Breaking news-Police K-9 missing

[SergntMac]

Breaking news here...Off duty police K-9 is missing from home. Early reports are that he got loose from his pen and disappeared. Details are developing now.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/custom/newsroom/chi-060220dogmissing,1,6881566.sto ry?coll=chi-newsroom-hed

Meanwhile...For y'all with actual K-9 experience, what are the dangers here?

Will a trained dog just up and leave without his handler?

Will a trained dog be a threat to bystanders who encounter him?

I've been around trained K-9 for many, many years, but never without the handler present, though I do know they tend to be aggressive when in the car alone. I'm not looking to embarass anyone, I am simply curious about the possibilities of a trained K-9 on the loose.

[Mike Poore]

Will a trained dog be a threat to bystanders who encounter him?
I've been around trained K-9 for many, many years, but never without the handler present, though I do know they tend to be aggressive when in the car alone.

No expert here either, but I'm thinking so long as he's not protecting his territory, or given a command, he'd just wander around, perhaps looking for food.

Who knows, though, what it would take to set him off, and are guessing his handlers are very nervous about what could happen.

[MM03MOK]

I've seen many demonstrations up close and the handlers stressed that they're constantly training because the dog's reward for perfect performance is their food. So without a handler and food, the dog may be confused.

The dogs also have a fiece sense of loyalty to their handlers. My first, unfortunate guess is the dog was dognapped or being held inside, and isn't able to find his way home. I now wonder if handlers train for something like this - separation from the handler. I hope he's found very soon, for his own safety and that of those around him. Bart's a very handsome dog. I hope the TV stations are getting the word out too.

[martyo]

I can't answer all of Mac's questions, but I do know that they will leave me alone as a matter of professional courtesy. Something about lawyers being pit bulls that has its advantages. :D

[Vortech347]

Thats kinda wierd. I don't see a dog like that wandering off. Most dogs that are trained like that with a partner won't leave them. I hope no one took him.

But if he's always used to being around his handler he might get stressed and if anyone or thing backs him into a corner I'd think he'd either be extremely scared or turn someone into lunch meat.

Who knows looks like its never happened. I guess there is a 1st for everything. I hope he returns home safe.

[SergntMac]

K-9 Bart has returned home safely.

Still would like to hear some input from K-9 handlers on possibilties.

[seans]

I am not a K-9 officer but have been the bite dummy numerous times for ours. One of our dogs is named Benny and he is the friendliest dog in the world unless he's "working". By "working" I mean he's been issued commands or is on different leashes. They are trained that one kind of leash means track, another means search and destroy, etc. When he's in the back of his cruiser I won't go near him even though I just played with him five minutes before.

The one rule our k-9 officers stress to us is not to stand between them and their k-9s especially if they're fighting some one because the dog will bite anything in his path as he goes to help his handle,r even if we are in uniform.

Whats even funnier is one of our guys told me that at home his dog doesn't even bark if someone comes to the house. It just relaxes and lets the other dogs do the protecting. Although some local dirtbags came onto his property while he was sleeping one day and confronted his wife when she asked them what they were doing. She called for Benny and he came to her aid and bit the sh-t out of them.

Another time one of our officers brought in a huge turkey he had killed and then cooked. We were eating the turkey before going out to serve a search warrant. I had a huge turkey leg that I was just about to take a bite out of when one of our k-9s jumped up and took it out of my hand without even touching me. The dog then sat there for a minute and looked at me. His handler dared me to take it back but I decided I really had to use the bathroom instead.

They are just dogs though, they would be friendly to people if they were loose unless they felt threatened. I have seen three or four little kids crwaling all over and hugging one of our k-9s while he just layed there and licked them.

I hope this answers some of your questions. They are great assets. There's nothing in the world like going to a large fight with a couple of 'Land Sharks" going ape sh-t. It tends to quiet things down fast.

[Vortech347]

K-9 Bart has returned home safely.

Sweet. What happened?

[SergntMac]

No comments..Dogs are dogs, I suppose. Went "walkabout"?

[Vortech347]

Maybe he had a date? :lol:

[marauder307]

Maybe he had a date?


Oh lordy...I can see the headlines now. "Police slapped with a paternity suit from French poodle owner..."

:rofl:

[jabird56]

A friend of mine had a K-9. Had it trained where he would bring in a suspect, sit him/her down and hand them the phone to make their one phone call. He would tell them what ever they do "DO NOT PUT THE PHONE DOWN". After that he would tell his K-9 to "WATCH" (in some non-English language). If the suspect attempted to put the phone down the dog would start growling, my friend never had a problem with somebody "staying put" in the chair...

[Dan]

I can't answer all of Mac's questions, but I do know that they will leave me alone as a matter of professional courtesy. Something about lawyers being pit bulls that has its advantages. :D

Odd. I was told that they train them to attack attorneys on sight. :lol: