President Joe Biden’s dog Commander has been taken away from the White House after a series of biting incidents involving staff members and Secret Service personnel, according to a spokesperson for First Lady Jill Biden.

Elizabeth Alexander, Biden’s communications director, said the dog was no longer living with the first family.

“Commander is not presently on the White House campus while the next steps are evaluated,” Alexander said in a statement.

The move came days after Commander, a 2-year-old German shepherd, bit a Secret Service officer. It was the 11th episode of “aggressive behaviour” by the president’s pets, many of them involving Commander and the officers and agents who protect the President.

One of Biden’s other dogs, Major, was sent to live away from the White House soon after the president took office because of what was described at the time as a “biting incident” with a White House staff member.

In her statement, Alexander said the President and the First Lady “care deeply about the safety of those who work at the White House and those who protect them every day”.

She added, “They remain grateful for the patience and support of the US Secret Service and all involved as they continue to work through solutions.”

Alexander did not say where Commander was living or when he might return to the White House.

New York Times News Service