First Dog was out of control.

[SarahD]

My friends have two German shepherds with the same protective instincts as Commander, the Bidens' dog. It should have been evident, after two or three incidents, that Commander didn't belong in the White House. They let in go on too long

https://www.cnn.com/2024/02/21/politics/commander-biden-secret-service-bites-white-house/index.html

[niyad]

1. What a nice distraction from the ruzzian psy-op story. As Church Lady

would say about the timing, "how conveeeeeeeeenient."

[elleng]

3. UGH!

'They let it go on too long.'

[blm]

2. Oh thank you. This is so important.

I hope the WH stops whatever they are doing till this matter is completely settled to your satisfaction and addresses all concerns.

🙄

[niyad]

4. This matter WAS settled. Commander was taken to Delaware months ago.

[blm]

5. I know.

My way of saying this post smells.

[Jilly_in_VA]

6. Why are you bringing this up now?

Commander has been exiled for MONTHS. Willow the cat now rules the roost.

[niyad]

7. Judging by the brief glance I did at the article, cnn has done a MAJOR

investigation, geting USSS records, interviews, a truly in-depth report of this vitally urgent and important issue, unlike, you know, insignificant things like J6, TRAITOR**, ruzzia.

[ShazzieB]

8. My impression is the same.

For some reason, CNN evidently felt compelled to go to the lengths of making a FOIA request to acquire what sounds like quite a stack of documents about something that was over and done with months ago and then write a story about this old non-news. You'd think they could find better things to do with their time, but here we are.

[hlthe2b]

9. Most who spend a lot of time with German Shepherds would have recognized nearly immediately

observing Commander around WH staff, especially the Secret Service, that this would not work. They are highly incited by body language and the "all business, often overly assertive" stance of most SS would have been interpreted as aggressive. I'd suspect nothing or little was done to educate SS on ways to do their jobs while offering the most minimal of accommodation when around the dog. It would have been all about attitude. Fear can also be misinterpreted as aggressive or at least unpredictable to them and there might well have been staff, visitors, or others that manifest fear or at least the body language that suggests it.

I wish the Bidens had gone for Golden Retrievers or Labs, frankly. Not all G. Shepherds would necessarily have had as much difficulty but they are just not a breed that would adapt to that chaos well.

That said, this is OLD NEWS. Why is it being brought up now?

[niyad]

11. See posts 1 and 7.

[IbogaProject]

10. This speaks well of Biden having hope in his buddy

I see this as Joe was really rooting for his dog. And why doesn't any coverage of this mention how the former guy has never had a pet ever in his spoiled life let alone even for show at the White House?

[niyad]

12. Actually, there was a pet in the White House then. . .TRAITOR** is putin's pet.

[Aussie105]

13. A muzzle might have helped . . .

And a spray to cover that smell of that on-edge-ready-for-anything hormone.

Not for the dog, but the secret service tough guys.

Seriously, german sheps are so fine tuned to body language, just having aggressive thoughts can set them on edge.

Met my grand daughter's Rottweiler for the first time, years ago - instant full-on defensive/protection mode from him, she had to go through a series of introduction steps to get him to accept him.

[Hekate]

14. When I was about 4 yo I was halfway across the street carrying my Xmas toys to show my best friend

A gigantic German Shepherd with teeth the size of a lion’s (as seen by a 4 year old) charged out from his yard to knock me over and stand on me growling and barking. My shrieks brought the adults running.

What was I doing wrong? Radiating too much innocent happiness?

I’ve mostly stayed out of these conversations, but every so often I do wonder. That breed was popular when I was a kid in the early 1950s, and my walks to elementary school were punctuated by “family dogs” charging their chain link fences, which caused me to radiate visceral fear.

In my late teens I gutted it out to get over the worst. Over time, as an adult, I met mannerly protective dogs integrated into families. That helped quite a bit.

Personally I have owned a succession of smallish dogs plus one “accidental Dobie” passed off to us as a “Black Lab mix“ puppy by the animal shelter. My only failure was the Schnauzer my ex-husband insisted on when I had an active toddling baby, and I finally sent that one on to my sister, who was single and had no kids. They needed each other and it worked well. The accidental Dobie loved me a lot, but led a very restricted life when with me because despite training she had a screw loose, yet she always had a home with me because my then-adolescent son needed that dog. But for me and my lifestyle I choose friendly little guys 20 pounds and under whose instinct is to like people.

Our latest, a Lhasa Apso-Poodle mix, died a few weeks ago at 13. She never met a person she didn’t like, and only one of our friends ever shied away because of not liking dogs. My husband walked her 3 times a day, and the whole neighborhood misses her.

I understand that people have their favorite breeds — one couple we knew adored Airedales, another couple won’t have anything but Cocker Spaniels. I get that POTUS loves Shepherds, but the White House is a very busy place full of offices and tourists and public affairs in general, and clearly too stressful for that breed. The Biden family’s beloved pets need to retire to Delaware and stay there.

[niyad]

15. May the Lady of the Beasts take your little one gently home in Her loving

arms, and send you all peace and comfort.

I am so very sorry for the loss of your precious baby.

[Hekate]

16. That is very kind. She had a large & loving personality, and we miss her. 💔

[niyad]

17. hugggggs from my little one and me to all of you.

[chowmama]

18. They leave a hole in our hearts

It fills with memories. But it's still a hole.

[chowmama]

19. Yes, it's a distraction.

And it's also a case of a good dog in the wrong environment. One of my rescues had to be re-homed because she decided that she wanted to be the only dog, and we actually did have another dog at the time. There were stitches involved. The re-homed dog went to a woman who was the perfect situation for her. We always said we gave her the best home she could possibly have - it just wasn't with us. I got to see her at her yearly clinic visits and we had BIG greeting every time. She always ended by returning to Mom and making it plain whom she planned to go home with. Mom and I laughed at her subtlety.

Breed is the way you bet. Individuality can't be discounted. Some shepherds would have been fine. Not this one.

And was the agent in the private quarters where he wasn't allowed to be? If true, that's also a factor.