Correspondent Decker Recalls His Presidential Dog Bite

When word came on Tuesday that one of President Biden's German Shepherd dogs bit and injured someone at the White House, the story hit home for correspondent John Decker. Decker wasn't bitten by the Biden dog, but he has his own story of being nipped by a presidential pet.

"I have some experience with "biting incidents" and Presidential dogs," said Decker, the White House Correspondent and Senior National Editor at Gray Television, and a weekly contributor to WIBX's Keeler Show.

Back in 2008 when Decker was working for Reuters covering the Bush White House, he asked permission to pet the President's dog, and when he bent down to pet "First Pup" Barney, he "chomped down on his finger." The human-pup-interest story was covered all over media outlets including People Magazine, which published the headline, "Bush's Dog Barney Bites The Hand That Reports On It."

When Decker bent down to play with the pup, the president’s 8-year-old Scottish Terrier chomped down – right on Decker’s finger! “My first thought was, ‘That’s not good,’” the reporter told MSNBC.com.  -People

Decker was treated at the White House by the President's doctor and told to return in a week for a tetanus shot.

"My bad experience with Barney did not dissuade me from befriending (President Obama's dog) “Bo” (pictured above)," Decker told WIBX. There's no word yet if Decker has approached one of the Biden German Shepards, or whether he would if given the opportunity.

Biden's dogs Champ and Major are on their way back to the Biden home in Wilmington, Delaware for what is being called a "pre-planned" trip home. The White House has called the injury caused by 3-year-old Major, a "minor injury."

President Biden broke his foot back in November while playing with the very same dog.

John Decker will join WIBX's Keeler Show at 8:50 a.m. on Thursday.