October 8, 2023

"I don’t think people realize how sensitive German shepherds can be... if you don’t give them a job to do, they’ll go self-employed."

Said a dog behaviorist, quoted in "Why Commander Is No Longer His Master’s Dog/Being a presidential dog is hard. It’s not his fault that his biting became a political liability" (The Atlantic)
Young shepherds need to be taught how to behave when a visitor or stranger arrives—how to go to their “place” or grab a toy, something that desensitizes them to the constant flow of bodies coming and going. This appears to be the gap in Commander’s education. “He’s been allowed to make mistakes, which is a real shame,” [the behaviorist] said. “But I don’t blame him. It’s not his fault.”

It was very easy to know this. Obviously, it's not the dog's fault. The article leaves the necessary inference unsaid: It's the President's fault.

60 comments:

tim in vermont said...

Did you see him kick Commander the other day to get him to go where the old dotard wanted him to go? People claim it wasn't a "full on kick," well, it was a kick, and as somebody who has owned a large dog, I can tell you that there were plenty of far more loving ways to get the dog to comply. Remember when he was wearing a boot, after falling down after pulling Commander's tail? Anybody else here ever fallen down that way? Supposedly there are reports of Biden kicking the dog that have not been caught on video. He's just an evil old man.

BTW, somebody handed Biden the leash while he was on a stairway. That person should be fired. Do that enough, and it's a matter of time before that large and ill-disciplined dog pulls Biden down the stairs, breaking his hip.

And yeah, German shepherds are not for people not willing to put in the time and effort to raise them properly. Get a Labrador if you just want a well behaved dog you don't have to train very much.

Kate said...

If this were a new breed to Biden, I might understand how he became overwhelmed by the dog's traits. But he's owned many Shepherds. He's already had a dog sent home for biting. It's the more-than-one aspect that damns him.

Buckwheathikes said...

Give the dog to Obama to eat. Problem solved.

Big Mike said...

It's the President's fault.

Damned right.

The Crack Emcee said...

As I said yesterday, when we were discussing killing bears, you don't destroy an animal for being itself.

Breezy said...

It’s unwise for elderly people to have large dogs in general. It’s surprising that it was even allowed by anyone watching over the security of the president. Didn’t one already cause him to fall at home a cpl years ago?

EdwdLny said...

Never underestimate joey bidet's ability to fuck things up. And the shit head is not, nor has he ever been a dog person. So, in addition to being a traitor, rapist, and a child molester, he is also a pet abuser. Vile, disgusting pig.

Humperdink said...

Another tip from our trainer: Never play tug-of-war with a German Shepherd.

Bill R said...

A dog is not a prop. Can we end this whole charade of presidential "dogs"?

gilbar said...

It's Weird how, EVERY dog Joe Biden has somehow turns out like this.. EVERY dog

michaele said...

The training and positive reinforcement for desired behavior never ends with high energy dog breeds like German shepherds. My husband and I have had Australian shepherds as our family dogs and I enjoyed the role of being the "dog whisperer". Especially during the formative years, I consistently looked for opportunities to assert being the alpha...as in insisting the dog sat and stayed while I walked away. The dog would get rewarded with treats and praise. Admittedly, living on a farm and having 54 acres to take the dogs on runs helped a lot to burn off energy and keep their minds sane.

wild chicken said...

Typical dog owner.

The only dog I had was trained by the guy who gave her to me. Otherwise I wouldn't have known what to do either.

And it wasn't a Shepherd!

The Crack Emcee said...

"I got a dog that bites, fuck the barking"

Q-Tip (A Tribe Called Qwest) 1nce Again

Enigma said...

When shopping for a puppy, watch the entire litter for a few minutes. Some puppies will be aggressive, some will be active, some will be playful, and some will walk over to you for a snuggle. Their adult personalities are clear as can be. It'd be wise to select a playful or snuggling puppy for a social workplace and PR function. But equity...all dogs are equal! Did this puppy identify as male at birth, and then not have his junk cut off? Was this dog merely crying out for gender affirming care and denied it for lack of government pet medical insurance?

Naming this German Shepard puppy 'Commander' gives the game away -- they wanted a tough-guy image dog. Why didn't they get a pit bull instead? It'd likely have 'garnered' a few votes from people with fighting dogs.

It's hard to distinguish between sarcasm, buffonery, and reality these days.

Big Mike said...

A dog is not a prop. Can we end this whole charade of presidential "dogs"?

Trump already did. Or at least interrupted it.

WWIII Joe Biden, Husk-Puppet + America's Putin said...

Joe and Jill are assholes. The entire Biden family is one giant self-centered caldron of greed, corruption, lies, and hot garbage.

JAORE said...

Photo ops are meant to be a positive message then packed away for the next opportunity. Not the way to treat a living being.

FJB

Meade said...

It’s every dog owner’s fault who fails to teach his 8 week-old puppy to “crate” from day one. Also, naming the puppy “Commander” was a huge tell. YOU are the commander; your dog is the commandEE. I’m going to call you President Joe Fool. SIT, Fool. STAY. QUIET, Fool. No, you may NOT sniff children.

Mr. Forward said...

I agree with tim in vermont. Get a Labrador. A well behaved dog that you don't have to train very much. Or a weisenheimer, a demanding dog that will train you.

Christopher B said...

@Breezy, I believe you are referencing the incident Tim In Vermont also noted when Biden showed up in a boot because he slipped in the shower. The slip was later described as happening when he 'playfully' tried to pull the dog's tail.

robother said...

I'm waiting for the explanation that Joe's only sin as an owner is that he loves Commander too much.

The Elder said...

"German shepherds are not for people not willing to put in the time and effort to raise them properly. Get a Labrador if you just want a well behaved dog you don't have to train very much."

Or better yet, get TWO Labrador Retrievers! Then TRAIN them!!!

Quaestor said...

Tim writes, "Get a Labrador..."

That move's not in the playbook. Biden's breed is the German shepherd for the same reason the LA Crips favored the Pit bull. The German shepherd was the thug pooch of his generation.

Aggie said...

There's virtually nothing that I like about Joe Biden, and never have, but I wouldn't place all the blame on him for the dog's biting. After all, we're not allowed to hold him responsible for any of the myriad of other disasters that have come on his watch, are we?

Kicking a dog is inexcusable, though - if that's what that happened. Picking a German Shepherd in this setting is also very highly inadvisable. Joe's handlers are rumored to be reasonably competent - he got elected from his basement, didn't he? How did they allow the choice? It's just the kind of stupid macho optics an *sshole like Joe would prefer, like the Corvette or the RayBans.

But I wouldn't be blaming Joe for not personally training the dog. He's got a hundred lickspittle apparatchiks around him - blame them.

BUMBLE BEE said...

My neighbor had a shepherd a couple years ago. He raised her right, the best dog I ever knew.

Rich said...

By continuously bringing German Shepards into such a chaotic environment, they are just setting those poor guys up for failure. German Shepards are fiercely protective of their family but, by and large, don't do great in chaotic settings with lots of traffic coming and going.

What bothers me about this is that they don't seem to be putting the dog's best interests at heart when they bring them into environments that are highly stressful for the dogs. I can only imagine how constantly stressed those dogs must have felt in order to each have multiple biting incidents.

The Bidens really need to consult with some dog experts before they bring any other dogs into that environment. It's not fair to the dogs to keep bringing in ones that don't do well in such busy settings and expecting them to act against their own nature.

typingtalker said...

Dog owners are liable for any injuries their pets cause in the following instances: if the owner knew the dog had a tendency to cause that kind of injury; if a state statute makes the owner liable, whether or not the owner knew the dog had a tendency to cause that kind of injury; or if the injury was caused by unreasonable carelessness on the part of the owner.

Insurance Information Institute

Howard (not that Howard) said...

Biden is unquestionably the worst human to be president in my lifetime. That the media continues to cover this up is the most maddening thing I can think of.

Limited blogger said...

Everybody has to get some unique dog, and congratulate themselves. Then things go wrong.

Get a Lab and forget about it.

Bob said...

I think you have to say German Shepherd DOGS. I misread the story at first.

Big Mike said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Big Mike said...

Kicking a dog is inexcusable, though - if that's what that happened.

@Aggie, I saw a video clip where Joe Biden’s leg definitely makes contact with the dog, but (1) I don’t know if it’s the same clip everyone else is referencing, and (2) he and the dog are partly behind a vehicle and I honestly couldn’t tell if he was kicking the rambunctious dog or just clumsily got his legs and feet entangled with the animal.

Mason G said...

"Dog owners are liable for any injuries their pets cause in the following instances:"

The link doesn't include the "unless you are an asshole Democrat president" exception.

Political Junkie said...

Howard at 924. I agree, although I know the trolls and D's on here will immediately say "what about Trump". Obama, Clinton, LBJ, Carter all had their faults (we all do), but SOB Joe is for me, the worst.

The scene about SOB Joe that resonates strongest with me was back in 1987 or 1988 when he was running for president, at a fundraising event with press there (CSPAN was there), he got into it with someone and riffed about being at the top of his class in law school and he denigrated the other person. This was a D gathering!

loudogblog said...

It's one thing to have a dog at home that is not well trained. It's another thing to bring a dog into the workplace that is not well trained. Especially when you have the money to pay for really good training.

TaeJohnDo said...


BTW, somebody handed Biden the leash while he was on a stairway. That person should be GIVEN A MEDAL. Do that enough, and it's a matter of time before that large and ill-disciplined dog pulls Biden down the stairs, breaking his hip.

FIFY

rcocean said...

While its nice they adopted a dog from a shelter, they should have gotten ANOTHER dog for the White house. The White house requires either a small dog or a friendly breed like a Lab. FDR had a Scot Terrier, Ford had a lab, LBJ had a smallish dog. I think Biden is the first one to have a German Shepard. They probably wanted to get a pit bull.

BTW, has Biden or his wife apologized to all people that were bitten? If not, that's in line with their usual arrogant attitude toward "the Help".

But then being a leftist means never having to say you're sorry.

Political Junkie said...

Nice point loudogblog.

Joe Smith said...

Isn't herding sheep enough?

Joe Smith said...

'As I said yesterday, when we were discussing killing bears, you don't destroy an animal for being itself.'

Bears are not domesticated pets living in our homes.

Joe Smith said...

"That is not my dog."

Best read in an overdone French accent.

Skeptical Voter said...

Some people ought not have a dog. I think back to the funny scene of our New Light Worker Obama being pulled down a sidewalk attached to the leash of his Portuguese Water Dog. It was pretty clear who was dominant in that relationship.

But regardless of the breed a dog owner has a responsibility to either train the dog him or her self--or hire a trainer to get the job done. That's particularly true with large dogs or aggressive breeds. I occasionally go into the office of a local auto repair shop. The "office dog" is a pit bull that sleeps on a dog bed behind the counter. The dog comes out and greets every customer--the dog is a sweetheart and likes people.

Aside from the obligation to train or get training for a dog, I think a dog's personality often reflects that of its owner. If the owner is a snarling snapping nasty sort of guy (I'm looking at you Joe Biden) then the dog is going to be a snarling snappy nasty critter.

walter said...

Get Joe a potbellied pig.

Free Manure While You Wait! said...

My GSD knows at a minimum, 60 commands. Probably closer to 80.

Got her at ten weeks old. She learned the first four in under 48 hours. Come, Sit, Kennel-up, and Stop what you're doing right NOW.

Taught her what's called differentiation, what object to get and what room to go to. She responds to commands in English, Spanish, Italian, German, hand-signals, sounds and even with just a look.

She also knows multiple commands for the same task (e.g., Move/Excuse Me/Scusi). Pretty damn amazing. And on-leash she is sight to behold. Being shut up in the house during Covid contributed quite a lot. And don't even get me started on her anticipatory skills. Apparently I have tells that she sees and I don't. I truly have no idea how she does it.

She's great with the people she knows and they all love her. But what she loves most is the cat. And the cat loves her back. They cuddle everyday. It's really sweet. But were a stranger were to enter my house, she'd rip their throat out.

A GSD is an incredibly bad choice for a Whitehouse dog. It has to be very stressful on the dog with so much activity and strangers around. At least Obama had the god sense to get a Labrador, which would be my choice too. A GSD? As much as I love the breed, no way.

I read somewhere that Biden chooses GSDs because he thinks they look cool. You know who else thought GSDs looked cool?

madAsHell said...

Bullshit!!

Joe has physically abused those dogs.

madAsHell said...

My schizo sister had to destroy several dogs because she could project her schizophrenia onto them. The dogs would end-up biting her husband, our cousin, and neighbors.

I'm seeing the same with Biden's dog. Biden is nuts.

n.n said...

Idle hands.

BG said...

We got a 2-year-old yellow lab this past spring. The previous owner couldn't keep him anymore. Ours would be perfect for the White House. He would just go around running, licking everyone to death. I told the previous owner, "Oh, he'll settle down when he gets to be about 5 or 6." You should have seen how wide his eyes became. We love ours to death even with his little faults. (How do you train a dog not to walk away from the water bowl with water running out of its mouth?)

But it's true - dogs need a job. They're happy "working." Even ours needs to go outside every few hours and sniff the perimeter of the property to make sure everything's okay. My cousin has a black German Shepherd. Swears that his dog taught itself to "guard." My cousin is so proud that his dog intimidates everyone who drives onto his yard. Yeah...he doesn't get much company.

German Shepherds need a job, they need to know their boundaries and they need to know who's the "alpha." It's definitely NOT the Bidens.

Maynard said...

I grew up with Dobermans who are very protective of their family and somewhat on edge. My male bit a kid who walked up behind him in surprise. (It was my fault).

In those days (mid 60's), it as a week at the pound for a bite. Next bite was euthanasia.

Why are Biden's dogs allowed to keep biting?

Oligonicella said...

tim in vermont said...
Anybody else here ever fallen down that way?

No. But to inject a little levity... Most people haven't the slightest idea how strong dogs are.

My ex once answered the door to chat with the mailman, who my dog adored. As they spoke, Sam noticed a cat 'stalking' the mail man and took off to chase him away.

My ex grabbed his always curled tail to stop him and was drug face first all the way across the porch.

My laughter was not appreciated.

Oligonicella said...

The Crack Emcee said...
As I said yesterday, when we were discussing killing bears, you don't destroy an animal for being itself.

If you're it's prey item, yes you do.

Oligonicella said...

Meade said...
It’s every dog owner’s fault who fails to teach his 8 week-old puppy to “crate” from day one.

If you mean actually go to a crate, it's not necessary. My dog Sam (95lb white wolf-looking) was raised around my stunt group. Twenty+ people every weekend. Never crated. He had his "lay down" spot. Synonymous with a crate sans enclosure.

Lived 17 years w/o a single aggressive incident except for one chump shouting and gesturing wildly at my ex and then, a significant growl and baring his teeth was way more than sufficient.

Sam was a people-person. That and the big bastard understood English about as well as a four year old.

Social training and acclimatization is most important. But if you lack consistent group interaction, I can see a crate.

Static Ping said...

This is why you do not give senile people German shepherds.

The whole reason this breed was chosen was to make Biden seem stronger, given he is always super sensitive as being seen as weak. The problem is he is weak and has always been weak. He is also stupid. Also a pathological liar. And corrupt. And perverted. And many other things. It is amazing that he was ever elected to anything, but he is really good at that, somehow.

Freeman Hunt said...

Half the country worships dogs, so the President has to have one. They should get lap dogs to fit in better in DC.

Jamie said...

The problem is he is weak and has always been weak. He is also stupid. Also a pathological liar. And corrupt. And perverted. And many other things. It is amazing that he was ever elected to anything, but he is really good at that, somehow.

As neo says, he was always a mean and angry man. When he became a comic reference in the sitcom Parks and Recreation, it didn't make any sense to me - he was long known in the Mid-Atlantic area to be a nasty piece of work, but the show was trying to make him comical by saying that this policy wonk woman in Indiana had a terrible crush on him because of his policy wonkiness. He was NEVER a wonk. He was a made guy and a bully.

And now he's president. Thank you very much, 80 million people who couldn't see past his radiator-grille teeth (with a valuable assist from Facebook, pre-Musk Twitter, Google, all the mainstream news outlets except certain Fox programs, state AGs and judges in swing states). Welcome to the threshold of war, "led" by a demented, angry buffoon.

Free Manure While You Wait! said...

" Meade said...
It’s every dog owner’s fault who fails to teach his 8 week-old puppy to “crate” from day one. Also, naming the puppy “Commander” was a huge tell. YOU are the commander; your dog is the commandEE."

Exactly right. There are very good reasons for crate training a puppy.*

- It's the best way to housebreak it. Fast.

- Dogs descended from wolves, which live in dens. They feel safe in their den.

- When traveling, a dog must be crated if it's gong on a plane. Better to get the dog used to that in advance.

FTR, I would never put a dog on a plane. Ever. The airlines have a terrible track-record on escapes, injuries and deaths. All of them. Just one example.

https://www.wcvb.com/article/cat-reunited-with-owner-three-weeks-after-escaping-kennel-boston-logan-airport/40631097

I took my previous GSD all over America and always stayed in a room with two queen beds. The crate for a GSD fits perfectly in between them. For the record, I haven't put my current GSD in a crate for years. No need. She has a really nice bed with a removable, washable cover that I purchased from Amazon.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0B4VZY16Z/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&th=1

* I learned to train dogs at the Twin Cities Obedience Training Club. They are affiliated with the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine. It's the Mayo Clinic of veterinarian medicine. They use positive-reinforcement training to help you build a positive relationship with your dog. They train you, not the dog. And once you learn how, it's applicable to any dog, regardless of breed or age. Here's a link:

https://www.tcotc.com/

And remember, if you see someone walking their dog and it's on a leash several feet ahead of its owner, the dog is the one in charge. My dog walks directly on my left and automatically sits when we get to the corner to cross the street. Every time. Unless I say, "Keep Walkin'." As I said, on-leash she is sight to behold.

I quit taking my GSD to outdoor events with crowds (Pride Walks, outdoor concerts, etc.) because there's always some asshole at those things with a little dog on a 30-foot leash going wherever it wants. And invariably, it will run up to my dog and start barking. Of course my dog barks back, but the people in the crowd only see my GSD barking, not the little kickin'-dog that's the actual aggressor. My dog doesn't need that shit.

"But were a stranger were to enter my house, she'd rip their throat out."

Clarification: But were a stranger to BREAK INTO my house, she'd rip their throat out. Or if a stranger attacked me.





mikee said...

I honestly thought my 70 pound male half-lab was insane for the first two years of his life, until we got a mini Aussie Shep female to keep him company. Apparently what the big dog needed was a 25 pound dog biting his tail, to pull around the yard all day, to wear him out enough to behave. Lesson learned. Dogs need work.

gilbar said...

It's Weird that if you constantly pull a dogs tail and kick him; That he won't be a Good Doggie
</sarc

gilbar said...

Free Manure.. pointed out..
you see someone walking their dog and its on a leash several feet ahead of its owner, the dog is the one in charge

I see this Every day while walking the trails around here. 3 Types of dog (owners) encounters:
1) [almost Never] Dog on leash next to owner.. No Problem's here
2) Dog on extended leash, WAY in front of owner.. Dog is going to TRY to prevent me from walking
3) [most common] Dog running along trail loose, 30 feet in front of owner.. WHY i bring my walking stick

#3 owner INVARIABLY says: "Oh, his bark is worse than his bark", and gilbar says:
WHEN your dog bites me, HE is Going to die.. And the 'owner' glares at me. After ALL him and his dog have a PERFECT right to ignore the law, and ignore other people.. AND a perfect right to be put down when they bite

Dogs WANT Owners.. It's sad that so few have them

Thorley Winston said...

If the dog has been biting people (what are we up to - eleven now - that they'll admit to?) then the dog gets put down. And everyone who got bit after the first time ought to be able to sue the Bidens because after the first time their dog bit someone, they knew what they were dealing with.