Politico, surprisingly, has published a report rebuking President Joe Biden and the First Family for allowing their dogs to bite White House staffers. 

The report, written by Michael Schaffer, is aptly titled, Don't Blame the Dog. Blame Joe Biden.

This really does just about sum the whole matter up.

This all follows a recent report from the New York Post, in which the outlet revealed the extent of the situation.

Seven bites in four months

On July 25, 2023, the Post published a report, titled, Biden's dog Commander sent Secret Service officer to hospital, bit 6 others after replacing first pooch Major. 

The outlet reports:

President Biden’s nearly 2-year-old German shepherd Commander bit seven people in a four-month span after former first dog Major was ousted from the White House over similar aggressive behavior, according to internal Secret Service records reviewed by The Post.

The Post goes on to highlight what it calls "the most serious documented incident."

Per the outlet:

In the most serious documented incident, the White House physician’s office on Nov. 3, 2022, referred a Secret Service uniformed officer to a local hospital for treatment after Commander clamped down on their arm and thigh, according to emails released under the Freedom of Information Act to conservative legal group Judicial Watch.

The Post goes on to relate several other incidents.

"Pets aren't supposed to bite people"

In his piece, Schaffer quotes a White House staffer as writing, "What a joke. If it wasn't their dog he would have already been put down - freaking clown needs a muzzle."

"The agent may well be right," Schaffer writes, adding, "Pets aren’t supposed to bite people, whether those people are guests or postal carriers or neighbors walking past the yard. Morally — and legally, too — it’s the owner’s job to ensure that this doesn’t happen."

Schaffer goes on to note that, "for regular folks, incidents like the ones with Major and Commander would at the very least lead to an unpleasant visit from animal control and a stern message: Get your dog under control."

Schaffer also notes that the media coverage of the situation would likely have been "entirely different" had someone else been in the White House.

Schaffer concludes, writing:

Commander is showing the limits of our canine politics. Loving their dog may show the Bidens’ just-folks tastes, and struggling with their dog’s behavior may even make them relatable. But having a dog that lives in a public mansion and gets to bite people again and again is evidence that they’re not really all that much like us, after all. If your public image is centered around being Middle-Class Joe, that’s not a great look.