskeyGrinder]

38. Commander is not being set up for success -- which is what I said about Major, too.

Maybe the Bidens just aren't cut out for GSD ownership.

[MichMan]

39. I can't believe all the posts here blaming the agents.

I love dogs as much as anyone, but no one as a course of their job, should be subject to being bitten by an aggressive animal. Why hasn't he been muzzled?

If it was anyone else's dog, Animal Control would have removed it as being dangerous.

[Zeitghost]

59. Thank you

Can you imagine the responses around here if someone posted about their bosses dog biting 10 employees and vendors at the office?

I've spent most of my life raising and training dominant and protective dogs (Euro working line Doberman Pinchers) and while it can be challenging, I've never had an issue with my dogs biting anyone. But then I also avoid places like dog parks and busy stressful environments with large dominate dogs that can't handle the stress.

I would question the choice of breeding and training of these GSD's. There are plenty of good GSD breeders out there with dogs that have good temperament (pet appropriate, not working dog temperament) that would make wonderful White House companions. It looks like the President rescued Major which explains quite a bit. Animal adoption is a wonderful thing, but rescuing working breed dogs is not a job for everyone. They are almost always poorly bred and can often have questionable temperaments. I know there is social pressure for the President to rescue a pet, which is admirable, but he should pick a different breed if that is the road he wants to go down. Rescuing working breed dogs is not for everyone, especially those with such demanding schedules.

[Doc Sportello]

72. All good points

I was going to make the same point about having a biting dog at the workplace. If someone posted about incidents like this at their workplace on here, the responses would be 100 percent in favor of removing the dog and blaming the boss.

[pinkstarburst]

75. Very well said

particularly this:

"Can you imagine the responses around here if someone posted about their bosses dog biting 10 employees and vendors at the office?"

[Sympthsical]

61. I didn't have "psychic dogs" on my bingo card today

Of weird things I'd read on the internet, but alas here we are.

It is a little concerning everyone's ok with an animal that bites that much.

What if a little kid comes around at the wrong time?

Do people really want to read that headline?

[MichMan]

65. Not only are they OK with it, they are blaming the people that were bit as deserving it.

If a kid got bit, I suppose it would depend on the political affiliation of the parents to determine if they deserved it or not.

This place just amazes me sometimes.

[Doc Sportello]

71. Well said n/t

[meadowlander]

73. Yes agree.

If you choose to keep a dog as a pet, you are responsible for that dog's behaviour. Biting another person is assault. Just because you support a particular politician, it's not OK to look the other way at their pet assaulting people, even as a joke.

We had a dog when I was a kid who was the sweetest dog imaginable with the family but after two incidents where he growled at and nipped friends of my brothers, my parents rehomed him. It was the responsible thing to do. The dog wasn't "sensing the real character" of my brother's friends who were just average 11 or 12 year old kids - he had protective instincts that were triggered by a stranger trying to touch his face. And I felt horrible and guilty about it for a lot of different reasons but what I didn't do was look around for reasons to blame the kids that were bitten.

If I could get that as a 13 year old, I would hope that the 80 year President of the United States could also recognise that this is an untenable situation and do the right thing as he did with Major. It's as much for Commander's safety as anyone else's. If he bites men with guns, at some point they are going to shoot back. He's putting his employees in a situation where they have to either let a dog bite them or explain to their boss why they killed his pet. Nobody with real character and integrity would expect that from people who work for them.

[leftstreet]

109. +1

[WhiskeyGrinder]

40. Also, getting bit by a dog is not an indication of your moral character.

[mopinko]

41. i agree this cld be an appropriate reaction.

i dont trust the ss. and how hard is it for these guys to just make friends w the dog?
a big bowl of treats on the resolute desk ought to take care of this. if it’s the dog, that is.

swap out those agents.

[yorkster]

42. All the light comments aside, if the facts are as reported,

maybe the White House is not the right place for this dog. And after the aggression problems with the first dog, Champ, maybe Major should go back to the minors.

Rehoming to somewhere peaceful, with maybe a caveat..


He has bitten 10 people in 4 months.


Not the dog's fault, but common sense time.

[yorkster]

45. Sorry, it's Commander who currently is in residence.

Major was rehomed and Champ died.

[Celerity]

46. This dog's named Commander, it replaced Major due to Major being removed for having biting problems.

Champ died over 2 years ago, on June 19, 2021, and as far as I know, it had no WH biting issues.

[MichMan]

47. It's the owner's fault for continuing to let it happen

Not once or even twice, but ten times.

I got a large new rescue dog a few years ago and she had a tussle with another one of my dogs over food. I got bitten on the forearm pretty bad, and just treated it myself, as I didn't want to have it reported to animal control. Even though it was my own dog and I was the one that was bitten, it would have been reported and investigated.

I can't imagine subjecting employees to being bitten multiple times. If it was anyone else's dog, Animal Control would have removed it as being dangerous.

[Recycle_Guru]

53. lets get all the facts. how about 3 different GOP led committees hold hearingd

sounds about like the repukes

[Snooper9]

81. LOL

nt

[SalamanderSleeps]

49. Maybe the Secret Service needs to be fumigated? They may just still have the stink of Trump on them.

However in all seriousness, maybe Commander needs to join Major in Delaware.

I agree that the Secret Service by just doing their job are unnerving the First Puppy.

Maybe, a nice Beagle named Bob is the answer.

[The Magistrate]

52. If The Dog Bit One, Ma'am, I'd Trust The Dog It Was Due

Get the one the dog tagged off the protective detail before anything else....

[MichMan]

64. It wasn't once, it was ten times n/t

[The Magistrate]

68. So The Dog Is Good At It

I doubt if less than a third of the agency in question adhere not to the United States but to Trump and this whole 'make america white again' Klan revival we face today. It is particularly prevalent among persons inn law enforcement.

[slightlv]

54. Considering how many incidents there have been with the Secret Service agents

since the days of Obama, I'd trust the dogs to know who to trust and who not to trust, when it comes to people. If the dog bites someone, do a background check and then get rid of them. Animals have a sixth sense about these things. A lifetime of experience has shown me they're never wrong... Biden is wise to trust his dogs - especially in a compound where he is surrounded by trumpist enemies.

[Zeitghost]

67. I'm sorry

But animals are wrong all the time with regards to who they bite. Any number of horrific dog bite stories that make headlines regularly are proof of that.

The reaches some are making here to dismiss a problematic situation are astonishing.

[TheProle]

89. Please tell me this is satire

[slightlv]

92. It is NOT satire.

I'm sorry YM has varied. I agree it is not appropriate in every case, in every dog or human. But I will tell you THIS. Every dog I've ever had in MY life who has alerted on a male in my presence has been dead on in regards to that man. I learned to pay close attention to that dog's attention. The very few times I didn't, I paid dearly; once with a near rape and once with a beating. So, clearly my experience colors my opinion. I trust animals MUCH more than I trust humans. Period. And that is NOT satire. It comes from practical experience as a small woman in a cruel world.

[TheProle]

106. I'm sorry

Your trauma has guided you in such an irrational direction.

That said, I’d keep your wisdom under your hat should you ever encounter someone whose child has had their face chewed off by a pit bull.

[slightlv]

110. I guess it would totally amaze you

that I actually got bit above my eye by a cocker spaniel as a kid. Still bear the scar from stitches. 'Course it wasn't a pitbull.. but I do have a mix in the house right now. Dogs are not inherently evil. It still takes a human to make them that way.

[MorbidButterflyTat]

111. You're sorry

she's irrational?

Comparing this situation and her personal opinion of it to a pit bull ripping a child's face off sounds a bit "irrational" to me.

How utterly insensitive.

[TheProle]

114. Her contention

That dogs are never wrong to bite the people they do because they have a sixth sense is irrational.

Animals have a sixth sense about these things. A lifetime of experience has shown me they're never wrong...

[Sky Jewels]

55. I don't know if this is true or lies, but

I just hope Willow the kitty is kept separate from the dog.

[Celerity]

57. it came from actual Secret Service records, so the major news media outlets are treating it as true

[Sky Jewels]

91. I tend to believe it. If it's true, then the Bidens should have rehomed that dog long ago.

He doesn't belong in the White House. Not a good place for him.

[maxrandb]

56. Did he eat the text messages missing from January 6?

[bamagal62]

58. They're guard dogs.

They are great dogs for the owner. But, it is not predictable who they might find a threat.
I had a neighbor that had a GS and he did not like me for some reason. I think he sensed my fear of him as I am afraid of large dogs.
I stopped going over to their house.

[NowISeetheLight]

60. Agents?

We're these officers who are loyal to TFG? Maybe Commander can smell them?



In all seriousness, they should consider keeping him secure. Dogs are great but some breeds are disproportionately represented in biting incidents. I know my homeowners insurance policy won't cover several breeds. I grew up with German Shepards (Dad had a couple as a K9 officer). I used to ride one when i was around three or four in the backyard.

[Stinky The Clown]

62. This is a tough one. We have had three GSDs over the years. Each very different temperaments.

One was overly protective of me.

One did not do well with other dogs, particularly little ones / high prey drive.

One was the gentlest creature that ever breathed air.

For the first two, household stress was directly proportional to the unwanted behavior.

We now have two Littles and a Golden Retriever. The Golden's bad traits are jumping on people (literally to hug and lick them) and to lick os almost constantly.

Dogs are individuals. The breed is a reasonable indicator of general traits, but how any individual acts depends on so much more.

Honestly, as much as we loved, loved, loved our GSDs, the Golden (who we also love love, love) is far less of a worry to us.

[Mariana]

143. How many times did your dogs bite people?

[Stinky The Clown]

145. Two of the GSDs had bite records.

The third GSD chased a UPS guy into his truck, but no bite.

We had an Aussie Shepherd who was wound VERY tight. Smartest dog we ever knew. Neighborhood Alpha. My adult son was riding his bike. He came up the side of the garage after dark. We were around the fire pit. No bar, the dog bit his leg then immediately released when he recognized who it was. That was her only bite, but she scared plenty of people with just her stance and stare.

[Hekate]

63. I recommend a mellow breed -- as well as a thorough check of the SS detail

Something’s off.

[RobinA]

119. If The Bidens

like GSs, maybe try a female. I'm assuming by the names of all these dogs they are males. I grew up with several GSs and they never hurt a human (ground hogs, a different story). All were females. The only dog I was ever bit by was a dachshund/chihuahua. Nasty little bugger. Actually, that's not fair. That dog was in a constant state of fear, hence its surly attitude.

[Chainfire]

66. Dogs are good judges of people. :)

The SS shouldn't have to put up with a frequent biter. Which begs the question why is MTG still around?

[Act_of_Reparation]

70. So every mailman ever bitten by a dog must have been a bad person.

The absolute hottest of takes.

[Celerity]

96. +1

[Sympthsical]

74. Then there are a lot of terrible toddlers out there

As someone who grew up around and helped raise large dogs, I can assure you that pets are not psychic. They have within them certain ingrained behaviors and stress reactions. Some breeds can be very, very protective. Others can have aggressive stress responses. Good owners know how to gauge their dog's temperament and know when their dog is in an environment or circumstance it should not be in.

Once the biting starts, that's when a reassessment is required. Ten times should not be a thing.

I'd be very worried about the dog being around children at this point when it's clearly in an environment it finds highly stressful.

There can be worse headlines than this.

[Shrek]

76. I was bitten by a German Shepherd as a child

I'm sure it was due to my moral failings.

[Hekate]

138. One jumped me when I was 4 years old. Fortunately the "only" harm was psychological, in that...

…. I remained very afraid of strange dogs for at least 15 years.

At the age of four I was minding my own business crossing our quiet street to visit my equally-little friend when the big guy charged at me out of nowhere barking ferociously, and knocked me over in the street. I was prey. My shrieks brought adults running.

One feature of my post-WWII childhood was aggressive German Shepherds, charging their owners’ chain link fences to let schoolchildren know on no uncertain terms whose sidewalk this was. For some reason they were all named Sarge. In any case, they kept the memory nice and fresh. I was well into my 20s before I met one that was mannerly.

I know people get attached to specific dog-breeds, but maybe the big aggressive breeds don’t really belong in a heavily traveled place like the White House. Much as I love Joe, he needs to rethink this.

[pinkstarburst]

77. So when toddlers are killed by the pit bills

their parents own, it's because "dogs know the difference between good people and bad people?"

The fact that these GSDs are reacting aggressively in this high stress environment is not the fault of the White House staff and Secret Service agents who have to come to work everyday in their "space." If they cannot behave (which it's clear they can't) they need to be removed and sent back to Delaware where they can't bite anyone. People should be able to come to work without suffering vicious dog bites.

And 10 times is just ridiculous. I am disappointed the Bidens allowed it to go on this long without removing the dog. Sorry. I'll just say it. If this wasn't the President's dog and it had bitten ten times, animal control would have already taken it and had it put down. LONG before this.

[BlackSkimmer]

78. I know, this is a pretty wild thread.

I'm guessing, being a member of DU as long as I have, that it's because no dog of any Dem could ever do wrong lol.

Really amazing (and telling) how people sometimes think here.

I agree with you that the dog probably is not a happy dog, and it certainly does NOT belong in that environment.

I've had large dogs most of my life...when I was younger, I had a lot of folks coming and going through my house, but no one was ever bitten.

Not a good thing.

[pinkstarburst]

87. The dog will probably be much happier

back in Delaware with Major (and a good trainer, which the Bidens can no doubt afford) and a less stressful environment. Both dogs can still see mom and dad on the weekends.

[Sympthsical]

88. If you're a good person, the animals will just know!

Signed,

Yellowstone Tourist, probably

[Sky Jewels]

90. The neighbor's dog bit my son's leg as he was getting off the school bus.

He didn't even see the dog before he felt the teeth. My son had never had any interaction with it before that. He was wearing a baseball hat, which the dog didn't seem to like in general. But the dog had been purchased from a breeder (booo!) as a puppy and had never been abused.

I guess my point is that sometimes dogs are just "off" or aggressive, for whatever reason, just like people.

[liberal_mama]

82. It sounds like Commander might have to go back to Delaware with Major

I owned two rottweilers. If one of my dogs bit someone, they would have been ordered to be put down. I made sure they were well trained, but more importantly, I kept them out of bad situations. All dogs could bite in the right situation.

10 biting incidents in 4 months sounds extreme. They need to do some intensive training and keep him away from people until he can behave himself.

[msongs]

83. odd how violent dog behavior is tolerated here. so are we good with humans doing this?

[Mysterian]

84. They get paid enough

Part of the job.

[EndlessWire]

86. It's not fair to the dog

to have to be muzzled or constantly leashed. Those SS agents aren't going away. If the standard of care for the previous biter was to rehome it, then, unfortunately, Commander should also be rehomed to an environment he is more comfortable in.

A different breed should be selected, probably a puppy who can learn how to get along with Willow. There are many exciting breeds that would bring pleasure and a familial ambiance. It doesn't mean that Commander needs to be thrown away. He can still be loved, just from a distance.

Let me tell ya, dog bites HURT. They can't have a dog that bites the guys who are protecting the President.

A new, Christmas puppy is in order. Rehoming Commander will be uncomfortable for awhile, but he just can't be trusted to not bite. Dogs are great, but in these circumstances you have to be practical.

The puppy should be socialized while quite young. I have had huskies and a Doberman, and never had trouble with any of them, even though they regularly end up on the lists of dangerous animals.

You have to be sensible with a dog pack, never leave a child or older adult alone with them. They are animals! But, they're great in a family, as long as it's the right animal. Just need to recognize pack tendencies, and you need to be the Alpha.

[Arazi]

94. Commander was brought into the WH as a puppy

And after Major, I presume has had extensive training and proper socializing

[Kennah]

93. Dude is suspicious those cops are corrupt MAGAts

[Arazi]

95. What's interesting is it's only Secret Service staff, not WH staff getting bit

The WH cleaning crew and valet staff are in the family residence alllllll the time, yet no reports of any of that staff getting a bite.

Or Joe or Jill’s administrative staff.

Why is it just the Secret Service?

Presumably SS aren’t inside the actual residence where the Bidens and Commander live.

I think a muzzle is perfectly acceptable solution when he’s outside the residence. He wouldn’t need to wear it for hours - just when he’s interacting with Secret Service since they’re obviously the problem.

Bigger question is what are they doing to trigger him? Especially since it appears it’s only them amongst the many many people in the Bidens daily circle

[WhiskeyGrinder]

98. We know Commander has bitten Secret Service because of a FOIA request to DHS.

Have other FOIA requests been made to other departments?

[Celerity]

99. not just SS and not just at the WH

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/jul/25/joe-biden-first-dog-biting-attacks

And it seems Commander’s poor decisions are not confined only to his residence at the capital. A month after his movie night ambush, the dog bit a security technician on the back at Biden’s home in Wilmington, Delaware.

I do not know if there were other, non SS attacks.

[Deminpenn]

120. According to The Guardian story, these aren't just innocent

little nips, it's real aggressive biting. From reading about the incidents, I'm not sure if more training would even help. Maybe Commander should be evaluated for a role as a K9 officer or other working dog rather than be a pet.

[niyad]

100. Several things occur to my nasty, cynical, suspicious mind. reichwing nutbars

"judicial watch" (misnomer of first order) received a "tip" about Commander, and incidents that never made it to public awarenes, even tthough Major's did. 200 pages if secret service logs? Is anybody else creeped out by this? What kinds of information did they acquire in addition to those alleged biting incidents?

I do not truut "judicial watch" at all, and am wondering what is really going on here.

[WhiskeyGrinder]

101. "Is anybody else creeped out by this?"

No. It's not unusual for political operatives of any sympathy to make FOIA requests, because you never know what might turn up. Someone could have gotten a tip, as well.

[niyad]

102. I understand that, of course. But there is something creepy about this whole

episode.

[WhiskeyGrinder]

103. Sure, someone could have gotten a tip.

What else beyond that is creepy?

[MorbidButterflyTat]

112. Yes,

I am creeped out by it, and I absolutely do NOT trust any right wing/MAGAt group. Homeland Security records may be legit, but once in the hands of MAGAts, who knows?

"What kinds of information did they acquire in addition to those alleged biting incidents?"

Good question. Maybe a reputable organization can present their own FOIA request.

[allegorical oracle]

104. Why does Judicial Watch care about Commander's behavior? As for the dog's behavior, he's a

a working breed (AKC herding). He needs a job to burn off his excess energy. A tired dog is a gentle dog. A K9 trainer might try training him to guard some area of the property (whether it needs guarding or not).

[LiberalFighter]

108. Has Commander been trying to keep cocaine from being planted?

Shouldn't they check the SS Agent to make sure he is not a Trump supporter?

[BlueKota]

113. I wonder if they have any Secret Service Agents

who have previous dog handling experience? Maybe there would be less issues, if they assigned ones with that kind of background to any details where the dog will be present, it might help.

My Dad loved German Shepherds, and he got us one when I was five. I have had five others since, and I am now 61. In all that time we only two biting incidents. Our first one Rex bit a guy who walked into our house without knocking, and he thought he was protecting my sister and I while my Mom was upstairs taking a bath. Several years later another one Riggs, was playing ball with my cousin and she stepped backwards when he was moving forward to get the ball. He ended up grabbing her heel. Even the doctor in the E.R. said it seemed to him it was accidentall and not intentional, and it looked more like she stepped on his mouth while he was going for the ball.

If Shepherds are trained and handled properly by people who understand the breed, there usually isn't a problem.

[LetMyPeopleVote]

115. I am on Team Commander

Link to tweet

Link to tweet

Link to tweet

[Wingus Dingus]

116. The Bidens need some serious help with their dogs.

They probably shouldn't have this breed--too much dog for these circumstances. Get a family pet, not a serious working/guard breed: maybe golden retriever or a beagle or a Bassett or something else.

[roamer65]

117. +1

[Deminpenn]

121. Or just have cats

nt

[Wingus Dingus]

139. Yep. Willow is doing fine.

[betsuni]

118. Boo hoo.

Animals. It's the humans who are going to kill you doing that job.

[pwb]

125. Dogs sense evil.

Secret Service act like dicks 24/7. So live with each other.

[ripcord]

149. If they were so bad there would have been a hostile workplace lawsuit filed

The SS are just doing their jobs despite some of the foolish conspiracy theories posted here.

[WhiskeyGrinder]

126. lol this fuckin thread

[Celerity]

128. If it was Trump dogs (yes I know he hates pets) attacking over & over, the sentiments of many would

be the polar opposite.

I have seen too many dogs attack decent, innocent people in my life to buy into the 'a dog innately knows bad people' mythos. I am sure hundreds of thousands (millions?) of delivery people (including postal workers) around the globe can attest to the falsity of that claim.

[betsuni]

130. No. Trump surrounds himself with horrible people so it would be worse.

Nobody would say, oh, but all those Trump people are so nice.

[Celerity]

133. I was speaking about Secret Service, White House (and other sites) workers being attacked.

Those people are not uniformly/automatically bad just because a POS like Trump is the President at that time.

Also, I stand by my statement about dogs not innately knowing who is a good person or not in so many cases.

[sarisataka]

129. One can only laugh, knowing

If it was a "republican" dog the same folks saying good boy would be screaming louder than Almira Gulch- That dog's a menace to the community. I'm taking him to the sheriff to make sure he's destroyed.

[Celerity]

134. +1

[BlueKota]

137. Just want to clarify something

It's common to stereotype breeds of dogs, but as my late father used to point out any kind of dog depending on it's training, or lack there of, the individual dog's temperment, and the circumstances around it at the time, is capable of biting someone.

My Aunt's miniature Poodle bit me twice, when I was little,and once all I was doing was sitting between my Uncle and my Dad on the couch. It also bit at least 3 of their grandchildren in later years. I thought they should have gotten rid of her but they didn't. They just started confining her when they had company.

Again when I was a child I got bit in the nose by a Beagle. That was my fault as my Dad pointed out because I just wanted to hug it so I ran willy nilly up to it, before my parents had a chance to stop me. I was a stranger to the dog and didn't let it sniff me first like my dad had taught me to. He bit me hard in the nose. I ended up having to get some shots after that one.

GDubya's White House dog Barney, a Scottish Terrier, bit a reporter and the reporter had to go to the ER too. So again, biting is not breed specific. I was not a Bush fan by any means, but I didn't write that all Scottish Terriers are aggressive, and Barney should be sent back to Texas or wherever.

I understand people's fear of GSDs, but not all Shepherds are aggressive, and if trained and handled properly, are great and loving dogs. Remember they aren't just used as police or military dogs, hey also have been and still are used for Guide Dogs for the blind.

I love the breed and it kind of upsets me to see them all being stereotyped because some are aggressive. Again pretty much every breed has some aggressive ones in the bunch. As I said my Aunt's Poodle was a nasty little bitch, but I don't label the whole breed because of my bad experiences with her.

[Hestia]

140. I thought Commander went to Doggie School before being allowed to move to WH grounds(?)

PJB had Champ for how long before the dog died - didn't he live with the Biden's at the Naval Observatory - VP residence - when they were there during the Obama years? Just making the comment that PJB has had dogs in the past with, seemingly, no ill results; why now with 2, other than the difference with both being rescue/shelter dogs. PJB does seem like he would be an indulgent doggie owner...

It's so sad that "we" (me included) first thoughts go to just what in the heck are the SS agents doing to get 2 of the Biden's dogs upset enough to bite them?

Tfg fired the entire WH staff - those who had been there for 30 years or more - when he came in, have those people been replaced (we still do not have a Sec of Labor for goddess' sake), which would include doggie carers - 'cause, you know, GQP and their ilk holding up hiring anyone who tfg fired in same positions. Bo & Sunny were walked frequently around the grounds and PWD seem to be high energy dogs that needed to be trained also.

What is not happening between PBO and PJB and dog training? Is there not someone there who could help out training and caring for the dog(s)?

Doesn't appear to be...

[BlueKota]

141. Those are good points

Last edited Wed Jul 26, 2023, 06:49 PM - Edit history (3)

and yes I believe Champ was with the Bidens, when Joe Biden was VP. Since almost every president has had a dog except the tfg, you would think they would already have or hire someone used to working with dogs. I don't know if Commander has had training or not. I do believe they did get training for Major after he bit people.

Plus it might not be anything the President or the SS is doing wrong. It's possible something negative happened in both dog's previous history, before the Bidens even adopted them that is related to their behavior issues.

My current GSD fell and injured his left hind leg, and unfortunately was taken to 2 incompetent vets, while he was still with the breeder, before I got him.They said he had broken his growth plate, which when my vet took exrays found no evidence of. She even had a radiologist she knew at Cornell look at the exrays and he agreed the dog never had a bone break, it was just a bad muscle pull that hadn't healed yet, because no on had been treating him for the right thing. He healed physically 🙏 completely, but even after the 4 years since I got him, he's still scared to death of falling. It took months for me to get him to go up and down our deck stairs. They remember traumas.

At any rate you're right. They need someone who knows about dogs to work on Commander's behavior regardless of the cause.

I just get upset when all German Shepherds get labeled as overly aggressive because some do bite people. Like I said, I firmly believe my Dad was right. I don't care what breed of dog it is, there are likely to be some biters among them.

[Celerity]

142. this is not correct

Tfg fired the entire WH staff - those who had been there for 30 years or more - when he came in

there are 96 full time and 250 part-time Executive Residence staffers, most of whom Trump did not fire

example:

This Mississippi-born chef stayed true to himself. Now he cooks for President Trump.

https://eu.clarionledger.com/story/news/2018/12/06/chef-andre-rush-columbus-ms-native-cooks-trump-white-house/2081699002/

Chef Andre Rush, a combat veteran and native of Columbus, has been the chef for special dinners at the White House for the last four administrations.

[Deminpenn]

147. This is true

Neighbors two little multepoos(?) have nipped/bitten a few people. One of them nipped nearby church goers early on after which neighbor waited until later on Sunday to let the dogs out. Luckily for dogs and neighbor, none of the victims were seriously injured and were understanding.

[MichMan]

148. Secret Service agents should go on strike due to an unsafe working environment