Reports have recently surfaced that Joe Biden’s dog, Commander, has bitten secret service agents on 24 occasions. This story hasn’t garnered much attention for many reasons. With so much of the world on fire, dog bite stories aren’t front page news. However, those familiar with dogs will understand why this story deserves more scrutiny.
Is Commander just a vicious dog? I could accept that if he were the only Biden dog to be removed from the White House for biting staff. Commander came to the White House after Biden’s other dogs (also German Shepherds), Major and Champ, also had to be removed due to “aggressive behavior” towards staff.
You don’t have to watch very many episodes of “The Dog Whisperer” or “Better Human Better Dog” to know that Cesar Millan never blames dogs for misbehavior. He blames the owners. In the cases spotlighted on these shows, the dogs are never abused nor are they trained to be aggressive. Their behavior is the result of subconscious cues that they pick up from their owners.
Some estimates suggest that dogs were first domesticated around 20,000 years ago. During that time, through natural evolution and selective breeding, dogs have become amazingly attuned to the physical and emotional state of their owners. Sometimes the dog’s behavior is well-intended and it’s us humans that are misinterpreting the situation. One example is a story I saw on television years ago about a couple that was heartbroken when the Rottweiler they had adopted started attacking the wife seemingly unprovoked. The massive dog would tackle the woman, pin her on the ground and refuse to let her up for several minutes. When the couple contacted a trainer, they figured out that the dog was sensing when the wife, who suffered from epilepsy, was about to have a seizure and forcing her to the ground to protect her from injury. After the dog was trained to lick the woman’s hand rather than tackle her, he enabled her to regain freedom and independence that she never dreamed she would ever have again. Studies are now showing that dogs can even detect cancer and other conditions in their owners.
German Shepherds are a highly intelligent and extremely loyal breed. They don’t generally attack unprovoked, which is why they are often used as guide dogs for the blind or to assist humans with other disabilities. They are, however, protective. My guess is that Commander (and Champ and Major before him) senses that Joe is frail and senile. Therefore, Commander is always on high alert to protect him. Much like the Rottweiler that was protecting his owner due to her illness, Commander’s behavior is being misinterpreted as aggression rather than loyalty. Unfortunately for him, no trainer will set the record straight—at least not publicly. The idiom “Out of the mouths of babes” refers to the wisdom and truth that can only be obtained from children due to their innocence and purity. The same applies to the actions of dogs.
By Peter Farrell
Follow me on X: @peterfarrell68
