WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden's dog Commander was involved in another biting incident this week, a Secret Service spokesman said.
Commander, a 2-year-old German shepherd, bit a Secret Service Uniformed Division police officer who was working at the White House on Monday night, the spokesman said, adding that the female officer was treated by the White House Medical Office.
The bite appears to be the 11th reported nipping incident involving Commander since October.
"As we’ve noted before, 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," Elizabeth Alexander, a spokesperson for first lady Jill Biden, said in a statement Tuesday.
"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," she added.
Commander's lengthy biting history was made public in July, when the conservative group Judicial Watch released records obtained through litigation that identified 10 biting incidents of varying severity from October to January.
Records the group released showed that in one of the reported incidents last year, a Secret Service officer was taken to the hospital after having been bitten in the upper arm and a thigh.
Alexander described the White House complex in July as a "unique and often stressful environment for family pets," adding that the Biden family was "working through ways to make this situation better for everyone," which included leashing protocols and training and creating designated areas for Commander to run and exercise.
The Bidens have also had trouble with their other dog, Major, who was sent to live in Delaware after repeated nipping incidents at the White House that appeared to begin after Biden's first month in office.
The Bidens' German shepherd Champ died in June 2021 at age 13.
After Major's departure and Champ's death, the Bidens welcomed Commander, then a puppy, to the White House in December 2021. Willow the cat remains in residence at the White House.
Kelly O'Donnell reported from Washington. Zoë Richards reported from New York.
