Notes from the (Whitehouse) zoo

This article was supposed to be next in my Notes from the Zoo series. But got kind of long.

It’s about dogs.

And the Big Monkey in the White House.

In this case, the zoo is the White House where Joe Biden’s dog, Commander, has once again bitten a Secret Service agent.

It isn’t the dog’s fault. It’s Biden who needs the muzzle.

While every dog is different, some breeds are more prone to biting— those bred to protect in particular. German shepherds are highly intelligent guard dogs and in that category.

As puppies, dogs do a lot of rough-and-tumble with their mates which teaches them not to nip—which by the way also applies to kittens. For all animals play is a form of education.

If you separate a puppy from his family too early, just as is the case with some cats, it may end up “bitey”.

With cats this is difficult to correct.

With dogs it is much easier to fix since they are pack animals and more trainable. It just requires patience, empathy, and lots of love. First rule, don’t do rough play with dogs, as Joe Biden apparently does .

Next, you set up a proper environment.

The White House has a lot of people coming and going-- and Secret Service agents always on the watch, looking for trouble. With a fairly young German Shepherd like the Biden’s an environment like this makes him nervous and apprehensive.

You have to understand what and animal is feeling.

Dogs, like many animals, have defined territories. . That’s why they “mark”.

Commander needs a safe space to interact with those he would protect – his family – the Bidens. But they have to be able to relax in this space also – his emotions are theirs. Home ground.

Joe Biden is reportedly emotionally unstable with age -- prone to sudden bouts of anger. And likely expresses some of his repressed anger and frustration in playing with the dog. He should be kept away from the dog.

In addition, the dog needs to be desensitized, by gradual exposure to crowds and groups -- with a muzzle of course. And lots of petting and talk to help the dog develop confidence.

Dogs like this need to be talked to and touched– it reassures them—just like people.

If dogs need to be trained, the people around them do too.

That means teaching the Secret Service agents to think like a dog.

What are they if not guard dogs anyway? No rough play.

One must ask, of course, how we can expect Joe Biden to manage a country when he can't manage his own dog.

Putin doesn't have this problem.

Putin plays with his dogs – but never roughly. It's more cuddling than wrestling.

The dog in the foreground mouthing Putin's hand is an Akita; the other, a Bulgarian Shepherd. They are both guard dogs and are often seen in the Kremlin. But they always appear comfortable and unaggressive— they take their cues from Putin himself.

Biden's dog is not so lucky.

If he continues to bite, Biden should probably send Commander to the Kremlin. He will be welcome.

If you liked this article, please buy me a coffee. FYI, my cat, Ichi thinks he is a dog. He doesn’t drink coffee but he loves tuna paste. To buy him some click here or on the photo above.