Thoughts on this?

[Laurelin]

At the airport the other day we saw this couple there traveling with a very little yorkie. Kate loved the yorkie and it was very sweet. (We asked if she could pet it and they let her). Later I was going to get food and passed the couple and the yorkie on the way back. They were sitting there out of the way and the yorkie was on a leash and pretty close to them (only a foot away).

There was a police officer coming up the other direction with a german shepherd. The GSD started pulling a lot when it saw the yorkie and the police officer started yelling at the people "My dog will eat your dog! My dog will eat your dog!" The people pulled the little dog into their arms but it just left me feeling really... unsettled.

Shouldn't a police K-9 be able to pass another dog without incident? It wasn't even like this dog was close to the GSD at all. It was probably 10-15 feet away. I'm not sure what the etiquette for pets is as far as in the airport (are they allowed out of the carrier?), but shouldn't an air port officer expect that there are people traveling with small dogs and cats?

 

[JessLough]

At the airport the other day we saw this couple there traveling with a very little yorkie. Kate loved the yorkie and it was very sweet. (We asked if she could pet it and they let her). Later I was going to get food and passed the couple and the yorkie on the way back. They were sitting there out of the way and the yorkie was on a leash and pretty close to them (only a foot away).

There was a police officer coming up the other direction with a german shepherd. The GSD started pulling a lot when it saw the yorkie and the police officer started yelling at the people "My dog will eat your dog! My dog will eat your dog!" The people pulled the little dog into their arms but it just left me feeling really... unsettled.

Shouldn't a police K-9 be able to pass another dog without incident? It wasn't even like this dog was close to the GSD at all. It was probably 10-15 feet away. I'm not sure what the etiquette for pets is as far as in the airport (are they allowed out of the carrier?), but shouldn't an air port officer expect that there are people traveling with small dogs and cats?

...what?! Police K-9 are supposed to be able to be able to "ignore" their surroundings, not go after other dogs! And wow... the cop seriously yelled out that his dog will eat their dog?! Cause, you know, the K-9 dog does not have to be under control.. not at all.

 

[PWCorgi]

At the airport the other day we saw this couple there traveling with a very little yorkie. Kate loved the yorkie and it was very sweet. (We asked if she could pet it and they let her). Later I was going to get food and passed the couple and the yorkie on the way back. They were sitting there out of the way and the yorkie was on a leash and pretty close to them (only a foot away).

There was a police officer coming up the other direction with a german shepherd. The GSD started pulling a lot when it saw the yorkie and the police officer started yelling at the people "My dog will eat your dog! My dog will eat your dog!" The people pulled the little dog into their arms but it just left me feeling really... unsettled.

Shouldn't a police K-9 be able to pass another dog without incident? It wasn't even like this dog was close to the GSD at all. It was probably 10-15 feet away. I'm not sure what the etiquette for pets is as far as in the airport (are they allowed out of the carrier?), but shouldn't an air port officer expect that there are people traveling with small dogs and cats?

All of the police dogs I have ever been in the same space as (can't say met, because they weren't stable enough to greet the gen public) have been absolutely nuts and seemed completely unsafe.

 

[Laurelin]

...what?! Police K-9 are supposed to be able to be able to "ignore" their surroundings, not go after other dogs! And wow... the cop seriously yelled out that his dog will eat their dog?! Cause, you know, the K-9 dog does not have to be under control.. not at all.

I think that's what annoyed me the most was that the cop was so obnoxious about it. It was like he didn't even care. Actually kind of seemed to think it was funny.

 

[JessLough]

All of the police dogs I have ever been in the same space as (can't say met, because they weren't stable enough to greet the gen public) have been absolutely nuts and seemed completely unsafe.

wow, really? Mind you, I can only speak on a Canadian view point... but the dogs HAVE to be nice enough, because they go to schools and sniff the students and all...

 

[PWCorgi]

I think that's what annoyed me the most was that the cop was so obnoxious about it. It was like he didn't even care. Actually kind of seemed to think it was funny.

big badass looking dog = penis extension ?

 

[PWCorgi]

wow, really? Mind you, I can only speak on a Canadian view point... but the dogs HAVE to be nice enough, because they go to schools and sniff the students and all...

In my elementary school the dog came and gave a demo, but was never allowed anywhere near the children.

 

[MPP]

We had some information a while back, when that drug dog attacked a little kid?, about the "training" of many K9's. Scary! Much of it was incredibly once-over-lightly, and many dogs were subjected to brutal (and outdated AND discredited) training techniques. Since I'd always thought those dogs were carefully screened and trained, I was pretty taken aback.

"My dog will eat your dog"? Good lord. Does that also cover "My dog will eat your toddler"?

 

[Laurelin]

I guess so. It wasn't even a case where the yorkie was reacting towards the police dog (though I would still hope a police dog would not go after a barking dog either). It was just standing there doing nothing.

I'm glad I'm not the only one that thinks this way though. It really bothered me.

 

[crazy_paws]

That is really unsettling.

Could the tiny dog owners not sue the police if anything happened? Just curious.

We had police and GSD teams visit in elementary school. We weren't allowed to touch them because they had a 'hair trigger.' Cool beans, how about don't bring them to an elementary school?

More recently though, we had a belgian shepherd and officer at a dog event, and he welcomed people petting the dog. The dog completely ignored the other dogs there. That was very nice.

 

[Renee750il]

Sounds to me like you've gotten at least one of our K9s and *handlers*. They act like that all the time here, even tried to get their Mals stirred up to lunge at Bimmer and Kharma. For some reason the dogs aren't too keen on it unless they are safe inside the patrol car :rofl1:

 

[Mama-to-Elle]

big badass looking dog = penis extension ?

:rofl1::rofl1::rofl1::rofl1:

 

[Saeleofu]

Police dogs aren't always safe. Good ones should be, but not every police dog is as trained as they should be. It's a common concern for SD handlers. As for pets being out of their carrier, at Seatac Logan wasn't allowed out of the carrier except for the crate inspection.

 

[Laurelin]

Is it different for carry-on pets? I know some airports have pet 'potties' for people to use while they have a lay-over so I know some have designated areas you can take your dog out and walk them. I've seen dogs out before, but I've never flown with a pet myself so I have no idea if it's really allowed or not. I tried looking it up but all the info I can find is about pets on the actual flights, not in the airport.

Still if they weren't allowed, I'd think the GSD should have been able to pass it without trying to go after it and the officer could politely remind the people that pets need to remain in their carriers instead of yelling at them that his dog was going to eat theirs.

 

[Xandra]

I don't think pets are allowed out of the carriers in most airports, and so I can see if this was just a sniffer dog that had problems with little dogs... would I be particularly impressed by that, no, but I guess I can understand it.

A presumably dual purpose K9? That can't even pass a little dog? how could you, as a cop, ever trust it to do its job if you it won't focus on you around little dogs?

And the cop saying "my dog will eat your dog?" WHO SAYS SOMETHING LIKE THAT??? I would be embarrassed if I was in his position and my dog was straining to get at an inoffensive little dog that belonged to a member of the general public... at very least you'd think one would be matter of fact about trying to correct the problem... ah well. Maybe he's new to it and he'll realize that it's not cool or funny or impressive or w/e to have a dog behave like that towards a little yorkie.

 

[JessLough]

We had police and GSD teams visit in elementary school. We weren't allowed to touch them because they had a 'hair trigger.' Cool beans, how about don't bring them to an elementary school?

Really? You never had them come in high school and sniff you for drugs? There are often K-9 units out at events here, so the kids can learn that the dogs are NOT dangerous.

Police dogs aren't always safe. Good ones should be, but not every police dog is as trained as they should be. It's a common concern for SD handlers.

That is really weird to me. Here, they go through intense training and after a year of training, they go through an extensive test. If they fail the test, the cop who had the dog living at his house for the last 3 years has the chance to keep the dog as a family pet. If they chose not to, then there is a long waiting list from the general public for a dog from them (the dogs just failed a small part of the test, or had an injury, they are NOT dangerous. Dangerous dogs do not even get to training)

 

[Laurelin]

It seems to depend on the airport. I've found one at least that seems to say that pets must be either in a carrier or on a leash while in the terminal. Can't find the actual rules for this airport though.

 

[Michiyo-Fir]

Wow that's so strange! On the other forum (DF) someone just posted their dog was attacked and killed by a K9 police dog on a hike even though their dog didn't even react at all.

I think this is completely unacceptable because there are dogs big and small and even cats and ferrets that travel in the airport and if they are going to use police dogs in the airport, they should not be able to intentionally cause physical or mental harm to the clients in the airport needing to travel.

 

[~Dixie's_Mom~]

In my elementary school the dog came and gave a demo, but was never allowed anywhere near the children.

We had drug checks at our school all the time, and we weren't suppose to talk to or pet the dogs, so they looked really scary cause they were in "work mode" but they were all really stable, and seemed like sweet dogs, after they were off duty, they let us pet them and stuff. One black German Shepherd particularly liked me, and I really wanted to take him home. <3

Btw, I didn't read all the responses, but is it possible the dog was in training/on a probationary period or something?

 

[Laurelin]

Thinking back the officer didn't even ever tell the people their dog wasn't allowed out of a carrier. Nothing was said past "My dog will eat your dog."