No, the dogs aren't training the cops. The cops are learning to understand dog behavior.

Following last week's shooting of a dog by the EPPD, officers are now taking classes in dog psychology. The mandatory, four-hour class includes learning to read a dog's body language and training with dogs of different temperaments.

Officer, and "Doggy - Psych 101" instructor, Curtis Whitener told the EPTimes that the class is important because police encounter dogs constantly and that dog shootings not only look bad to the public, they can lead to lawsuits. He added:

“What I’m training officers to do in that case (of an aggressive dog) is to consider the safety of all life involved and that’s important because people love their animals.” The way a dog stands, barks and its facial expressions give an officer insight into how to respond to a potential threat.

Sounds like a good idea to me. How about you?

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