Police in Need of Canine Sensitivity Training

It seems like police are trigger happy these days whenever a dog crosses their path. Check the news in any given week, and you'll find stories like these, where dogs are shot, owners cry foul, and police try to justify the murder of a family pet:

• In Minneapolis, Minnesota police shot the dog that lived next door to the house where they were making an arrest, in his own fenced yard. Witnesses say the dog wasn't even barking. Police claim the dog was trying to jump the fence to get at the officer.
• In Green Bay, Wisconsin, a Labradoodle was shot four times for running stray. The police say they tried everything to catch the dog — except for calling the owner — before deciding to shoot.
• In Merced, California, a dog that had attacked a man was shot by police. This dog had a history of aggression, so it's believable that the officers on the scene felt threatened. However, it was the third time in a month that someone from this department shot a dog.

It's true that many dogs have an adverse reaction to uniforms. And I'm certainly not denying an officer the right to self-defense. But shooting a dog in its own yard? Or because you don't know how to catch a stray? Three times in the same month, in the same town? It's hard to believe that guns were necessary in all of these situations.

How about this one: Last year, an 11-year-old, mild-mannered, 12-pound miniature dachshund was fatally shot in Danville, Virginia. Of course the officer isn't going to say that he panicked or made a grave error in judgment. His badge and his pride are on the line. So, he claims he was being viciously attacked ... by a weiner dog that probably would have thrown out his back if he tried to bite higher than the man's ankles.

It's gotten out of hand. Not only are dogs — and the people who love them — paying the price for officers who are tense, unprepared, and acting impulsively, but as I understand it, discharging a weapon in a residential neighborhood is typically a big no-no unless there's a good excuse. And a dog barking at a stranger should not qualify.

With dogs in well over one-third of U.S. households, and K9s in 90 percent of police departments serving populations over 100,000 people, it amazes me how little law enforcement officials seem to know about man's best friend. Dog owners shouldn't have to live in terror of their pets being shot by Officer Friendly. In order to protect and serve everyone in their communities, police departments need mandatory canine sensitivity training.

What would canine sensitivity training look like? Officers would have to learn about dog behavior, breed identification, how to read dogs' body language, how to control their own body language when approaching a dog, and how to handle the most common canine encounters they're likely to experience.

I've heard scattered stories of departments that have worked with local shelters to provide trainings like this, but it needs to become the rule, not the exception. Until that happens, it's up to dog owners to be vigilant about securing their pets and warning officers when there's a dog on the premises.

Every community has both police officers and dogs ... it's time they learn to live with each other.

Photo credit: Jerry Reynolds