A police dog that is scared of children and too timid to bite has been retired from Northumbria Police's dog training section.
Northumbria Police stopped trying to train Vegas when it became clear she was too "hesitant and tentative".
Police dogs are expected to track criminals and missing people, ignore loud noise and bark or bite on command.
Vegas is frightened of noise and does not get on well with other dogs, the force said.
She comes from good police dog stock - her father is a police dog and her mother is kept by the police for breeding.
Sgt John Sim, who works at the force's headquarters in Ponteland, Northumberland, where Vegas was trained, said: "I think hesitant is probably the best way to describe it, she was a bit hesitant and tentative.
"She didn't particularly take to biting and, unfortunately, although it's not the be all and end all of a police dog, it's one of the things that they do have to do.
"She wasn't showing any sort of inclination that she was wanting to bite, or biting particularly well."
Although they have a list of people willing to take on former force dogs, Northumbria Police's dog training section now has another problem.
The unit needs to find a very specific new owner who has lots of time, no other dogs and no children.
Mr Sim said: "We're having a few little issues with Vegas at the moment.
"I think it's perhaps because of her more timid nature she doesn't particularly like noisy environments with lots of children and she's got a thing about other dogs."
She is also very energetic and needs to spend a lot of time running around and chasing things, he said.
Sergeant Sim said: "She's not a scaredy cat. She's actually a lovely, lovely laid-back dog. For the right people in the right environment, she would make a lovely pet."
She's beautiful, but sounds like a behavioral nightmare. Timid, fearful dogs are often ones that WILL eventually bite - absent provocation. Fearful of children and can't get along with other dogs? Red flags, both. Shepherds are generally of a better temperament. Too bad. I hope she finds a home with someone capable of dealing with her issues.
Re: Polite dog for sale...
Posted: Fri Jul 22, 2011 1:31 am
by loCAtek
Call in the Cesar Millan, the Dog Whisperer.
Re: Polite dog for sale...
Posted: Fri Jul 22, 2011 10:34 am
by Reality Bytes
loCAtek wrote:Call in the Cesar Millan, the Dog Whisperer.
Only if they intend to make him wear an electric shock collar, then choke him and kick him in the bollox repeatedly all the while talking to a TV camera and insisting that he needs to be shown who is boss .... btw if they need any volunteers to "train" Mr Millan with his own methods the queue forms behind me...
Re: Polite dog for sale...
Posted: Fri Jul 22, 2011 2:49 pm
by BoSoxGal
Are you suggesting that those are the tactics Mr. Milan employs off-camera?
Re: Polite dog for sale...
Posted: Fri Jul 22, 2011 3:34 pm
by Reality Bytes
No I am suggesting he employs those tactics ON camera.
Re: Polite dog for sale...
Posted: Fri Jul 22, 2011 4:00 pm
by dales
What an @sshole!
Re: Polite dog for sale...
Posted: Fri Jul 22, 2011 5:06 pm
by Guinevere
What a beautiful face -- I'd take her in a heartbeat, I've always loved Shepherds!
Hmmmm. I have seen FAR better "whisperers" than this Mr Milan.
I am glad Vegas has offers of homes. It shouldn't be too hard to match her in the right environment. A no dog, no child household with owners that have time and enjoy a good walk would be my recommendation.
Re: Polite dog for sale...
Posted: Fri Jul 22, 2011 11:11 pm
by BoSoxGal
Reality Bytes wrote:No I am suggesting he employs those tactics ON camera.
Admittedly I haven't watched the show in a couple of years. He never did any of those things in the many episodes I have watched in the past.
