Salt Lake County Sheriff Jim Winder said all officers under his command will be required to undergo new training designed to help them minimize fatal confrontations with dogs.

Winder made the announcement Sunday at a joint press conference with the Utah Humane Society, which called the added layer of schooling a step in the right direction in light of the outcry over the June killing of a man's 110-pound Weimaraner in Salt Lake City, the Deseret News  reports.

Stressing that the new training is not an indictment of any officer's actions, Winder nevertheless said "unfortunate" incidents prompted him to act.

"I have been fortunate enough to be a trainer and K9 handler for a large part of my adult life, specifically in my law enforcement career, and what it has taught me is that often times dogs can be misunderstood and misrepresented," he said. "I think this has been evidenced in some unfortunate interactions related to canines and law enforcement in recent past."