Guarding the White House has always had an element of danger. For the Biden White House, that danger came from the president’s dog.
Commander, Biden’s German shepherd, was banned from the White House after close to 25 biting incidents.
USA Today obtained records from the United States Secret Service, which detail about 25 incidents from October 2022 into most of 2023 when Commander was aggressive.
The 269-page report, released due to a Freedom of Information Act request, enumerates each incident that ranged from minor scrapes to bloodshed. About 11 needed medical attention. In October 2023, Commander was forced to leave.
According to USA Today, the report states agents were bit on arms, hands, thighs, back, wrists, elbows, waist, chest and an agent’s ammunition magazine pouch. The victims included White House staff, Secret Service agents and Navy staff.
In one instance, tours of the East Wing were halted so the blood from one bite could be cleaned near the Booksellers Room.
“Secret Service spokesman Anthony Guglielmi reiterated this week that the department ‘takes the safety and wellbeing of our employees extremely seriously,’” USA Today reported.
“The incidents involving Commander were treated as workplace injuries, with events documented in accordance with Secret Service and US Department of Homeland Security guidelines,” Guglielmi wrote in an email. “While Secret Service personnel neither handle nor care for the first family’s pets, we work continuously with all applicable entities in order to minimize any adverse impacts from family pets.”
In one incident, an agent was bit when trying to hold the door open for First Lady Jill Biden, according to the report. Commander leapt, biting the agent in the chest area, leaving two lacerations and a torn shirt.
Many reports cite Commander being off leash when the attacks occurred.
Incidents were noted limited to the White House, but also occurred at Camp David, Nantucket and Rehoboth Beach.
Agents were advised on how to handle Commander when a situation occurs.
“Standing tall and yelling his name and ‘stop’ is your best bet to not get bit,” one agent wrote. “Once I yelled at him and faced him, he turned around and started sniffing a bush.”
It appears the added element of Commander’s behavior led agents to change their approach to the job.
“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),” the supervisor wrote.
“He also suggested that doing so could run counter to their primary protection jobs: ‘We will continue to keep (redacted) in our sight but must be creative to ensure our own personal safety,’” the USA reported.
A spokeswoman for Jill Biden blamed an environment too much for Commander to handle.
“Despite additional dog training, leashing, working with veterinarians, and consulting with animal behaviorists, the White House environment simply proved too much for Commander,” Elizabeth Alexander, a spokeswoman for the first lady, said in a statement to USA Today. “Since the fall, he has lived with other family members.”
