The Biden couple’s dog, Commander, freshly returned from a training course at the White House, is in the headlines again on Wednesday after he again bit an agent of the protective service for high-ranking American state officials.
• Also read: A serial biter in the White House
The rebellious German Shepherd, who arrived as a puppy with the presidential couple in 2021, must return to the training school and show his paws to learn good manners again after this incident, at least the eleventh of its kind.
US President Joe Biden and his wife Jill moved into the White House in 2021 with two dogs, the two German Shepherds Major and Champ, and adopted Commander (“Commander”) after his death.
But the dog, which has now settled in the White House, has a bad habit of biting.
Photo AFP
The latest incident dates back to Monday evening, when an agent “came into contact with the first lady’s pet and was bitten by Commander,” said Secret Service communications chief Anthony. Guglielmi.
“The officer was treated at the scene by medical personnel.”
The Biden couple had already announced in the summer that they would send their dog to a training course after several bites, including one that sent the victim to the hospital, were exposed by the press.
The information comes from intelligence agency documents obtained through freedom of information requests from the conservative organization Judicial Watch.
“As we have noted, the White House can be a stressful environment for pets,” the first lady’s communications director, Elizabeth Alexander, recalled in a statement to AFP.
“The President’s family continues to seek opportunities to assist Commanders in navigating the often unpredictable White House environment,” she continued, recalling their deep “gratitude” to White House agents and staff.
Major, another Biden dog, was also briefly sent to Delaware, the president’s family stronghold, in 2021 to attend training after he bit at least one White House staffer.
On the recommendation of specialists, the Bidens finally had to part with it and entrust it to friends who live “in a quieter environment.”