Pooch Problems: Why Joe Biden’s dog Commander is a ‘significant hazard’ at White House

United States president Joe Biden is being stalked by pooch problems again. The German shepherd dog belonging to the Bidens is unable to stop biting people within the White House. The most recent episode marks the 11th such incident since the two-year-old canine first entered the White House in 2021. Let’s take a closer look. Also read: Why Rupert Murdoch's resignation is good news for US president Joe Biden The dog-biting incident According to CNN, officials claim that the Biden dog Commander bit a Secret Service agent on Monday. The agent reportedly got in touch with the Secret Service director and is doing fine, according to the Secret Service. “Yesterday around 8 p.m., a Secret Service Uniformed Division police officer came in contact with a First Family pet and was bitten. The officer was treated by medical personnel on complex,” USSS chief of communications Anthony Guglielmi told CNN in a statement. Previous cases Commander entered the White House in 2021 and has since caused chaos. Ten incidences were detailed in the July email correspondence, which the conservative organisation Judicial Watch was able to get through Freedom of Information Act demands. In one incident from October last year, First lady Jill Biden “couldn’t regain control” of the dog when it charged a Secret Service agent. “I believe it’s only a matter of time before an agent/officer is attacked or bit,” The Guardian quoted an anonymous staffer as saying at the time. In November the German shepherd injured an officer’s thighs and arms, sending him to the hospital. The report stated that the officer told superiors he was “in a considerable amount of pain” and that he had to shelter himself from the beast with a steel cart. According to the report, after a family movie night, Biden let Commander out of his leash and into the Kennedy Garden of the White House. A few weeks later, the dog bit a different Secret Service agent’s hand and arm. CNN cited Secret Service agents’ emails to their managers about the dog which illustrate their disdain for him. The attacks, according to the communications director for Jill Biden, are due to stress at the White House. Elizabeth Alexander, communications director for first lady Jill Biden, said “the White House can be a stressful environment for family pets, and the first family continues to work on ways to help Commander handle the often unpredictable nature of the White House grounds.” Also read: No Fowl Play: Why US presidents pardon turkeys on Thanksgiving “Workplace safety issue” The pets of the first family are not under the control of Secret Service agents, but they may come into contact with them frequently. “This isn’t a Secret Service thing. This is a workplace safety issue,” former USSS agent Jonathan Wackrow told CNN. “There’s uniqueness here where it’s the residence of the president of the United States, but it’s also the workplace for hundreds, thousands of people. And you can’t bring a hazard into the workplace. And that’s what is essentially happening with this dog. One time you can say it’s an accident, but now multiple incidents, it’s a serious issue,” he added. It was deemed a “significant hazard” by Wackrow for the agents assigned to the White House residence. “I’m sure that the Bidens love the dog. I’m sure that it’s a member of the family like every dog is, but you’re creating a significant hazard to those who support you – support the office of the president,” he said. Also read: Dogs are being sent to Turkey and Syria after the earthquake. How will they help? Pooch troubles for Biden According to The Independent, following a string of hostile behaviours in 2021, a previous batch of Biden dogs — including the late Champ and Major — were returned to Delaware. “(Champ and Major) are still getting acclimated and accustomed to their surroundings and new people. And on Monday, the first family’s younger dog, Major, was surprised by an unfamiliar person and reacted in a way that resulted in a minor injury to the individual,” then-press secretary Jen Psaki said of an incident involving the White House security detail. The First Lady has discussed how challenging it is to keep the dogs under control in the White House. “I’ve been getting obsessed with getting our dogs settled because we have an old dog and we have a very young dog. They have to take the elevator, they’re not used to that, and they have to go out on the South Lawn with lots of people watching them. So that’s what I’ve been obsessed with, getting everybody settled and calm,” Jill Biden said on The Kelly Clarkson Show in 2021. Champ passed away later in the year. A new set of training guidelines for Commander was in the works, the White House stated in July following the dog-biting incident. “They have been partnering with the Secret Service and executive residence staff on additional leashing protocols and training, as well as establishing designated areas for Commander to run and exercise. The president and first lady are incredibly grateful to the Secret Service and executive residence staff for all they do to keep them, their family and the country safe,” Elizabeth Alexander, communications director for the first lady, told CNN. Notably, the Bidens welcomed a cat named Willow to the White House in 2022. With inputs from agencies