Police & Dog Encounters: Tactical Strategies and Effective Tools to Keep Our Communities Safe and Humane

NOTE: This is a free resource, NOT an eLearning course. There is no pretest or posttest, and you will not receive a certificate of completion for reviewing this resource.

Resource Overview: Police & Dog Encounters: Tactical Strategies and Effective Tools to Keep Our Communities Safe and Humane, a 5-part video series, is the product of a collaborative partnership between the National Canine Research Council, Safe Humane Chicago and the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS). These roll call videos, along with the companion publication The Problem of Dog-Related Incidents and Encounters, examine tools, practices, and procedures that contribute to effective responses to dog-related incidents and encounters where dogs are present.

The video series helps develop skills for law enforcement in effective strategies in assessing a dog’s environment; what dog posture, vocalization, and facial expressions mean; options for distracting and escaping from a dog; defensive options in dealing with a dog; asking the right questions in dog investigations; and effective gathering of dog evidence and report writing. The primary goals include ensuring public and officer safety and considering community needs and demands. 

Each video in the series is available in English and Spanish and may be accessed via the COPS Training Portal in two ways: played directly through your logged-in COPS Training Portal user account; and/or downloaded, saved and played offline, directly from your device. 

Target Audience: Sworn law enforcement officers of all ranks and positions.