# K9 handler attacked by own dog; dog killed



## bunchoberrys (Apr 23, 2010)

Truly sad. Interesting to see what the necropsy reveals.

Oakland County Sheriff's K9 handler attacked by own dog; dog killed | news - Home


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## GregK (Sep 4, 2006)

Sad! He must have gone mental.


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## 4TheDawgies (Apr 2, 2011)

That is very very sad


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## wyominggrandma (Jan 2, 2011)

Since it said he had been having aggression issues and that is why he was at the vet clinic for treatment, you have to wonder if he possibly had a brain tumor? I have seen dogs temperaments change drastically with a brain tumor.
How sad for both dog and handler.


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## KZoppa (Aug 14, 2010)

very sad. I agree with Wyoming. Its possible there was a tumor. That had to be scary to shoot your own dog.


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## chelle (Feb 1, 2009)

I can't imagine the nightmare of killing my own dog. Shudder.


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## HEINOLFGSD (May 9, 2011)

Very sad...


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## OriginalWacky (Dec 21, 2011)

What a terrible situation to be in. Having to shoot what is essentially your partner, not knowing why the dog is having these issues, etc.


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## robfromga (May 10, 2012)

Very very sad, but why the vet for aggressive issues.


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## wyominggrandma (Jan 2, 2011)

Sounds as if handler was starting by checking for any medical issues causing the aggression. Checking for medical problems is the first thing to check for when a dog starts showing unusual temperament changes.

I can't imagine the pain the handler feels for the loss of his partner/friend,companion and then having to shoot the dog himself. Horrific.


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## onyx'girl (May 18, 2007)

I hope the necropsy will show the reason for the onset of aggression. I know of a couple dogs that have been euth'd due to this(not as severe, but unprovoked attacks) and a necropsy would be a given if I was involved. It may help other dogs with rage syndrome or other neuro issues. 
RIP Gunner :halogsd:


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## Zeeva (Aug 10, 2010)

reader discretion is advised :'-( so sad...


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## CelticGlory (Jan 19, 2006)

I'm glad they are trying to find out what's wrong, so many owners don't do that and it could really help to find out what makes a well behaved dog attack out of no where. I hope they update the story and tell the public the results of the tests and exam of the dog and hopefully, it can be submitted for further study.


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## Courtney (Feb 12, 2010)

wyominggrandma said:


> Sounds as if handler was starting by checking for any medical issues causing the aggression. Checking for medical problems is the first thing to check for when a dog starts showing unusual temperament changes.


It does sound like the handler was doing just this.

Tick disease, thyroid, neurological are all things that can cause aggression. I hope after the necropsy is performed it will give the department some answers and the public.

The poor handler and K-9


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## Mrs.K (Jul 14, 2009)

Honestly. I'm going to put it out there. 

It says VETERAN K9 Handler at age 23. HOW much of a Veteran K9 Handler can you be at the age of 23? 

The dog might have just been to much dog for that handler. 

These are the type of dogs my father is always talking about, that these kind of dogs nail insecure, weak unfit handlers but in the right hands those are the dogs that become legends. 

This might have just been one of those dogs.


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## deldridge72 (Oct 25, 2011)

Not the first time a K9 officer has killed his own dog and probably won't be the last-read K-9 Cops for statics. Considering the type of dogs, the methods of training used by numerous agencies in addition to probable health issues . . . . .


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## Mrs.K (Jul 14, 2009)

From what I've witnessed in my own town, I am not at all surprised if there wasn't a medical issue at all and the dog was just way to much to handle for the young Cop. 

It's not the first and not the last time. I know for a fact that it happened with a dog that was sold to the US. It was a Gildo son. He nailed the first handler pretty bad. With the second handler he went to the Nationals, to the WUSV and was a very successful dog of his time with a very successful handler back then. 

Stuff like that happens all the time in the Schutzhund world so it just doesn't surprise me at all anymore when reading stuff like that. It could be a medical issue but it doesn't have to be and I'm more leaning towards the possibility of it not being a medical issue even though they might just use that as explanation.


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## Beau (Feb 12, 2012)

Mrs.K said:


> Honestly. I'm going to put it out there.
> 
> It says VETERAN K9 Handler at age 23. HOW much of a Veteran K9 Handler can you be at the age of 23?
> 
> ...



Not discounting your thoughts on this at all, you may in fact be right about the handlers abilities. 

However, the Sheriff's Dept's. press release describes the handler as a 23-year veteran of the sheriffs department, not 23 years old. 

http://www.oakgov.com/sheriff/assets/docs/K9%20TOP%20060812.pdf


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## Mrs.K (Jul 14, 2009)

Beau said:


> Not discounting your thoughts on this at all, you may in fact be right about the handlers abilities.
> 
> However, the Sheriff's Dept's. press release describes the handler as a 23-year veteran of the sheriffs department, not 23 years old.
> 
> http://www.oakgov.com/sheriff/assets/docs/K9 TOP 060812.pdf


Thanks for clarifying. These are the moments where it shows that English is my second language. Those are the subtleties that make the difference. :help: :wild:


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## TitonsDad (Nov 9, 2009)

Let's wait for the people that will say there is a correlation between the handler putting his arm up being similar to a decoy putting an arm up with a sleeve on and expecting a different result. 

Anyways, I'm terribly sad about this as I work with most Sheriff's Departments in California about their K9 units. I'm actually starting to do some non-profit work to get the K9s bullet proof vests through donations for the various county K9 units. So this touches home for me.


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## GregK (Sep 4, 2006)

Mrs.K said:


> HOW much of a Veteran K9 Handler can you be at the age of 23?


Good point!


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## Beau (Feb 12, 2012)

Mrs.K said:


> Thanks for clarifying. These are the moments where it shows that English is my second language. Those are the subtleties that make the difference. :help: :wild:



To be perfectly honest, I read it the same way you did the first time. I had the same thought as you, and re-read it to make sure I wasn't missing something. 




> Let's wait for the people that will say there is a correlation between the handler putting his arm up being similar to a decoy putting an arm up with a sleeve on and expecting a different result.
> 
> Anyways, I'm terribly sad about this as I work with most Sheriff's Departments in California about their K9 units. I'm actually starting to do some non-profit work to get the K9s bullet proof vests through donations for the various county K9 units. So this touches home for me.


It is terribly sad...and I would bet the handler is devastated and probably blaming himself in someway for what happened. I feel for him!

And then we have the suspect in Wilmington NC (the one who bit the dogs ear, requiring stitches for the dog) now giving national TV interviews claiming the police brutalized him and threatening to sue. :angryfire:


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## DianaM (Jan 5, 2006)

The dog- a police K9- was at the vet for aggression issues. No muzzle? Very sad, and very scary to have your own dog typewrite up your arm to your head.


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## DFrost (Oct 29, 2006)

Mrs.K said:


> Honestly. I'm going to put it out there.
> 
> It says VETERAN K9 Handler at age 23. HOW much of a Veteran K9 Handler can you be at the age of 23?
> 
> .


When I was an instructor at the MWD School at Lackland, we trained a lot of a young men and women. By the time they were 23 many of them had lots of experience, some even in a combat zone. Honestly, I'm just putting that out there. 

DFrost


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## PatchonGSD (Jun 27, 2012)

And no one thought to muzzle the dog BEFORE he got to the vet? Maybe he would have been in a calmer state before hand?


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## Mrs.K (Jul 14, 2009)

DFrost said:


> When I was an instructor at the MWD School at Lackland, we trained a lot of a young men and women. By the time they were 23 many of them had lots of experience, some even in a combat zone. Honestly, I'm just putting that out there.
> 
> DFrost


I'm not saying that they don't have any experience at all but 4 or 5 years of handling dogs and combat zones is a whole different topic. 

Maybe, maybe, out of 500 handlers there is one that could have handled a dog like Basko or some of the other (infamous) famous dogs known for their aggression. 

I doubt that you can get THAT MUCH experience in such a little time. 

I know it's not representative for all handlers but I've seen the military handlers in Germany, where my husband was stationed at, I've seen quite a few here, I've seen the dogs, the police dogs, their handlers, the trainers and I just wasn't impressed. Not with the dogs, not with the handlers and most of all, not with the trainers. And all of them were considered "Veteran-Handlers". 

Maybe it's just where we live. I don't know... maybe I have different expectations for police or military working dog handlers and the dogs...when I see you guys talking on here I simply expect a different caliber of dog in the line of duty. I know what type of dogs ya'll talk about. I've been around that caliber for most my life and I just don't see it. 

I see dogs that are sold for 10 000+ Dollars and ain't worth the icing on the cake. It's a multimillion dollar business and some departments are so **** stupid and pay that kind of money for a dog that is not worth half of what they pay. It's aggravating. And worst of all, I've especially seen it in SAR and people are too **** scared to open their mouth and say "No! This dog is not suited for that work." 

It's just a pet peeve...sorry for rambling...


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## DFrost (Oct 29, 2006)

I've seen a few police handlers too, where I work. I guess we have different opinions. 

DFrost


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## Mrs.K (Jul 14, 2009)

Not necessarily. The once I've seen I just wouldn't consider very experienced and the dogs were nothing special either. I know there are fabulous handlers out there but the majority isn't what I'd consider over the top handlers. They are just regular people, with regular skills, nothing special. And the training methods I've witnessed are outdated and heavily based on compulsion which had been considered abuse by the regular public and they practiced it right there in the open on a busy road in a public park. 

You know, when you see all the glorification and then you are struck by the reality, you realize it's just like in the world of sport. EVERYBODY COOKS WITH WATER!


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