The amusing picture of Niko the police dog clinging to his master’s leg during a rappelling exercise has produced a lot of excitement about a rappelling dog. Really? It looks fairly clear that Niko is practicing a simpler skill — hanging on for dear life. Happily he is a wearing a harness that would prevent a fall if his paws slipped but dogs are not so clear on that sort of thing. Better to let instinct kick in and grab the boss’s leg. The Vancouver Police Department posted this photo of service dog Niko, a five-year-old purebred German shepherd, in the middle of a training scenario in which he’s “rappelling” down a wall with his handler, PC. Dan Ames. The photo, posted on Oct. 22, is captioned “Hey dad … This rappelling? Yuh, I’m not a fan.” The picture has since garnered more than 3,400 likes, more than 2,800 shares and nearly 300 comments.
