An occupational hazard with a K9....

I recall searching a large building with two K9 units. Before we went in, the handler's had the dogs sniff us so they would know we were "the good guys." About half way through the search, we stopped for a minute and one of the dogs approached me. Now as we are escorting the K9 unit, we just let the dogs go wherever they need to go, and we cover the handler and the dog.

I was a bit disturbed when this 100 pound German Sheppard came up and sniffed my crotch. The handler said, "Don't worry. He's just making sure you're the same dude he walked in with."

As Jim Carrey would say, "Alrighty then!" :<) I've said more than once, a K9 is a godsend on a scene, but they can be dangerous. I know many handlers who have scars from their dogs. Sometimes Fido will take a bite out of wrong arm. Occupational hazard. Well, one Houston Police officer got a bit taken out of him.

Houston Police officer attacked by police dog

A Houston Police officer is recovering in the hospital after he was attacked by a police dog.

According to HPD, the incident happened Monday morning around 1am, near Hardy Street and Gaines in north Houston.

Police responded after receiving a call from a homeowner about someone stealing items from his property...

...HPD dispatched several units, including a police dog and handler as they entered the property where the suspect was last seen.

Investigators say the handler found narcotics under the house and went to retrieve it, handing another HPD officer the leash to the police dog.

That's when the dog, for reasons unknown, attacked that officer, biting him in the calf.

"It looked bad from what I see there," said eyewitness Yolanda Reyna.

Reyna lives across the street and says she saw the scene immediately after the attack.

The officer was limping and Reyna rushed to get him medical help.

"He seemed like he was hurt from the leg. I saw that they put him in the truck and it seemed like they were cleaning something off of him. It looked like he had gotten hurt," she said.

The homeowner who called the police shared his surveillance video, which depicts the scene outside the house both before and after the dog bit the officer.

In it, you can see the HPD handler apparently yelling at the dog, chastising it after attacking the officer...

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I have seen many an K9 officer give his dog the "angry daddy" routine. Fido doesn't like it when Daddy is mad. Hopefully he learns his lesson.

He (the officers) will be hospitalized for several days, but they do expect him to make a full recovery. The officer has not been named publicly.

An HPD spokesperson says investigators will review training, response and protocols as a result of this case...

Hopefully the officer recovers quickly and the K9 goes through retraining. I'll love to see the documentation with that, "Counseling statement. Don't so this for 6 months and there is no letter of reprimand, no treats for the rest of the week, put your paw print on the bottom!" :<)