The Biden family has moved their dog Commander out of the White House amid reports that Commander is responsible for more biting attacks than previously reported.
"Commander is not presently on the White House campus while next steps are evaluated," Elizabeth Alexander, communications director for first lady Jill Biden, said this week about the two-year-old German Shepherd. "The President and First Lady care deeply about the safety of those who work at the White House and those who protect them every day. They remain grateful for the patience and support of the U.S. Secret Service and all involved, as they continue to work through solutions."
Reports suggest that Commander's attacks are more common than the administration was letting on. There have been 11 documented bites suffered by Secret Service agents, but a recently reported tourist photo showed the dog chomping down on Dale Haney, the grounds superintendent for the White House.
Commander is not the first offender. The Bidens' previous German Shepherd Major was removed from the property in 2021 after going on his own biting spree.
One former Biden official likened how the Bidens treat their dogs to how they treat their children.
"The pets are like their children, and they are bonded to them because they are loved and cared for just like all members of the family," Michael LaRosa, one-time press secretary to Jill Biden, told CNN.
Biden has refused to acknowledge any wrongdoing by his son Hunter Biden, whose influence peddling is at the center of an impeachment inquiry into the president and who was arraigned earlier this week on federal gun charges.
As he does with his son, the president chooses to focus on the good when it comes to his dogs.
"He’s a sweet dog. ... Eighty-five percent of the people there love him," Biden told ABC News in 2021 after Major bit an agent. "All he does is lick them and wag his tail."
Now, however, the truth about the dog bites faced not just by agents but also staff is coming out, Axios reported on Wednesday:
The dogs' attacks on Secret Service agents have been well documented, but the extent of the dogs' aggressiveness toward the White House residence staff has not been reported previously.
Many members of the residence staff — the several dozen people who maintain the White House as housekeepers, curators, chefs, butlers, carpenters, and more — have been fearful of Major and Commander, the younger dog who remained at the residence until recently.