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President Biden’s German shepherd Commander had more bite incidents at the White House than previously known according to records released this month by the United States Secret Service, according to USA Today.
Commander was involved in at least 25 biting incidents in less than a year, the records indicate.
The information the Secret Service released – 269 pages – related to a Freedom of Information Act request that included email traffic with anecdotes of bites, USA Today reported.
The report showed 23 incidents from October 2022 to July 2023. There were two more incidents in September and October of 2023 that led to Commander’s removal from the White House property, The BBC reported.
The list showed bites to agents’ arms, hands, thighs, back, wrists, elbows, waist, chest and an agent’s ammunition magazine pouch.
Of the 25 incidents, at least 11 required medical attention.
Commander did not discriminate when it came to those he bit. Records show he bit White House staff, Secret Service agents and Navy staff. Nor were the attacks restricted to the White House.
The released records show the dog bit people on trips to Camp David, Nantucket and Rehoboth Beach.
In one case noted in the report, Commander raced across the Jacqueline Kennedy Garden, south of the White House’s East Colonnade, tackled an agent and bit him. The agent received a deep laceration that required stitches.
In October, White House staff decided to relocate the 2-year-old dog.
Agents communicated with each other about the best way to avoid being “tagged,” by Commander.
“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.”
Champion was not the only Biden dog who had a problem with biting.
The Bidens had a German shepherd named Major who bit two people in a month at the White House. Major was moved from the White House after those incidents.
According to a spokeswoman for first lady Jill Biden, Commander has lived with other family members since he left the White House.
“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 CNN. “Since the fall, he has lived with other family members.”
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