I completely agree, the dog handler should have noticed the dog's reactions way, way before that reporter bent down and patted it on it's HEAD that's a big no, no with a shepherd when it doesn't know you, and know you very well in fact!!! Why was the dog handler focused on the reporter anyways, when he should have been focused on HIS dog, afterall, he had only just got the dog himself, even HE didn't know the dog very well.

Having had shepherds all my life, I would have been watching my dog's reactions to that reporter from the very minute he stepped forward, let alone letting him crouch down next to him like that before he's got to know him properly! I wouldn't let anybody do that to mine, and they're only pets, not a fully trained up police dog!

Yeah, I saw this the other day too in another thread.

its shocking the handler didnt see it coming, the dog gave lots of signals that it was unhappy,
the reporter was almost on top of the dog, he couldnt keep his balance well and kept coming up and forward into the dog while giving eye contact,

silly mistake from the handler they are lucky the consiquenses were not far worse.

TC - I did see your other thread re police dogs training but I don't know wnough to be able to help you. I do still ahve contacts with West Mids Police though so I could get some info if you need/want it.

I was an Officer with West Mids Police for 6 years and although I did quite a lot of work at one time with the dogs and their handlers, I was never invovled in their training. I used to go and watch them when they all trained together but that was sort fo a privilege thing set up by one of the senior officers I worked with.

There was a basic rule though - even for me also being a uniformed officer. DON'T TOUCH THE DOG! It's not difficult and the dog was working. it mwant that both the dog and myself were kept safe. if we went to any "blue light" jobs the dog absolutely HAD to be allowed out of the car before I was. I didn't question it. I did as I was told. At the end of the day a police dog is also an officer and they are trained and work ina certain way. Human officers shoudl respect that far more than the numpty officer on the clip.


Helena - Very well put I thought. I've grown up with GSD adn to be honest I think they're one of the easiest dogs to "read" given how expressive they are. Even if the reported hadn't noticed the signals the dog was giving off, the handler, who shoul dhave been fully trained in dog handling should've spotted them straight away.

Laura xx

i dont think he did deserve it, i actually felt sorry for him. it was the handlers fault, the reporter might have no experience with dogs so to expect him to understand how to behave around them is a bit much. he should have been told, and the handler should have stepped in at the first sign of the dog being uncomfortable.

would like to add another point - its a very good example also about how tension travels down the lead, look at the handlers body language, especially how his right hand is holding the lead and the tension in his right arm

the handler is clearly agitating the dog