President Biden's Dog Commander Removed From White House

President Joe Biden's German shepherd has been removed from the White House amid reports of more biting incidents having potentially taken place than previously reported.

Elizabeth Alexander, a spokesperson for First Lady Dr. Jill Biden, Ed.D, confirmed that Commander was "not presently on the White House campus while next steps are evaluated" in a statement to CBS News on Wednesday (October 4) evening, though not clarifying whether the 2-year-old dog's absence was permanent.

"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," Alexander said. "They remain grateful for the patience and support of the U.S. Secret Service and all involved, as they continue to work through solutions."

Commander has reportedly been involved in at least 11 documented attacks against Secret Service personnel, the latest reported on September 25, when a uniformed officer "came in contact" with the dog "and was bitten" at the White House. Nearly 200 pages of redacted federal documents described 10 prior incidents involving the German shepherd attacking Secret Service officers since October 2022, though none of the injuries were reported to be serious.

Several sources, however, told CNN that they suspected the actual number of attacks to be higher and include groups of White House employees. Commander, who was gifted to the Bidens as a puppy in December 2021, is the second dog to be relocated from the White House after the couple's other German shepherd, Major, was relocated to Delaware to live with friends of the couple after having also been involved in multiple biting incidents at the White House in 2021.