When President Biden and Dr. Biden first moved into the White House in 2021, their two German Shepherds stayed in Delaware for a time before moving in. Champ was the elderly dog and Major was the younger dog, the one the Bidens fostered and adopted from a Delaware shelter. Soon after the two dogs moved to the White House, Major had some “aggression issues,” or at least that’s what the Secret Service claimed. Major was possibly nipping at various people, if not biting them outright. In any case, Champ and Major both got sent back to Delaware. Champ ended up passing away, but Major is still living with friends or extended Biden family. Then President Biden’s brother gave him a German Shepherd puppy as a gift. The Bidens named the puppy Commander Biden. Commander was given all kinds of training… and it didn’t take. Or maybe the Secret Service people just suck and all the Biden dogs are like “f–k the police.” In any case, Commander is now in big trouble.
President Biden’s dog Commander has found himself in the doghouse after a series of incidents where he bit Secret Service officers on duty at the White House. The German shepherd bit several Secret Service agents a total of 10 times during the four-month period between October 2022 and January 2023, records show. One incident resulted in an agent getting sent to the hospital for treatment.
Tipped to the incidents, the conservative watchdog group Judicial Watch filed a lawsuit to get access to 194 pages of emails and texts where Secret Service agents and officials described aggressive encounters with Commander. For example, on Oct. 26, Commander charged at an agent while on a walk with first lady Jill Biden.
“The First Lady couldn’t regain control of Commander and he continued to circle me. I believe it’s only a matter of time before an agent/officer is attacked or bit,” an email about a Secret Service official said. The names of most agents and officials were redacted.
Days later, on Nov. 3, Commander bit an officer twice, once on the arm and then when the officer stood up, on the leg. The officer said they had to use a steel cart as a shield from another attack, and they were in pain after the incident.
The next month, the president himself was walking Commander in the Kennedy Garden, where he let the dog off leash. Commander ran to an agent and bit them twice, once on the left forearm and once on the thumb. The emails said Biden “seemed concerned” about the special agent, who continued to work the rest of their shift.
If I remember correctly, Major was getting aggressive with different people, not just Secret Service agents. Like, Major might have nipped some household staff. It doesn’t sound like Commander is doing that – Commander is singularly focused on Secret Service agents. Which reminds me of a story I’ve always found so haunting: when Biden/Harris won in 2020, then President-Elect Biden asked the Secret Service to only put certain people on his detail and VP Harris’s detail – as in, he didn’t want any agents who were loyal to Trump in any way. Y’all know some of those MAGA people slipped through, though. They infiltrated every part of the federal government, Secret Service included. You may say that Commander is “too aggressive.” I say that he’s just looking out for his mom and dad. Dogs know when the vibe is off.
Welcome to the White House, Commander. pic.twitter.com/SUudQnPv29
— President Biden (@POTUS) December 20, 2021
Photos courtesy of the White House & Backgrid.
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- Washington, DC – President Joe Biden walks with his dogs Major and Champ in the Rose Garden of the White House. Pictured: Joe Biden BACKGRID USA 26 JANUARY 2021 BYLINE MUST READ: Best Image / BACKGRID USA: +1 310 798 9111 / usasales@backgrid.com UK: +44 208 344 2007 / uksales@backgrid.com *UK Clients – Pictures Containing Children Please Pixelate Face Prior To Publication*
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- Washington, DC – **FILE PHOTOS** Joe Biden’s dogs get taken to Delaware after Major’s aggressive behavior and ‘Biting Incident’ at the White House in Washington DC. **SHOT ON 02/01/2021** Pictured: Joe Biden BACKGRID USA 12 MARCH 2021 BYLINE MUST READ: Best Image / BACKGRID USA: +1 310 798 9111 / usasales@backgrid.com UK: +44 208 344 2007 / uksales@backgrid.com *UK Clients – Pictures Containing Children Please Pixelate Face Prior To Publication*
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- 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 / usasales@backgrid.com UK: +44 208 344 2007 / uksales@backgrid.com *UK Clients – Pictures Containing Children Please Pixelate Face Prior To Publication*
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- 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 / usasales@backgrid.com UK: +44 208 344 2007 / uksales@backgrid.com *UK Clients – Pictures Containing Children Please Pixelate Face Prior To Publication*
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- 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 / usasales@backgrid.com UK: +44 208 344 2007 / uksales@backgrid.com *UK Clients – Pictures Containing Children Please Pixelate Face Prior To Publication*
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- 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 / usasales@backgrid.com UK: +44 208 344 2007 / uksales@backgrid.com *UK Clients – Pictures Containing Children Please Pixelate Face Prior To Publication*
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- 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 / usasales@backgrid.com UK: +44 208 344 2007 / uksales@backgrid.com *UK Clients – Pictures Containing Children Please Pixelate Face Prior To Publication*
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- 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 / usasales@backgrid.com UK: +44 208 344 2007 / uksales@backgrid.com *UK Clients – Pictures Containing Children Please Pixelate Face Prior To Publication*
First off, I have to say I love dogs, I just love them so much. But I’ve had so many bad experiences with German Shepherds, even being bit by one while jogging on the road (as in, NOT on these people’s property) just a few months a go. Honestly they are the only type of dog I’ve ever had these experiences with and now I just don’t trust them at all, and I hate to say I don’t really like them now. I’ve dogsat Pitties and never had a problem with them, only ever been almost too loving!
Same. My dad has the sweetest, gentlest GSD, but my neighbor has one from hell. Anytime someone walks by their house, it runs out trying to attacks. Unfortunately, the owners leave her loose so it’s only a matter of time until someone is hurt.
My bestie had a German Shepherd that attacked at random. He was nervous, and they never knew what would set him off. He was so sweet with the family, but he did nip at visitors, including children. And once, on a leashed walk, he leapt at and bit an elderly woman, knocking her down and breaking her hip. After that, they had to keep him on lockdown.
I choose to believe Commander is ACAB-ing his way through the Whitehouse, though.
I’ve trained GSD’s for 20 years. These dogs haven’t been trained in the most effective way. It’s obvious b/c Jill lost control. Dog training is for both the dog and the handler, or handlers. If I train your dog without training you also, you won’t know how to handle them. This is what’s happening. They protect but don’t respect the family. GSD’s are anxious by nature, and whip smart. They herd anyone they deem a hazard, thus the circling of the agent. They are not biters usually; herding and barking oh yeah. I love Biden, big supporter, but these dogs are a full time job.
ITA that Commander’s training has not appropriate addressed his personality, his particular anxieties, and/or his triggers.
I don’t think we should label a whole breed as aggressive. That’s not fair to anybody. My neighbor had a German Shepherd. He was the sweetest dog I’ve ever known.
Mainly, I hope the Biden’s fix this situation so everyone is stays safe and unharmed.
Former dog trainer too. I don’t fear GSDs. I’ve had two and they were the sweetest most loving dogs ever. They would have let anyone break into our house and kill us in our sleep and never bitten them. However, the dogs I’ve been bitten by the most at my former job? Boxers and a Border Collies. (I’d never own a Boxer).
I think Commander is overprotective of his people (Jill/Joe) and more than likely, like Major, cannot be at the WH. Maybe they need to send him for more extensive training but with the over breeding of GSDs, he just might not be a good family pet.
@Mo This.
German Shepherds are not aggressive. They are extremely protective and very smart which is why they’re typically used by various police and military forces where obedience is also key. They respond great to training. I grew up with one and she’d defend us to death but one word and she’d freeze until told it’s ok to move.
It’s not the dog’s fault, it’s the handler’s and trainer’s fault if the dog is misbehaving.
Same here. A boyfriend of mine had a brother who had 2 German shepherds who bit my boyfriend a few times until he refused to visit altogether. We went visiting his brother a few times and the 2 dogs were put in their kennel in the back garden. We could hear them growling and barking from the house. I’m generally against keeping dogs in their kennels *unless* (like in that case) they show incredible aggressivity.
A friend of mine got a German shepherd puppy, she had a slew of cats and another small dog. 2 years later the German shepherd became so protective of the cats that he slaughtered the other dog.
I haven’t been bitten by any dog and we had a dog ourselves but I’ve always steered clear of German shepherds after those experiences.
There may be something specific that the agents are doing/carrying that’s triggering Commander.
Our next door neighbors had a GSD. He was magnificent and such a love but they totally neglected him leaving him outdoors all the time. He started biting people so we took him and nursed him back to full health – three years of Florida outdoors with no flea meds had taken their toll and our good boy had contracted heart worms.
He did great under our watch but out of nowhere he bit our daughter. He then lunged at one of my friends. We finally realized that carrying car keys was a trigger for him because those asshole neighbors had tortured him with a shock collar and dangled the fob at him like a set of keys. So all the poor boy was doing was defending himself.
So I’m wondering if there something like that going on with Commander. Maybe an Agent carrying something mistreated him? So now all Agents carrying that item are a trigger?
(In case you are wondering: We ended up having to rehome our GSD because proximity to those jerks of neighbors was just too much for him. He thrived in his new surroundings and lived a long and happy life. I still miss him though. He was a very good boy.)
They scare me, partly due to the Nazi’s use of them to control and intimidate Jewish people. But also a neighbor had one that lunged at people and killed their own cat. Pitbulls and Dobermans off leash also scare me. I love the Bidens, but no one should be subjected to a dog that has bitten even one person, let alone 7 or 10.
What bothers me most about this is if they were normies like the rest of us, these dogs would have unfortunately been taken away by animal control or at the very least quarantined. Even if it happened on my property let’s say and a kid put their hands through the fence and pulled on my dog or did something to make her react. I don’t have Shepards and I agree with the above comment about them but the complete lack of awareness and one rule for them and another for us is really astounding to me in this instance.
Pit bulls bite a lot, kill dogs, other animals and sometimes people and still almost never get taken away. So, no, “normal” people wouldn’t necessarily lose their dog for this.
Yeah my dog and I got attacked by a pit bull and nothing happened to the owner. They didn’t even have to pay for the medical and vet bills. They didn’t even apologize, and it was a terrifying ordeal.
As I said above, my bestie had an aggressive dog. It was not taken away. They did have to put up a sign on their house that they had an aggressive dog, and while their homeowner’s insurance paid for the incident with the elderly woman, they were warned that a second incident would not be covered and their coverage would be dropped. They considered relinquishing the dog, but no one came to take it away.
That’s all well and good, but if the hostile, aggressive dog was your boss’s dog, and your boss had it in your workplace, your boss would be told that it needs to go. I love dogs, but this is really ridiculous that they have kept this dog around where it is biting people. Once would be too much if I brought my dog to the office. Like it or not, the White House is the office for these folks.
I think Commander is sensing something off with from of the SS agents. I think you’re correct and some Magats slipped through.
Agreed!
It is odd to me that the dog doesn’t have a handler, and that the responsibility is falling to Dr. Biden or Biden himself. These dogs are not pets. We got our dog trained at the same facility that does a lot of the K-9 training for our city’s police dogs and I was asking about it and their handlers have to be very diligent with their training. Think of when you see a service dog, some wear signs on their back that says “service dog, do not pet” type thing. Other than sleeping time, they have scheduled “play” time and the rest of the time they are working.
Now maybe this is just their household pet, in which case it shouldn’t be out and about when the Biden’s are working. That isn’t a stress free environment for an untrained dog. If it is trained, I’d say both their handlers and the Biden’s themselves need to work harder on their training. You don’t just take the dog for training and then they’re good for life. We had to spend hours at home by ourselves training our dog on top of what we paid for the professionals to do. And then we stopped after a point haha because she’s a perfect house/yard pet. But in this instance, I feel bad for Commander and bad for the secret service people who were doing their jobs. I feel bad for the Bidens themselves too, but I don’t blame the dog for this. It’s not a “bad” or “aggressive” dog. It’s a stressed out dog that likely doesn’t know what his role is – pet, or protector. He can’t be both.
Yup. A dog trained by someone else, or untrained. I have a 1.5 y/o female GSD right now. She cost me 6k, but after proper training is complete, she’ll be worth 10x that. She’s my pet/pal so not for sale lol. She is extremely territorially aggressive, more so than any other GSD I’ve trained. She’s as strong as a bull, too. If I didn’t know what I was doing, I’d already be in jail. She’s a weapon, basically. They always are. The difference in being able to handle a dog like this or not, is that you must have full control. I could send her to bite, and let her get half way there and recall her. She’ll stop on a dime, because she’s working and using the natural tendencies to do her job, not unlike a talented musician using their skills and training to perform.
She is also a pet, and knows the difference. We had a near break-in two weeks ago. Total accident, guy had the wrong house. My dog didn’t bark or care at all, because I didn’t freak out, even with her crazy territorial issues b/c I have control, I’m the handler. They need help man. I wish they’d go to MY trainer; the woman who taught me everything and could get a dog to fly a plane.
@Mo, your dog sounds amazing. I’ve wanted a GSD for years, when I was a kid I saw my neighbor training her shepherd in her yard. I marched straight over there and announced I was her new training assistant and she very generously let me help get the dog ready for her AKC obedience trial. I don’t know how much “help” my eight year old self was but it was a lot of fun.
Now that I’m an adult and have the means to get a GSD of my own, I just can’t bring myself to do it. It seems like there is no middle ground with shepherds anymore, they are either bred as working super dogs and you need to be a pro to handle them, or they are the result of unscrupulous backyard breeders who are cashing in on their popularity and don’t care at all for the health (physical or mental) of the dogs.
Seaflower. Yes dogs are great judges of character and they seem to know who is bad. I have had two German shepherds and when they didn’t like someone I heeded the warning. It was usually a delivery person not all of them just a few.
👆🏻DITTO
I’m inclined to agree. Even Pence refused to get in the car on January 6th with agents who were not his own; people know that the USSS has been infiltrated by far right extremists.
After all, the cocaine that was found in the White House was in a bag that had no fingerprints and no DNA on it. Seems weird, right? Like who would be carrying around a bag of cocaine in a such a way that no actual clues are left on the bag? What visitor would be dumb enough to bring hard drugs in? And this after the right wing was having a bird that Hunter Biden’s punishment for whatever it was they finally convinced someone to get him for?
Something is rotten in the USSS.
+1 Dogs are smart – they know bad people.
I haven’t listened to this episode yet but I really like this podcast Dubious
so I won’t comment but my thoughts are that there is something about the dogs sensing danger.
https://dubiouspod.com/episodes/the-secret-service-and-the-biden-dogs-lawsuit/
Team Commander
Was just coming here to say this. About 6 months ago there was an article in Vox talking about the Bidens’ concerns about the Secret Service ( https://www.vox.com/2023/1/13/23553350/joe-biden-chris-whipple-book).
Maybe Commander senses something?
Our family raised and bred German Shepards. The most loyal dogs ever. The ONLY time I ever saw our GSD bite or hurt anyone was when they (rightly) sensed family was in danger. Period. These dogs protect their family, are extremely gentle except when family is threatened.Like another commenter, if our GSD’s didn’t like someone, they were right.
Would you say the same if it was Trump’s dog? No, you wouldn’t. The dog needs to go to Delaware with the other one.
In dogs I trust.
Sounds like some agents need training on how to behave around large dogs
This!!! Exactly. Aside from judging the bad eggs, if anyone shows the slightest hesitation or fear, the dog knows it and will try to dominate. Seriously, with a dog trainer who works for POTUS (!!), it’s not the dog. It’s the people.
Agreed. Something must be off with those SS agents.
I’m conflicted! I grew up with various pets including dogs. Nowadays I and my family include cats. I’ve noticed around me that Covid-era dogs have had less socialization where I am than puppies raised before or after… I firmly feel that people need to be able to control their pooches, and in normal circumstances I would not want to be around the Bidens’ dogs. Especially if it’s true that Jill can’t control them. Usually dogs do sense if the vibe is off, but there are many decent people who just don’t like pets. That’s okay. Sad, but okay. On the other hand, the Bidens are absolutely being attacked by fascist f!ckwidgets. Hunter Biden (not part of the government unlike Ms Complicit or Junior a few years back) is being used as a weapon by the Rs. This with the Bidens’ fur babies could be more of the same isht.
Animals have a keen sense of character in people and can tell when there is a “bad vibe” about some people…this may be why the dogs are attacking certain individuals. I am not condoning the bites, but something is off. The puppy went through training and then goes after a couple of the agents? Something was wrong with their “vibe”.
I had a neighbor who owned a German Shepherd and that thing scared me. It was always growling and barking at everyone who dared to walk past its house. The owner liked to leave the front door open and the dog would sit behind the screen door like on guard duty.
They frequently would have the dog off leash and they would let it poop in everyone’s yard. I even witnessed once when the owner had to restrain it so it wouldn’t attack two teens in the neighborhood. Lots of neighbors complained about it.
And this is a neighborhood full of dogs big and small. It was the only one acting aggressive. Thankfully the neighbors moved before anything bad happened.
Much as I despise Trump and Trumpers, I doubt the dog knows who is Secret Service and who doesn’t hate the Bidens with the heat of a thousand suns. This article doesn’t even say if the people being bitten are plain clothes or uniform officers. I think the political problem during the Trump era was plain clothes agents assigned to Trump and other people, not so much the uniform agents who guard the building and grounds.
In any case, this does sound like an aggressive dog. Whatever the reason for it, Commander may have to be exiled like Major. You can’t have a dog like this in an environment with lots of people. It’s not okay for dogs to bite just because they sense something off.
The article won’t say anything of use at all. Right wing extremist group Judicial Watch filed the FOIA (or whatever applies to stuff that’s none of Judicial Watch’s business) and they’re not going to release any information that puts anything in the correct light. It’s spin, spin, spin.
Well if there are pro-Trump holdovers in Secret Service, they may be doing something to provoke the dogs. Even if they’re doing it unconsciously, the dogs understand it. That kind of detail won’t be in a FOIA report obtained by Judicial Watch with the intent to smear Bidens.
Also, as noted in Vox story about Whipple’s book, there’s reason to believe SS lied about one ‘biting’ incident at least since it supposedly occur where they never go.
Team Commander on this. Judicial Watch is one of those insanely shady right groups that push lies, and they know exactly which Secret Service agents have been emailing each other complaining about the dog?
I can’t imagine knowing that the people who are supposed to be protecting you are plotting against you.
Commander Biden knows ACAB
If he is only going after SS agents, I would suspect there is something off there.
Why would the dog feel he needed to protect Jill and Joe like that.
I would also look at the fact the Bidens did not send him away like they did their other bitey dog.
And this is from half a year ago, is it still happening?
I would be more likely to think he’s being a protective good doggo
The Bidens are surrounded by staff all the time, not just Secret Service agents, so if Commander is only going after the agents, then it makes me think that Kaiser’s theory is right: he is sensing the bad apples. Dogs tend to be good judges of character.
What gets me is that if Commander was the dog of any of us normal folks, he would be taken away and put down…for one bite or nip let alone a few. This is just another example of “rules” only apply to certain people.
I don’t have firsthand experience, but I think the days of zero-tolerance towards dog bites are in the past. I regularly peruse shelter and rescue listings, and often see dogs that have a “bite history”.
German Shepherds are highly intelligent. It sounds like a young dog that doesn’t have enough enrichment. If they wanted a house dog that only requires a daily walk, a German shepherd is not the right choice. Hope the poor dog isn’t put down over this, the poor thing didn’t choose this strange environment to live in.
You’ve got a good point.
I’m wondering why someone thought it was a good idea to gift the Bidens – two people with extremely stressful and time intensive jobs, who have very little downtime and have many many people in their personal space – a protective working breed dog that requires consistent training, interaction and an active job itself to be happy and healthy. Actually in general, why is any adult gifting puppies or other pets to other adults they don’t live with? Don’t change the makeup of someone’s family, day to day life without their permission.
My guess is that Commander is over or under stimulated, doesn’t get enough exercise, isn’t getting consistent reinforcement of his training and has people handling him who aren’t knowledgeable with how to handle GSD’s. Given his history, he should probably be wearing a muzzle when in situations around lots of other people and not be trotted out in public because that’s not fair to him.
And also that he is being exposed to people who either don’t know how to behave around dogs or who are not wishing well of him or the Bidens.
German shepherds are working dogs not house pets even if it is the White House
I don’t understand why people continue to consider German Shepherds as normal pets.
Same is true of Border Collies, they’re working dogs and need different things from a normal pet.
We didn’t have dogs in my family, we had cats but my aunt who we saw frequently always had good dogs that I loved. My cousins though had a border collie that was an absolute terror and I hated going over there with him there. He would jump on top of every body, bark constantly, run around knocking people and furniture over and would bite. They would sometimes put him in the back yard during family gatherings but he would literally stay at the back door or window jumping and barking the entire time so they would eventually let him back in. Ever after years of this they never got him proper training and would just laugh it off and call him crazy. He was probably 7 or 8 when we went over for thanksgiving one year and my dad was at the counter getting food and he jumped up and bit my dad’s hand making it bleed pretty bad, trying to get his food. This dog knew my dad, we had been there many times since this dog was a puppy. Literally everyone seemed to blame my dad and said welp, he was just trying to get food and maybe you shouldn’t have moved in that way or something. It was absolutely bonkers to me how they acted like this was ok and basically ignored it. That dog actually made me quite anxious around dogs and I still am to this day.
Yeah I tend to agree with you. I think it’s silly to say he can sense which secret service agents might be MAGA and bite only them. I have had several incidents in my life where dogs growled or nipped at me, including a family member’s dog that knew me for years, and I’m a nice person who cares for other people and loves animals.
For the same reason, I absolutely cannot stand it when dog owners gaslight their dog’s bite victim with “oh you just don’t know how to handle yourself around dogs,” that is complete b.s. The problem is not the victim, and it is not the dog, it is the owners.
The Bidens are typical elderly people that are unable to properly care for or train the same type of dog they did well with as younger folks. They need to graduate to an appropriate dog for old people, and a dog that will live happily in the White House with minimal attention from them and their busy schedules and not attack secret service, they should get a pug.
100% this. They should get a 5 pound forkenfoogle or whatever and let their employees work in peace.
lol. I am so stealing forkenfoogle.
The White House is a chaotic place with people constantly coming and going. German shepherds are high energy guard dogs and a reactive large dog in that kind of environment won’t do well. Commander probably sees it as his territory and doesn’t want the Secret Service intruding. And dogs aren’t always picking up on “vibes.” I love dogs but my friend’s family had two rescue chihuahuas who barked so much and would constantly nip at my legs whenever I went over to their house which I did not appreciate.
Another friend had a very barky nippy dog and oddly enough her dog only accepted me when I showed up to her house with MY own dog. Her dog liked my dog (he wasn’t a dog that accepted a lot of dogs) so after he met my dog he decided I was okay for whatever reason, even if I showed up without my dog. He’d always bark at first when I went over but once he sniffed me he realized who I was and shut up. Who knows what goes on in their canine brains!
It doesn’t sound like the White House is a good environment for a territorial German Shepherd. I rarely see German Shepherds out and about on walks around the neighborhood. There’s a reason why they are routinely used as police dogs!
Yeah, the implication that a dog is allowed to bite you if he/she doesn’t like your “vibe” is bonkers. A fully grown German Shepherd can kill a person.
brassy rebel
i agree with you wholeheartedly. much like people, dogs are perfectly capable of being incorrect about a person once in a while.
it sounds to me like Commander Biden is under trained and under stimulated.
and can we PLEASE stop giving pets as gifts???? for all we know, the Bidens might have been relieved when they had to exile their last dog, only for some dunderhead to give them a puppy…….smh
Ok, this dog does not belong at a busy place like the White House. It sounds like he needs a “no kids no other animals” type of home. It’s one thing for a dog to snarl at someone with “bad vibes” – it’s unacceptable for it to attack.
One of my students was recently bit in the face by a dog in the park and she required plastic surgery. I assure you that her vibes are immaculate.
💯
You’re so correct! My German shepherd didn’t even like chaotic movies on TV. He would quietly sneak up on to one of the couches – we called it the lifeboat.
I’ve telecommuted for years and he loved when I would be on those long droning meetings on speaker. He would curl up and snore away happily.
But he hated other dogs and I’m sure he would have done major damage to the yippy little dogs in the neighborhood if he was out loose.
It is suspicious that Judicial Watch was tipped off about the biting so submitted a FOIA request for records. That call came from inside the (White) House. Secret Service agents are notoriously right wing, and something’s up. Commander knows. He probably protects the Biden’s better than the agents do.
To be fair, if people at my workplace were repeatedly getting injured, in a way that could be prevented by for example not keeping a large reactive guard dog in the workplace, and no one has eliminated the source of the problem even though management is aware of it, dropping a dime somewhere would actually be a good next step. Though the choice of who they called in this instance is suss
This is nonsense about “bad” Secret Service agents. Dogs are trained all the time to work with security people and police and to be in public spaces with various people. To me, this dog hasn’t been properly trained for its surroundings. And you can’t just send a dog to school and leave it at that – training has to be reinforced and be part of a regular daily routine
eurydice
100%!!! dogs can be wrong, just like people
Sounds like Meghan Markle’s dog Bogart should have been trained to deal with paparazzi, people constantly ringing her doorbell and trying to break into her house, and neighbors willing to spy on her in Toronto. U know? Here’s a nice Lab mix dog (a breed not known for aggression) who just couldn’t hack it and turned into defensive guard dog! Crazy! No training!
No, he doesn’t need to be “put down” maybe sent somewhere else.
But context really matters.
My dad had a dalmatian who was fine normally, but if he was behind the fence if someone not the family tried to pet him they’d get bit.
People would be warned REPEATEDLY! not to stick their hand through the fence, and yet some morons would insist dogs love them and it was ok if they did it.
Spoiler: they got bit
Barkley bit 6 people over the years, but it wouldn’t have happened had they not stuck their hand where they had been told not to.
Barkley was a very good Dog
I have a German Shepherd a little younger than Commander. They get frustrated and can nip and need a lot of training and exercise. This dog isn’t seriously injuring these security professionals, if he was we would hear about it, it sounds like he’s just playing or warning them. Maybe this isn’t the best environment for him, but I also think the President and Dr. Biden need a protective dog like this and that Commander would give his life for them. German Shepherds are incredibly smart dogs and they know about people.
I want to know if this is still happening, and is it ONLY SS agents.
If he’s not nipping other staff, I would suspect that these SS are coming off as aggressive to Jill and Joe.
And the Judicial Watch is another like the Heritage foundation, far right B.S.
So who tipped them off.
+1
1 agent had to go a hospital for treatment. How many others got holes i their clothes from “nips?”
I’ve had many dogs over the years, including a wonderful GS but dogs need to be trained with their owners & primary handlers & they need consistency. I don’t think Potus & Fotus have schedules which allow them time to get trained + get the dog accustomed to a routine. I know children who’ve been bitten on their faces by a Cocker Spaniel, a mutt terrier mix, & a poodle. In CA, a dog with 2 reported bites will be removed & euthanised. My adult daughter was bitten by her bff’s Rottweiler, fortunately on her arm through a heavy coat. My 4 yr old granddaughter bent down to pick up a cookie she’d dropped & was bitten on the forehead by a friend’s poodle, who according to the owner, “was just competing for food.” Wtf??
Improperly socialized & trained dogs of any breed can be dangerous. Who knows what Commander’s pre-White House life was like. Send him to boarding school, then re-home him.
There’s a great trainer on YouTube that says he spends more time training the owner than he does the dog.
Any dog of any size or breed can be an angel, or a devil. I regularly dog sit a giant pit bull and mastiff mix who is just a big marshmallow. He gets very sad when we go for walks and no one wants to pet him because he looks so menacing. I dreaded going for walks with a relative’s dog, who was super cute and the size of a loaf of bread, because he would go after anyone and anything with a vengeance. I spent a month trying to train that out of him when his owners were out of town, and made zero progress. The worst injury I’ve suffered from a dog was when a beagle puppy chomped down my hand with full force and would NOT let go.
A dog doesn’t switch it’s loyalty or lie about it. I can understand one dog doing it but now two behaving the same way leads me to suspect something is off with the people around them. And for the people going off on if these were normies dogs- Well they’re not! And nor are they in a normal situation. I imagine the level of skullduggery in high level politics is something a normie and their dog wouldn’t likely experience. In their case I would trust the dogs instincts especially when the people who showed up to the insurrection were brazen law enforcement out of control ready to overthrow the government and not accepting election results!
So all these texts about a dog but the ones for Jan 6 can’t be retrieved? And somehow right wing judicial watch knows to request an RoI?
Right? Yep, there aren’t any alternative motivations here at all.
Yeah, I call b.s. on this too. Plus why isn’t the dog attacking other staff if it’s a “vicious” dog problem? And I definitely don’t trust the Secret Service after what happened during Trumps administration.
Sometimes a thing is just a thing – their other German Shepherd also bit people. It’s much more likely that a German Shepherd will bite than Secret Service agents sworn to protect the President are all traitors.
Dogs have no issue with my ex who is a truly shitty human being so I don’t hold the dogs can tell character idea in much regard.
Unless the agents are provoking Commander or lying about being bitten, Commander probably needs to live somewhere else.
Listen, I love dogs, and in my pre-marriage days I heavily considered getting a German Shepherd since I was a single woman on her own (and I’ve always found them precious and majestic). But straight up, if this were “regular degular” people, Commander would’ve been taken away and quaratined or (sadly) put down by now. Soooo that’s a bit fucked up.
Like, I get, lol fuck the police, but still. I’m sideyeing that.
Did they get him formal, professional training? Because that’s a reason I DIDN’T get a GS. I wasn’t willing to go through getting him trained and all that, and I know that’s a breed where it’s heavily encouraged to do so. They don’t exactly have the same temperaments and “origin” stories of occupations as say, Yorkies.
You’re right. But they aren’t regular degular people. And considering what we know about the potential complicity of the SS in Jan. 6 and aiding Trump… I say bite away Commander. Because even with training a GS WILL protect if they feel their loved ones are in danger.
I can definitely understand that. And that COULD be the reason Commander isn’t under more scrutiny.
Maybe Commander senses that certain members of the Secret Service can’t be trusted. Didn’t members of the Secret Service try to warn Kennedy that he couldn’t trust his Secret Service detail? They failed to follow protocol, the correct route or protection procedures n 1963. I wouldn’t get rid of the dog. I’d remove the agents he bit.
I think the secret service is exaggerating so they can cause a Biden scandal.
Bingo!
Good for him. Keep protecting your parents Commander.
We adopted an adult GSD when I was a kid – she had flunked out of police school or didn’t meet some metric they had. She was great with us kids, but we couldn’t have any other pets. We lived waaaay out in the sticks and had livestock, so protection was the name of the game for her.
Once we were having a family pool party and my parents had locked her in a room in an out building (with food, bed, etc.) just so she wouldn’t be underfoot. One of my uncles picked up my brother to throw him in the pool and my brother yelled, “No! Help! Put me down! Help!” and that dog went THROUGH a hollow-core door like it was butter, through the building, across a field, OVER a 6 foot stockade fence and had her teeth on my uncle’s calf like before he could even toss my brother in. It was like, record scratch, the party froze. My mom was like, “Put (my brother) down slowly. (Brother) come over here to me, slowly.” and the dog just sat there, frozen, teeth on leg, until my brother called her and was like, “it’s OK!” Then the switch flipped and she was like tail wagging, face licking good times for everybody! Yay! It was crazy. Then my dad gave her a burger off the grill and put her back in the building with the metal garage doors down.
What a good dog!
I don’t understand why they keep getting GSDs when they can’t control them. Get a different breed if you really want a dog at the White House.
get a retriever and it would be best friends with everyone
A 6-8 month old German Shepherd joined my family 3 weeks ago. She is mouthy. Shepherds tend to be mouthy anyway. Their dog entered the White House as a puppy, so should be familiar with the environment. Someone above said over/under stimulated and I kind of agree.
My puppy has lunged at some, and not at others. I do not know why she is lunging and it seems so random to me. Today she gets her first Canadian vet visit and as soon as she’s been cleared, I’m signing up for training classes. I’m very good with dogs overall, but even I know as a trainer that it’s one thing to observe a family & their dog, and offer ideas and tips and training as to how to resolve issues. It’s another thing entirely when you are in THAT moment and are having to react with your own dog. Human instinct is different from canine instinct. Human communication is different from canine communication. I had a shepherd before (she was 3 when she came to live with me) who was the gentlest of gentle dogs. The dog I have now is not that. She’s pushy and maybe even a bit of a bully. She’s bullied my 12 year old 14 pound little guy to the point where now I am actively insisting she back off when she tries to get him to play. He’s not a player. She doesn’t listen to his back off response. She barely listens to MY back off instructions. She’s a teenager, and basically is saying “who are you to tell me what to do? I just came to live with you after I’ve already lived with 4 other people in 4 months, so I don’t expect you to last either, so why should I listen to you?”. So building relationship is top of mind, and that only comes through time, effort and work! Man, she’s a LOT of work! At my age (69), I had no intention of getting such a young dog (they told me she was a year old, and fully grown, but she’s neither), but she’s here now, so doing the work is no longer an option, it is a necessity. I hope Commander comes out of this safely.
It is very interesting that the older dog Champ managed to be in that same environment when Biden was VP and there were zero issues. That was also before trump hired his thug to run the Secret Service.
I’m sure it’s just a coincidence.
Exactly! Those dogs are picking up on something not quite right with those agents. Champ had zero issues, but now both dogs are biting SS agents and we know full well there are trust issues with the Bidens’ teams both before the election and during the presidency. Major needs to stay with Joe.
Dogs sense aggression. I am assuming by the nature of their job SS agents are aggressive. Time to move Commander to a more relaxed environment.
This will probably be an unpopular opinion, but the dog needs to be sent back to Delaware. The secret service and other White House staff are at work. Nobody should have to deal with being bitten or attacked by a dog at work, and it makes me think less of the Bidens that they aren’t committed to providing a safe working environment for the White House staff. If Commander can’t be trained to behave in a busy environment like the White House, they need to keep him in Delaware. I have very little patience for the idea that if a dog attacks a person, then it’s just evidence that the person has bad character. People just make that up because they can’t believe that their precious pet would ever harm someone unless they somehow deserved it. It’s BS. Sometimes a person will provoke a dog and the person is at fault, but if there’s an ongoing pattern like this, the problem is the dog. If the dog can’t be trained, they need to be removed from the environment. And I wish we as a society would stop making up stories to protect the fiction that dogs never hurt anyone who doesn’t deserve it.
I agree. We seem to be divided between people who love their nippy dogs and people who have witnessed unprovoked attacks.
I had a Golden Retriever that loved everyone. I’m not exaggerating, she would just try walking away with strangers if they petted her, she would follow the mailman around the block, she would go visit the neighbors looking for treats, jump in a strangers car if they parked in front of our house. She was the neighborhood mascot. One day a man with a cigar tried to pet her and she wanted nothing to do with him, she didn’t bite but she did growl at him and backed away. I was shocked. A couple years later we were at a parade and she was approached by a woman smoking a cigarette and she barked at her as a warning. No dog is 100% safe and I made sure to keep her away from people smoking after that because I never wanted it to escalate into a bite.
Has American politics sunk so low that dogs are now politicised? Maybe it’s secretly a Republican dog that infiltrated into the Biden family unit in order to create a bitting scandal that would bring the whole thing down? Get a grip for the love of God!
I’ve had several dogs over my lifetime and don’t think the Biden dogs are being handled well. There’s obviously a conflict between an agent that’s always on alert and giving off that vibe vs a dog that’s always on alert for a person “giving off that vibe”. I kept my sister’s GSD for 6 months (she was in the process of moving and the temp apt she was in didn’t allow GSDs and some other breeds). He’s now a senior citizen and is submissive when it comes to pack relations, but out in the world he is nervous and on-edge looking for danger. It’s just how they are. On the other hand, my worst experience with a dog bite was in 6th grade, when a friend’s Lab bit me reactively and I had to have facial plastic surgery a few times. Any dog could bite, and we should all remember it. As much as I agree that some of the Secret Svc agents are suspect, I just think it’s a bad environment for a high-strung animal.
“and all the Biden dogs are like “f–k the police”
I genuinely LOL’d at this! xD
Sounds like Commander’s signals are not being read by people around him and he is resource guarding a person.
Resource guarding in German shepherds is very common, which is why they make good working dogs. It is behavior where a dog is monitoring and guarding what it considers a resource, which can be food, a toy, a space, a crate or the one that is missed most often as the source of the issue, a person.
When a dog resource guards a person, they often will not be comfortable being away from that person showing in separation anxiety, they will lay on top of or always right next to that person, and they will actively prevent other animals or people from being too physically close to their person.
The person resource guarding bond is often reinforced by owners because they view the possessive behavior as a human expression of love. The problem is that it means that the dog is also viewing itself as a decider, a decision maker, through the guarding behavior. This then leads to bites because in the dog’s view, it decides who gets to access who, and bites are a dog language.
Every adult dog controls exactly how hard they bite. There are levels of bite. In resource guarding dogs, the most common bite is the hold. The intent is not to break the skin but to hold the person/animal in their mouth as a warning. It is like a dog version of yelling. The hold does not have to last long, it isn’t about duration but about intention. It is saying pay attention to me, I am in control. It isn’t that different from the mother hold a female dog would to puppies. This is the most likely type of bite that both Major and Commander are exhibiting.
I don’t think it is an aggression issue or an obedience issue, I think it’s a boundary issue in that these dogs are being put in situations where the dogs are not having their boundaries respected and they aren’t confident in their place in the household/how much power they have. Too much shifting sands and too many people who aren’t comfortable around dogs making them anxious.
Also, most people don’t know how to read dog language and the warnings before the bite. Intense eye contact, body stiffness, and ear position are the most common, potentially ruffed up fur, potentially growling but not always. Most people violate dog boundaries and ignore the signs that the dog is uncomfortable. Violating dog boundaries can be as simple as a head pat, the vast majority of dogs tolerate but do not enjoy a head pat.
ETA – every person that encounters a dog should always be asking permission from the dog before touching them, every time.
Asking permission looks like offering your hand palm up to the dog’s nose. The hand should be coming from under the dog’s nose not over.
An affirmative and enthusiastic “YES” from the dog looks like the dog licking your hand or the dog moving their body to your offered hand. Always reward a “YES” with a pet, if you don’t know the dog, chest, neck, and shoulder are safe positions. Avoid the head pat. Dogs tolerate but do not enjoy the head pat as a general guideline.
An “ok sure” but not enthusiastic confirmation is the dog sniffing your hand. You can pet but keep it short and look for signs the dog wants you to stop like moving their body away from you.
A “no” is the dog not engaging with your hand at all. They look at it with no sniff or lick, generally also breaking eye contact and looking away. It may look like sad Eeyore in the dog body language but not always. If there is no lick or sniff do not pet. There isn’t a danger of a bite here necessarily but ignoring the quiet no from a dog builds other bad behaviors.
A “NO” is stiff body language intense eye contact where the dog may not be staring at your eyes but is staring in your direction, potential growls, potential fur standing up. This is a red flag zone. Do not touch or approach.
A “HELL NO” is a lunge at you with stiff body, forward ears, eye contact. They’re gonna bite.
Don’t look to the tail. Unless you know the dog, never look to the tail for answers. A stiff bodied dog who is uncomfortable will wag their tail but it does not mean happy, it means warning. Different dogs having different tails means you want to be looking for stiffness or softness of the body. This can apply to the tail but without knowing the dog, it’s too hard to read. Ears are a much better marker. Forward, perked up ears, intense eye contact around or near something/someone with body stiffness is a red flag in every dog.
Souperkay: SUCH A GREAT COMMENT!! So well explained, a verbal diagram of canine communication. Really great comment
Right wing group + Secret Service agents who are right wing pawns + the right wing effort to weaponize anything and everything against President Biden = a bad situation for humans and their pets living in the White House. Team Commander all the way.
Maybe it’s the name? I wonder if a GSD named Mr. Fluffykins would be as aggressive; at very lest, he’d be scared of other dogs snickering at him.
Seriously, though, dogs who instinctively guard or herd need a ton of consistent training, AND A JOB. On our walks, my dog and I have to go well out of our way to avoid a particular house in our rural community where an underoccupied Border collie will rush into the road snarling whenever anyone passes. It makes me so sad to see a wonderful animal getting ruined due to neglect of its basic needs.
Haha… but, seriously. Commander is a dumb thing to name a dog. I command the dog, the dog does not command me.
They really need a more mellow dog. I do think that for whatever reason, this dog thinks it needs to protect the family. I used to work in a shop with a chow mix dog, who was completely chill 99% of the time, but every now and then would decide someone couldn’t be trusted and would herd them out the door. She never bit or growled but if she wanted you out, you were leaving.
I just accidentally adopted my second GSD! (He was dumped last week, and we swooped in and are rehabbing him right now.) They’re pack animals deeply loyal to their core pack. But they can be very high-strung and I can’t imagine them functioning well in the chaotic space of the White House around presumably a number of people who aren’t equipped to handle their needs.
Not a fan of the “ACAB” comments here making fun of the Secret Service agents or implying they deserve these attacks from the German Shepards. Dog attacks are serious and this really makes the Bidens look irresponsible and thoughtless. Unacceptable that it keeps happening. We would never be OK with this if it were Trump’s dogs biting SS agents.
100% agree. Imagine this dog lived in your neighborhood and had already bitten 10 people? Would everyone be ok with that? NO. That dog has got to go.
@patti & @me, 💯
Great post Patti. Since the Secret Service is there to protect the President – we know there have been crazies that have jumped the fence and gotten on to the property – should they really have to worry about being bitten by the family dog?
I’m a big Biden fan and a fan of GSs. But, yeah, this is not a good situation. I don’t know what Biden’s brother was thinking getting them a gs puppy when Major was having issues. The doggos need to be in Delaware, getting training and, if need be, doggie meds for when they’re around the SS. It’s not fair to the agents and it’s not fair to the dogs.
I simply loved reading this post.
Thank You.
Wonder whether Judicial Watch is as interested in Secret Service records from January 6, 2021?
bisynaptic, the January 6th Committee already asked for the Secret Service phone records, e.g., texts, and they were mysteriously erased. Suspicion of the Secret Service is partially their fault. You don’t suddenly erase all of the pertinent records and then look innocent.
Based on my knowledge as a dog trainer, and what is written here…you have a reactive dog in a chaotic environment without a handler to help him. And his warnings are being ignored, so it ends with a bite. He must be so frustrated.
He goes after the secret service agents because they stand around all day, stiff legged, chest out, forward facing, eyes directly staring, which in dog body language is an aggressive challenge from a stranger. Of course a breed with a tendency to guard his family doesn’t like that! (The agents aren’t at fault here, but neither is the dog).
Exactly!
Regardless of what’s causing the situation I think all involved would be better off if Biden upgraded to an elderly rescue labrador. Is Sully ready for retirement yet?
I have a GSD, my first of my own. My (aggressive asshole) stepdad and mom had a couple after I left home, and his was aggressive and allowed off leash to terrorize people. Ugh.
Mine is anxious and a serious barker. So different from any other (all retrievers) I’ve had, and my training and choices have had to change to fit the canine she is. She has never tried to bite anyone, but I also take pains to create an environment where that can’t happen. My dog is a love bug but would NOT be able to handle the White House. Or even a dinner party!
I love dog but Commander should be promptly removed from that setting, for the protection of everyone there (even if he’s being a good judge of character!), and for his own peace of mind……..
********++Most important:++*********
PLEASE DO NOT GIFT PEOPLE ANIMALS! There’s an alchemy of personality, environment and needs no outsider can assess!