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I find myself very conflicted. My support and high regard for law enforcement requires that we require better of them. I see a lot of jumpy cops on COPS. Jumping around shouting with their fingers on semi-autos during traffic stops and it makes me crazy.

Dogs who would never bite will run out and bark when a stranger approaches. It is their nature.Especially if that stranger is approaching in the aggressive posture that is a big part of a cop's authority. That is in their nature. And we have dogs that are loose when home. This is our nature.

The poster above who said cops NEED to know how to read dogs is right. The police learn to read, interpret and de-escalate people... they need to learn to read, interpret and de-escalate dogs as a very common part of the environment they work in. An environment where the dog is very seldom the reason they are needed there, but rather is a much loved member of the family they are sworn to protect. They can learn to tell the difference. And yes... they might get bitten by a cocker spaniel or two. I'll pay to fix that.

I find myself very conflicted. My support and high regard for law enforcement requires that we require better of them. I see a lot of jumpy cops on COPS. Jumping around shouting with their fingers on semi-autos during traffic stops and it makes me crazy.

There was a well-publicized incident a few short years ago, in which a couple of upstanding kids were wrongly pulled over after a crime was committed in the area. The car was surrounded, and the kid in the passenger seat was ordered not to move, and then ordered to exit the vehicle. When he tried to comply with the second order, he was instantly shot by the cop aiming the M16 at him -- because he violated the first order.

Damned if you do, damned if you don't...

Thank you, HotD : )

I'm right there with you.

I was brought up to respect law enforcement, and I always have, til the last few years in which I have seen some display far too much CYA attitudes in response to behavior that should earn public condemnation by other cops themselves.

I still treat them respect, and I assume *most* are good people, doing a tough job honorably and well, for which I'm very grateful.

But I agree with you... They need to *all* educate themselves about natural animal behavior, reading their body language, determining actual threats, deescalating them, and using *appropriate* force.

There is no excuse for not doing so, or making excuses for those who fail. What is upsetting is that it suggests that they don't consider it important enough.

That's just wrong.