My husband and I have observed how a German Shepherd puppy was “trained” for the canine unit in Crescent City. The dog was kept outside all by himself day and night isolated away from touch, love and companionship. He cried day and night pitifully. I cried with him.

A day before those people moved out of the area the whole canine unit group gathered with their puppies and we heard men hollering and dogs screaming in agony. What did they do to the dogs to make them scream like that?

I researched police dog training and found out that the old school has officers kick their dogs and isolate them during the most critical baby time in their lives where they need the mother or caretaker the most.

I also found out that the new school of police dog training as it is conducted in Europe as well as in Canada and also by conscientious officers within the USA, does not allow any form of violence and neither do they allow isolation of dogs. I talked to officers from San Francisco and they verified that the old school police dog training traumatizes the animals, it makes them fearful instead of courageous, it makes them less functioning as police dogs, and it makes them aggressive towards other dogs and children. This old method of training is unsafe for all.

I am asking everybody to write a polite letter to the Crescent City Police Department to ask them to instate the new school police dog training methods which are kind to the animals.

Quotes from several people and resources:

“Puppies provided with poor socialization or deprived of environmental exposure often develop lifelong deficits and dysfunctional behaviors. A puppy isolated early in life from other puppies and humans will not only fail to establish satisfying social contact with conspecifics or enjoy companionship with people later in life (such puppies are extremely fearful of any social contact), they will also exhibit widespread behavioral and cognitive disabilities, as well.” (>Handbook of applied dog behavior and training<, by Steven R. Lindsay, Page 32).

“Why is it dangerous to leave dogs isolated and neglected in a back yard? Why do dogs kept in kennels for day after day eventually resort to aggression? Why do these types of dogs escape and then attack? The first reason is because these dogs become more and more unsocialized by being alone. For dogs to remain friendly, they need continual social interaction with other animals and people. Year after year of isolation makes dogs distrustful of strangers, both animal and human. Second, isolated dogs have nothing to do. So, they become obsessed with the only stimulation they have… whatever is going on inside and outside their territory. That’s all they have to think about, hour after hour, day after day. Third, many times isolated dogs live in very harsh conditions. There is no comfort. Feeding is often irregular. Water is often not available. There’s no decent escape from the weather, so they suffer when it is hot, and shiver when cold. Think how you’d feel if you were physically miserable all the time. You’d get depressed and angry. I’ve seen well meaning people use outdoor kennels not realizing that the kennels they have built are not good for their dogs. Even if these dogs are loved, a harsh kennel will lead to aggression at some point. Fourth, dogs like this begin to dig. They try to make dens, they look for entertainment, they try to escape, or they try to get loose to defend their territory. Many times the yards they live in aren’t adequate to contain them. The dogs work at gates and fences, trying to figure out how to escape. Fifth, the need to form and defend the pack’s survival becomes paramount. Being extremely stressed, deprived of social contact, hungry, thirsty, frustrated, and put in a survival mode over territory, they will be likely to attack when they get out. Wild animals get very dangerous when starved or pressured in their territories, even to the point of killing and eating their young. When you put too many people in too small of a space, you get a phenomenon called “cabin fever”. The people will get aggressive and even kill one another. When you compress animals in a confined space for too long, they become dangerous. You are mimicking the kind of situation animals face during times of disease epidemics, overpopulation, or starvation. When wolves are pressured like this, they hunt and kill rival packs of wolves. The need is to make sure there is sufficient prey to hunt, room to breed, and space to be free from danger. That’s what extreme isolation does to dogs, and why they attack.” (Sam Basso, PHOENIX AZ (602 708-4531), Email: Sam@SamTheDogTrainer.com)

“I walked my dogs for years past a house that had a beautiful Husky. Problem was, the poor dog was in a 4 x 8 pen 24/7, with no company or interaction with other dogs or humans. I called the Humane Society on them, and the next time I went by, there was a blue tarp over the top of the pen to at least give the dog some shade. Time went on, and I felt so bad for that dog. Had I felt that I could have taken him, or talked them into giving him to a rescue, I would have. They didn’t seem like they would be open to that in the least. I moved away a little over 2 years ago. Yesterday, I saw one of my old neighbors, and she told me that the dog had gotten out and attacked a 6 year old girl. Someone in a nearby home heard/saw it, and ran out to help. She got the little girl inside, but was unable to get the door completely closed before the dog got in and attacked her too.” (R. King, person on talk forum about what happens to dogs when isolated in kennels).

“I don’t recommend isolation for any dog regardless of the intended use. Police dogs need to be social and confident so isolating them as a puppy is very counter productive”.

(Gregg Tawney, dog trainer at norcaldogs.com).

Nicola Grobe

Crescent City, Ca