The highly-trained team, who are experts in hand-to-hand combat and selected from the US military elite, are ready to lay down their lives to keep their charge safe.
But in the case of the Commander, the German shepherd dog, they were forced to trade bulletproof vests for dog biscuits.
According to newly released documents, at least 24 incidents of biting took place at the White House and the president’s Delaware residence over a 10-month period – including one in which an agent required six stitches.
When the agent returned to duty they were given items for future “safety purposes” including pepper spray, a muzzle, and – in case of emergencies – dog treats.
In another incident the bite was so severe that blood spilled onto the floor of an area of the White House open to public tours, forcing it to be closed off briefly.
“The recent dog bites have challenged us to adjust our operational tactics when Commander is present – please give lots of room (staying a terrain feature away if possible),” a senior agent in charge of the Presidential Protection Division wrote in a June 2023 email.
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