What is your opinion on this police dog's behavior: http://www.wlwt.com/news/11101858/detail.html?taf=cin?

Question

I have always heard at EVERY police dog demonstration the dogs only attack ON COMMAND & are perfectly safe when not on duty...this dog ATTACKED a family member ON IT's OWN. I am sorry, but this dog has problems: training & behavioral!

Yes, I know that the police choose high prey drive dogs, and screaming, running children can inadvertently trigger that response, but...police dogs are SUPPOSED to be under control & extremely well-trained. This dog is neither, and therefore dangerous.

Answer 1

From the article:

"The dog, named Ammo, was inadvertently let into the house during a birthday party for Tolley's daughter. One of the children at the party was afraid of dogs, and ran away screaming. Other children followed and Ammo gave chase."

This part makes it very clear to people who know dogs that it's not the dog's behavior we need to question here, but that of the dog's handler.

First, we need to bear in mind that this is not a pet dog, but a trained working police dog. There is a reason police and military generally will not adopt trained K-9s who are being retired or washed out to families that have young children, other dogs, or other small animals. It's not because the dog is "dangerous" but because the type of dog that is needed for police work is a dog that has a lot of drive. Most of these dogs are rewarded with toys and are either toy or prey driven.

It's natural behavior for most dog breeds to chase things that are running - that's called prey drive. The reason children often get bitten even by dogs that are otherwise friendly is because they act in a manner that get the dog's prey drive going, such as screaming and running away, or acting "squirrely". It's very natural for a dog to respond to that sort of behavior by giving chase and "catching" the prey using their teeth if they are not normally around children, because that's what their instincts tell them is appropriate in that situation.

This police dog should not have been inside with a house full of young children. He should have been confined safely in a crate or kennel until the party was over.

As soon as the dog came in, the dog's handler should have called the dog to him and instructed the children to stand still and not make eye contact with the dog, since running and screaming are the completely wrong things to do when faced with a dog!

The police officer is very lucky that the dog bit his daughter, and not one of the other children, because he and possibly the police department could have been sued over this. He was negligent.

Edit:

By the way, this has nothing to do with aggression, like someone else suggested. Police and military do not pick dogs that are aggressive, nor do they make them aggressive - to any trained working dog, chasing and biting a person is not defense, it's play. It's something they get rewarded for.

Even the "controlled aggression" training, where a dog barks and lunges at the end of it's leash, or barks in front of a suspect are not aggression in the truest sense - they're behaviors that happen on command, that are trained.

The dogs used for this work are high-drive dogs, NOT aggressive dogs, and it's important that the average person understands there is a difference and what that difference is.

Edit (response to OP's additonal info):

"police dogs are SUPPOSED to be under control & extremely well-trained. This dog is neither, and therefore dangerous."

We don't know everything from the article. For example, we don't know where the officer was at when the dog was let into the house. If one of the children opened a door to the back yard and the dog ran inside while the officer was in another room or the bathroom, it would've been impossible for him to have control of the dog.

Also, you may want to try and observe police dog training at your local department. Most police dogs are not as safe and under control as people like to assume. It depends on the quality of trainers AND handlers within the department whether they are or not. There are a lot of dogs currently working for police departments that are neither safe nor under control.

Answer 2

I dont think it is the dogs fault. I think the handler should have kept him contained better. I mean the dog is trained to attack and especially if someone is running away their instinct and training kicks in and they begin working. Now if when the handler ordered to release her and he didnt then that would be another story. At least the father got lucky in a sense that it was his child that was bitten and not another child because then he and probably the police department would have been in a lot of trouble. I think the girl is pretty brave and very sweet that even after being attacked she still loves the dog and isnt afraid of it. A lot of people are afraid of dogs and have never been bitten, so to see someone who has been bitten not be afraid (or at least seem not to be afraid) is amazing. I think the dad at least owes the daughter a new doll or something since he in a way let it happen.

Answer 3

The dog was doing his job. "Ammo" did not know why the kids were running, and so he used his training to catch them and subdue what he thought were people running away from him.

Seeing that I have a friend who is a K9 for Pittsburgh, hes told me that his dog is part of his family. He does not lock him up because the dog does not leave his side. Now you never hear of police dogs attacking people for no reason. They always have a reason to attack and that dog had a reason to go after the kids and that is because they were running and when Ammo is brought into play sometimes he has to run after the bad guys.

Answer 4

Unfortunately, even well-trained dogs are still just dogs. Dogs trained for protection work have a fairly high prey drive. A child running away and screaming is sure to stimulate that prey drive, exciting the dog into indiscriminate biting.

Answer 5

It is true that these dogs (german, belgian and dutch sheperds), especially when they have police dog training, can be aggressive. They have learned to be like this by humans, so they do what they must do. But they don't have killer instincts, like other breeds, so I think the decision to keep the dog is correct. What happened was an accident. I was accidentally bitten by the friendliest dog ever (I messed up in a dog fight), it was an accident, not the dog's fault. It's people who train the dogs that are responsible for them.

Answer 6

its sad that it happened, but its good that the girl still wanted to keep the dog. in the long run, it will help her with her fear of it. you cannot blame the dog for doing what it was told to, but the dog should be taught a command to start a chase, other than just when someone is running. and if its going to live in a house with children, those kids need to be taught how to behave around the dog. i mean, you teach your kids to not poke and pull at a dog, so if its a dog thats trainned to attack, you need to teach the kids how not to engage it in that way as well.

Answer 7

As far as I can tell there is nothing wrong with what the dog did. They are trained to do their job. If the child is not worried about the dog then there is no real story is there. She is raised with this dog and is still not afraid of him so he did his job pure and simple.

Answer 8

i've heard that police dogs are always on. they will only listen to their handlers. and unfortunetly, it did what it was trained to do. the officer should have stopped the dog immedietly when it came in the door or when it gave chase.

its the handler who should be punished not the dog.

Answer 9

i think this police officer needs a pschy evaluation . Seems like he loves his dog more than his daughter. Im sure he makes a;lot of officers ticked off with that attitude .

Answer 10

It's not the dogs behavior we should question.
He doesn't know he's a police dog, he knows he's a dog.

Ok, that sounded bad. I don't want it to sound like it's ok he bit her. I just meant he doesn't realize he is a cop. Good for the girl, wanting to keep him and not being afraid.