#military-k-9

#military-k-9

RICHMOND, Calif. (KGO) -- A dog was tased by Richmond police on Monday as they attempted to arrest a suspect. Officers say the incident all started when they approached a DUI suspect They say the dog owner was intoxicated and refused to secure his dog after being asked multiple times. During the interaction, the dog lunged at officers and bit the suspect. Eventually, officers used a taser to secure and separate the dog from its owner.

Military history is filled with firearms that looked formidable on paper but proved far less impressive in the hands of average troops. In many cases, the issue was not flawed engineering, but unrealistic assumptions about training and doctrine. Some weapons were built with elite users in mind, soldiers who could manage the weapon and tactical nuance at a level most forces never reached.

In a statement Tuesday night, police provided links to two body-camera videos that showed an officer walking with a man who is staggering along a sidewalk with a dog that appears to be a pit bull. Other videos had been circulating on social media in the aftermath of the incident. Police said they arrested the man on suspicion of driving under the influence and hit-and-run.

As I walked to meet K-9 Ultra, a five-year-old explosive-detection canine and one of the finalists of the 15th Annual American Humane Hero Dog Awards, I ran through my list of questions in my head: How do you stay so focused during a mission, even in the presence of clear environmental distractions like squirrels and birds? Do you always comply with your handler's commands? And Is that behavior transferable to my civilian dogs?