By CODE 4 K9 | SWAT/K9 Integration & Advanced Police K9 Training

I want to preface what I’m going to say with this: I don’t know the circumstances that led to a response by law enforcement in this incident. I’m just going to give you my thoughts on the handler, his decision-making, and his dog.

This video is hard to watch for two reasons: The commentator’s divisive language and the handler’s decision-making. The comments made during this video speak for themselves, so let’s focus on the handler.

It appears the handler has responded to some disturbance and is using his dog as a force multiplier to disperse the crowd or control their behavior. I’m not going to say that I’ve never used my dog in the same capacity because I have, but some of the actions of the handler should be questioned. Although a dog can indeed be a force multiplier, they can also be an agitator in a very volatile and chaotic situation. Everything comes at a risk; know what you’re getting yourself into.

The issue I have with the handler is his stalking of a few specific individuals with his dog by his side. Why would you get that close to a person with your dog if you’re not going to deploy your dog on a bite? You’re courting disaster by allowing your emotions to take control of your actions. First, he’s keyed in on a female wearing a bikini, who doesn’t seem to be much of a threat, then switched his focus to a male subject who started to walk away after what appeared to be some trash-talking. The handler decides to try to detain the male with a dog in hand. He reaches out to grab the subject, then loses his footing and falls to the ground along with the subject he reached for. The dog then bites the handler on the forearm. What a goat rope.

After watching this video, the handler believes he can easily control his dog in that environment. The dog has no clue what’s going on around him, which makes me think he’s not a seasoned dog or maybe doesn’t have the right drives for the job. If the dog was a street-worthy dog, he’d be focused entirely on the people the handler tried to engage. When the handler falls, the dog softly bites him in the arm. Although the dog reacted out of prey drive, he was so confused and honestly pretty soft that he halfway bit down on the handler’s arm. My guess is that the dog’s street bites aren’t very impressive based on how he presents himself in the video.

There’s a difference between a bad person who is a bad cop vs a cop who just isn’t good at their job. This is a case where the handler doesn’t seem equipped enough to be working a dog. His dog handling and decision-making are subpar, and this was evident on video. If you want your agency to avoid this type of behavior and potential litigation, you must select the right dog and pair it with the right handler. This guy is a lawsuit waiting to happen. Stay safe.