You Are What You Pet

The Biden dog troubles are a sign deeper troubles of their own

Photo by Anatoly Najmitenko on Unsplash

The Biden family is dealing with yet another dog scandal as reports have surfaced that their German shepherd Commander has bit at least seven secret service agents during the family’s White House tenure.

From The New York Post:

The first dog leads a dog’s life, even in the White House.

That’s the Biden administration’s explanation for why the president’s German shepherd Commander bit at least seven Secret Service members in recent months — sending one protection officer to the hospital.

“The White House complex is a unique and often stressful environment for family pets, and the First Family is working through ways to make this situation better for everyone,” said Elizabeth Alexander, communications director for first lady Jill Biden, in a statement Tuesday.

Commander, approximately 23 months old, replaced former first dog Major — another German shepherd who also bit many Secret Service members.

You read that correctly. Commander is the second First Dog to give the secret service grief. The official White House line on the incidents leaves a lot to be desired. White House dogs are an American tradition and yet it’s difficult to recall a First Dog that has received as much negative press as the Biden’s two First Dogs.

My family has been fostering dogs for years. Fostering a dog from an animal rescue is not just about giving dogs a place to stay. Typically these are dogs that are facing their last days at a kill shelter. They are not normal, lonely pooches. They are troubled dogs whose trauma has made them anti-social and difficult to adopt out. Rescues - as is implied in the moniker - rescue these dogs from the shelters and send them to foster families who work to re-socialize them and prepare them to fit into a “forever family.”

It’s rewarding work but we’ve had a few tough customers. Our very first foster was a lovely Catahoula Leopard Hound named Sybil. Unfortunately we had to send her back after just a week or so. It turned out Sybil was a racist. I’m not kidding.