Last year, we kept hearing stories about President Biden’s dog Commander Biden. Commander was given to the Bidens as a gift, after the Bidens had to send their beloved dog Major Biden away from the White House because Major kept “biting” people. Commander was just a puppy when he came to the White House, and many hoped that, with the proper training, Commander would be a friendly family dog. But according to the (delicious) Secret Service agents, Commander has the same “biting problem” as Major. The Secret Service claimed they had meticulously documented eleven biting incidents last year, which was weird because their meticulous record-keeping was nonexistent when it came to domestic terrorism on January 6th, 2021.

The issue with Commander’s biting problem became contentious within the White House – other people’s experiences with Commander were that he was a friendly, well-adjusted dog, and reportedly, the Bidens kind of thought that the Secret Service agents were lying about some of the incidents. Still, the Bidens sent Commander away as well and he’s been absent from the White House for like four months already. The White House press corps loves to write about this sh-t though, which is why CNN FOIA-requested the Secret Service’s records on Commander. Apparently, they recorded 24 biting incidents.

Commander Biden, President Joe Biden’s family dog, bit US Secret Service personnel in at least 24 incidents at the White House and other locations, according to new internal USSS documents obtained by CNN.

That number does not include additional incidents CNN has previously reported involving executive residence staff and other White House workers. But the new documents, obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request, reveal the extent to which the situation had become a serious workplace issue for the hundreds of staff supporting White House operations, and how agency personnel changed their habits to avoid being injured by the German shepherd.

“The recent dog bites have challenged us to adjust our operational tactics when Commander is present – please give lots of room,” an unnamed assistant special agent in charge of USSS’ Presidential Protective Division wrote to their team in a June 2023 email, warning that agents “must be creative to ensure our own personal safety.”

That warning came months before the dog was removed from the White House, with multiple biting incidents taking place in the interim.

CNN has reviewed more than 400 pages of documents, many of which were heavily redacted to protect USSS personnel anonymity and operational details. In October 2022, an unnamed Secret Service technician described an incident and said they were “worried about the family pets behavior escalating and that … something worse was going to happen to others.”

The documented incidents included members of the Secret Service’s uniformed division, members of the president’s protective detail and other USSS officials. They took place inside and outside of the White House residence, but also at Biden family homes in Wilmington and Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, at Camp David, and in Nantucket, Massachusetts, where the first family spends the Thanksgiving holiday.

A source close to the Biden family told CNN that the Biden family feels “awful” and has been “heartbroken” over the spate of biting incidents.

“They’ve been heartbroken over this. They’ve apologized to those who have been bitten, taken flowers to some. They feel awful. Commander was over-protective, and even though they tried and tried to work on it, they had to let him go live with other members of their family,” the source said.

[From CNN]

Commander really was out there barking “ACAB” all the time. Like, do I believe that the Secret Service agents were being purposefully melodramatic about two different dogs? Yes. Do I believe that Major and Commander were both bitey? Also yes. Do I believe that there’s something really f–ked up happening within the USSS? 100%. Not for nothing, but I honestly think some of this is just the breed – German shepherds are protective animals and both Major and Commander were trying to be good guard dogs for their mom and dad. I always believed that Commander, being so young when he came to the White House, was just doing puppy things and he didn’t know his own strength when he nipped people. But yeah, whatever. The dogs were sent away from the White House, it’s over.

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, The White House, Backgrid.

Washington, DC – United States President Joe Biden, left, and first lady Dr. Jill Biden, right, pet their dog, a German Shepherd puppy named ‘Commander’, while virtually meeting with United States military service members on Christmas Day, in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building on the White House complex in Washington, DC, USA. Pictured: Joe Biden, Jill Biden BACKGRID USA 25 DECEMBER 2021 BYLINE MUST READ: MediaPunch / BACKGRID USA: +1 310 798 9111 / UK: +44 208 344 2007 / *UK Clients – Pictures Containing Children Please Pixelate Face Prior To Publication*

Washington, DC – United States President Joe Biden, left, and first lady Dr. Jill Biden, right, pet their dog, a German Shepherd puppy named ‘Commander’, while virtually meeting with United States military service members on Christmas Day, in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building on the White House complex in Washington, DC, USA. Pictured: Joe Biden, Jill Biden BACKGRID USA 25 DECEMBER 2021 BYLINE MUST READ: MediaPunch / BACKGRID USA: +1 310 798 9111 / UK: +44 208 344 2007 / *UK Clients – Pictures Containing Children Please Pixelate Face Prior To Publication*

Washington, DC – United States President Joe Biden, left, and first lady Dr. Jill Biden, right, pet their dog, a German Shepherd puppy named ‘Commander’, while virtually meeting with United States military service members on Christmas Day, in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building on the White House complex in Washington, DC, USA. Pictured: Joe Biden, Jill Biden BACKGRID USA 25 DECEMBER 2021 BYLINE MUST READ: MediaPunch / BACKGRID USA: +1 310 798 9111 / UK: +44 208 344 2007 / *UK Clients – Pictures Containing Children Please Pixelate Face Prior To Publication*

Washington, DC – United States President Joe Biden, left, and first lady Dr. Jill Biden, right, pet their dog, a German Shepherd puppy named ‘Commander’, while virtually meeting with United States military service members on Christmas Day, in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building on the White House complex in Washington, DC, USA. Pictured: Joe Biden, Jill Biden BACKGRID USA 25 DECEMBER 2021 BYLINE MUST READ: MediaPunch / BACKGRID USA: +1 310 798 9111 / UK: +44 208 344 2007 / *UK Clients – Pictures Containing Children Please Pixelate Face Prior To Publication*