What if …? Firefighters Learn to Handle K-9 Dogs

Officer Wood and Buck demonstrate the technique

Some years ago, as my mother was out walking her dachshund, she fell and dislocated her shoulder. A neighbor called 911, but Dobie wouldn’t let anyone near my mom. They had to call me to come and get Dobie away from her so they could take her to the hospital.

If a little dachshund could keep first responders at bay, imagine what could happen if a K-9 handler is hurt and his dog is protecting him. With that in mind, a group of firefighters in upstate New York learned how to handle a K-9 dog if they are responding to a scene where the handler is injured.

The solution is, happily, a simple one. K-9 dogs are trained to latch onto a padded sleeve worn on the arm. Once they’ve grabbed it, a responder can leash the dog, take the sleeve off, and leave it in the dog’s jaws while moving the animal out of the way.