Canine Encounters #4065 (TCOLE)

By Karen Wannamaker at Police Training Weekly | Fri, 21 Oct 2016

According to the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) and the American Pet Products Association (APPA) there are roughly 77.8 million canines in the United States, and 54.4 million canines in households that own at least one canine. Surprisingly, each year more than 4.5 million people in the United States are bitten by dogs.

With over 30 breeds of dogs that will be involved in a dog bite or attack each year the Insurance Information Institute states that costs related to dog bites and their incidents have climbed into the billions of dollars.

Police can expect to encounter dogs in the course of their duties, from a traffic stop – where the dog is along for the ride, to encountering a dog in a yard or at the doorway of a home – when serving a warrant or interviewing suspects and witnesses. Law Enforcement Officers are more likely to encounter a dog in at least 1 out of every 3 houses they visit.

While there is no evidence that officer shootings of dogs are increasing, dogs are increasingly viewed as family members. Canine shootings provoke strong responses, and result in both increased liability and strategic responses by law enforcement agencies.

In January of 2016, the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement (TCOLE) developed a lesson guideline for Texas Training Coordinators and Instructors to use toward providing instructor-led Canine Encounters #4065 (TCOLE) training.

Course topics include:

  • Texas State Animal Laws
  • Recognizing and Understanding Canine Behavior
  • Non-lethal tools/methods/resources to avoid and defend against canine attack
  • Conflict Avoidance, De-escalation, and Use of Force Continuum Principles
  • Other Techniques and Surviving an Attack
  • Identification of other common animal encounters

Unfortunately the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement (TCOLE) mandated Canine Encounters #4065 (TCOLE) course will not be available (in an online format) and must be completed in an instructor-led setting.

For an instructor-led course location resource contact our Training Coordinator or call 281-288-9190 (Ext. 205). Additionally, sign up for the OSS Academy Newsletter for up-to-date course offerings and information.

enroll_buttonA sample of our TCOLE Courses Listing:

About OSS Academy

To learn more about OSS Academy® contact our Training Coordinator at 281-288-9190 (Ext. 205).