Dogsey

The deer got into their enclosure.
A dog hunted it.

About cover it?

I suppose you could question the dogs suitability for it's job unless it's a work in progress.

Sh*t happens, even the best trained dog isn't ever going to be perfect.

And children saw it so what, we shouldn't be shielding them from what is natural behaviour.

tazer - just what I was thinking. Deer got into dog compound. Dog did what dogs do
thats nature

Dosent say anything about the dogs ability to do the job he is being trained for - all dogs could kill something if the conditions are right

Hmmm I am struggling to understand why a police dog chasing a deer on its time off, would make it unsuitable for its job?

Perhaps someone can elaborate?

It is extremely difficult to TRAIN for deer (unlike joggers, sheep, rabbits etc) added to which the deer could not escape as it was trapped, so the consequences were, I am afraid, inevitable.

The statement says the perimeter fence is checked regularly to ensure it's secure - yeah, well, that really worked didn't it?!

Re the Police dog - I take on board what SMOKEY BEAR says about deer being difficult to train for/proof against, but aren't trained Police dogs taught the 'leave' command or something similar, which the handler could have used? Maybe the dog was not fully trained yet?

i always thought the police chose dogs which have predatory instinct above others who are more mellow. The instinct to want to chase and bring down bad guys... Without that predatory need, they wouldn't have the desire to chase as much as they do. Surely, its not shocking that these dogs will indeed chase and bring down deer.

All very sad that this deer did have to be put down. - In my eyes, i would have preferred the dog to finish the job and quickly to stop the poor animal from suffering any further. But if we think at how many deer are culled by humans with guns each hunting season? I know near where i live, its a very high number! (something which i do not condone or like, but i am being realistic and i know it happens.) I'm not saying it is right, but sometimes these things with dogs are unavoidable. The dog was purely acting upon instinct, and was likely already highly aroused and excited, so acted upon its will to want to chase.

Agreed though, it is a shame that the police could not call the dog off. But, its the reality of the world we live in. I'm just waiting for the news to pick up on this, and waft on about how this dog is going to chase and eat babies, and can no longer be a police dog.

On a side note, rest in peace poor little deer which got caught up in all of this.

Well if you ask it to do something and it detours after a deer instead it could be a bit of a failing? Can't see what else you'd be investigating - fencing possibly...

Pretty simple why there's an investigation. Statement "A spokeswoman for Thames Valley Police, Lucy Billen, said that the deer wandered into the enclosure" then further down "This perimeter fence is checked regularly to ensure it is completely secure". WELL IT WASN'T COMPLETELY SECURE WAS IT!!!! Supposing it had been a child that had "wandered in".