President Joe Biden is ending his third term without his family dogs, both German Shepherds — Major and Commander — in the White House with him. That is because his dogs have bitten people more than one dozen times since moving in, prompting officials to formally kick them out after dealing with it for months on end.
Biden adopted Major as a puppy from the Humane Association in 2018. Major was one of several litter mates who was exposed to an unknown toxic substance, making them sick, which forced hospitalization. However, they ultimately recovered, and Biden adopted one of them. Originally, Major was praised for being the first rescue dog in the White House. However, it has not been easy. Major has been known to have biting issues — some being so severe that they required medical treatment.
Biden has, in the past, defended his dog.
“You turn a corner, and there’s two people you don’t know at all. And [Major] moves to protect,” Biden said, describing him as a “sweet dog.”
“Eighty-five percent of the people there love him,” Biden told ABC News. “He just — all he does is lick them and wag his tail. But … I realize some people, understandably, are afraid of dogs to begin with.”
Joe Biden adopts his German Shepherd, Major. (Delaware Humane Association/Facebook)
Here is a brief recap of all the recorded times both Major and Commander have bitten someone.
1. The first reported incident occurred in March 2021. It was described as a serious “biting incident” with White House security. The dog was described as having “aggressive behavior.” At the time, CNN reported that the dog had displayed “agitated behavior on multiple occasions, including jumping, barking, and ‘charging’ at staff and security.” The Secret Service agent whom Major bit had to be treated by the White House Medical Unit (WHMU). At the time, former White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki attributed the incident to the dog getting acclimated.
“Major Biden is a member of the family, so I can assure you that,” Psaki told a reporter.
2. Major was involved in a second biting incident that same month, fresh into Biden’s first year, biting a National Park Service employee on the White House South Lawn. That individual also required medical treatment. First Lady Jill Biden’s press secretary at the time, Michael LaRosa, confirmed the incident, describing Major’s bite as a nip.
“Yes, Major nipped someone on a walk. Out of an abundance of caution, the individual was seen by WHMU and then returned to work,” he said at the time.
Officials ultimately determined that Major would be better suited to live elsewhere, and he was relocated to Delaware to stay with friends.
3-12. In December 2021, the Bidens were given a new German Shepard puppy — Commander. This dog also had issues with attacking members of the Secret Service.
In the summer of 2023, Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) records requested by the conservative watchdog group Judicial Watch from the Department of Homeland Security revealed that Commander had attacked Secret Service agents at least ten times in the span of a few months, from October 2022 to January 2023.
A November 2022 email from a Secret Service official, for example, revealed that Commander bit an officer two times: “on the upper right arm and thigh,” according to the Associated Press.
“Staff from the White HouseMedical Unit treated the officer and decided to have the individual taken to a hospital,” the outlet added:
A note the following day added details about the attack, including that the officer who was bitten used a steel cart to protect himself from another attack. The officer later was placed on several days of restricted duty based on doctors’ advice.
President Joe Biden’s dog Commander, a German shepherd, is walked outside the West Wing of the White House in Washington, DC, on April 29, 2023. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster, File)
13. In September 2023, another report emerged, revealing that Commander had bitten another Secret Service agent.
“Yesterday around 8:00 p.m., a Secret Service Uniformed Division police officer came in contact with a First Family pet and was bitten,” United States Secret Service (USSS) Chief of Communications Anthony Guglielmi confirmed at the time, adding that the officer was “treated by medical personnel on the complex.”
That became Commander’s eleventh known incident with biting.
Kicked out. Commander was formally removed from the White House campus in October 2023 while officials evaluated the “next steps” for the family pet, who had at least 11 biting incidents during his short time in the White House.
“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,” Jill Biden’s communications director, Elizabeth Alexander, said at the time.
“They remain grateful for the patience and support of the U.S. Secret Service and all involved as they continue to work through solutions,” she added.
Notably, former President Donald Trump is one of the few past presidents who did not have presidential pets in the White House.
“I wouldn’t mind having one, honestly, but I don’t have any time,” Trump said during a rally in February 2019. “How would I look walking a dog on the White House lawn?”
