<div style="text-align: justify; "><span style="font-size: 1rem;">President Joe Biden's dog Commander has been removed from the White House, a spokeswoman said Wednesday, after it bit a number of staff members.</span><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify; ">The Bidens have sent the two-year-old German Shepherd to an unknown location while they look at "next steps" for the presidential pooch.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The announcement came after CNN and Axios reported that Commander, who arrived at the White House as a cute pup in 2021, had been involved in more biting incidents than previously known.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The Secret Service had acknowledged that 11 of its agents had been nipped, but CNN said the actual number was higher and that the dog had bitten other</div><div style="text-align: justify;">White House workers too.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"The President and First Lady care deeply about the safety of those who work at the White House and those who protect them every day," Elizabeth Alexander, communications director for Biden's wife Jill, said in a</div><div style="text-align: justify;">statement.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"They remain grateful for the patience and support of the US Secret Service and all involved, as they continue to work through solutions.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"Commander is not presently on the White House campus while next steps are evaluated."</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">There were no further details of Commander's location, or whether the move was permanent.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The last time Commander was seen at the White House was on September 30, when photographers spotted him on the Truman balcony of the president's private quarters.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The Bidens have previously blamed the "stressful" environment at the White House for the rambunctious behavior of their pets.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Commander is the second of the Biden's dogs to be sent away from the White House for biting, after another German Shepherd, Major, was dispatched to live with family friends in Delaware.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The Bidens' beloved dog Champ died in 2021 at the age of 13.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The First Family introduced Commander amid great fanfare in December 2021, with Biden tweeting "Welcome to the White House" along with a photo of the puppy running with a tennis ball in his mouth. AFP</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify; ">bnbd24/kh</div>