(Washington) Commander, the Bidens’ German shepherd, who has an annoying tendency to bite, is “no longer at the White House”, said a spokesperson for the American presidential couple, already forced to separate in the past of a dog for similar reasons.
“Commander is not currently in the White House to assess the next decisions to be made,” she said in a short statement.
US President Joe Biden and his wife Jill Biden “are very committed to the safety of all White House staff and those who protect them every day,” added this spokesperson, Elizabeth Alexander, attached to the first lady.
Commander, freshly returned from a dressage course, made headlines on Wednesday when the Secret Service, the protection service for high-ranking officials of the American state, announced that one of its agents had been bitten Monday evening.
On Thursday, American media reported that the German shepherd, who arrived as a puppy with the Bidens in 2021, had been involved in more biting episodes than revealed so far.
CNN and Axios mention that in addition to the 11 incidents recorded so far against agents of the “Secret Service”, the dog is said to have attacked other members of the White House staff.
The Biden couple had already announced in the summer that they were sending their dog for a training course, after several bites, including one that took the victim to hospital, were revealed by the press.
Major, another Biden dog, was also briefly sent in 2021 to Delaware, the president’s family stronghold, to take training courses after biting at least one White House employee.
On the recommendation of specialists, the Bidens had to finally part with it and entrust it to friends living “in a calmer environment”.