Commander (dog)
 Commander in 2022 | |
| Breed | German Shepherd |
|---|---|
| Sex | Male |
| Born | September 1, 2021 |
| Known for | United States presidential pet |
| Term | December 20, 2021 – October 5, 2023 |
| Predecessor | Champ and Major |
| Owner | Biden family |
Commander (born September 1, 2021) is a German Shepherd owned by President of the United States Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden.
Life
[edit]
Commander was a birthday gift to Joe Biden from James and Sara Biden, his brother and sister-in-law.[1] Commander first came to the White House on December 20, 2021.[2][3] That same day, Major, another dog owned by the Biden family, was removed from the White House following several biting incidents.[4][5] On February 13, 2022, Commander made his TV debut in the program Puppy Bowl XVIII.[6]
On June 15, 2023, Commander raced toward a secret service agent and lunged at him, causing a "deep bite" on the left arm that was reported to have needed stitches. "East Wing Tours were stopped for approximately 20 minutes due to blood from the incident being on the floors in the area of the Book-sellers," a hall in the White House, one document reported.[7] Records released on July 25, 2023, by Judicial Watch showed that Commander bit or attacked Secret Service agents at least 10 times between October 2022 and July 2023.[8] Commander was involved in an eleventh biting incident on September 26.[9][10] Commander also bit White House superintendent Dale Haney, who has taken responsibility for walking presidential dogs since the presidency of Richard Nixon, on September 13, 2023, in an incident that was photographed by a tourist and subsequently received media attention.[11][12]
On October 5, 2023, it was announced that Commander was moving out of the White House due to the numerous biting incidents.[13] CNN later reported that there were at least 24 such events.[14]
In her 2024 autobiography, South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem suggested that Commander should be killed, calling him "dangerous and unpredictable".[15][16]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ Bennett, Kate (December 20, 2021). "Bidens add to their family with new first puppy". CNN. Archived from the original on December 20, 2021. Retrieved December 20, 2021.
- ^ "Biden Welcomes Puppy to White House; No Word on Promised Cat". VOA News. Associated Press. December 21, 2021. Archived from the original on December 21, 2021. Retrieved December 21, 2021.
- ^ Brown, Kristin; Linton, Caroline (December 21, 2021). "Bidens welcome new dog named Commander". CBS News. Archived from the original on December 21, 2021. Retrieved December 21, 2021.
- ^ Reed, Betsy (December 21, 2021). "Commander in, Major out: White House pet shakeup after biting incidents". The Guardian. Associated Press. Retrieved January 20, 2024.
- ^ Shear, Michael D.; Rogers, Katie (December 21, 2021). "'Hey, Pal': Biden Welcomes a New Puppy to the White House". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on March 2, 2023. Retrieved December 21, 2021.
- ^ "Biden dog Commander to make TV debut during 'Puppy Bowl'". NBC News. Associated Press. February 11, 2022. Archived from the original on June 3, 2023. Retrieved September 30, 2023.
- ^ Baker, Peter (February 21, 2023). "Secret Service Had to Adjust Tactics to Avoid Bites From Biden's Dog". www.nytimes.com. Retrieved February 23, 2024.
- ^ Superville, Darlene (July 25, 2023). "Biden's dog Commander has bitten Secret Service officers 10 times in four months, records show". AP News. Archived from the original on October 26, 2023. Retrieved July 25, 2023.
- ^ Klein, Betsy (September 26, 2023). "Commander Biden bites another Secret Service agent, the 11th known incident". CNN. Archived from the original on September 30, 2023. Retrieved September 30, 2023.
- ^ "Herdershond van Biden bijt voor de elfde keer medewerker van Witte Huis". NOS (in Dutch). September 27, 2023. Archived from the original on October 2, 2023. Retrieved September 30, 2023.
- ^ Hutzler, Alexandra; Nagle, Molly (October 5, 2023). "Bidens' dog Commander gone from White House after string of biting incidents". ABC News. Archived from the original on November 4, 2023. Retrieved November 8, 2023.
- ^ Marcia Mallet Anderson (2022). "Fifty Years Devoted to the White House Gardens & Grounds: The Career of Dale Haney, Superintendent of the White House Grounds". White House History Quarterly: 31. Archived from the original on February 26, 2023. Retrieved November 8, 2023.
- ^ "Biden's dog Commander leaves White House after biting incidents". BBC News. October 5, 2023. Archived from the original on October 10, 2023. Retrieved October 5, 2023.
- ^ DeChalus, Camila; Klein, Betsy (February 21, 2024). "Bidens' dog, Commander, bit Secret Service personnel in at least 24 incidents, records show". CNN. Retrieved February 21, 2024.
- ^ Astor, Maggie (May 5, 2024). "Kristi Noem Suggests Biden's Dog Should Have Been Killed, Too". The New York Times. Archived from the original on May 5, 2024. Retrieved May 6, 2024.
- ^ Maher, Kit (May 5, 2024). "Noem suggests Biden's dog Commander should suffer a similar fate to Cricket, the dog she shot". CNN. Retrieved May 6, 2024.
External links
[edit]Media related to Commander (dog) at Wikimedia Commons
