Police dog bites Melbourne man

A police dog searching for a knife-wielding Melbourne man has bitten another man who tried to pat it.

The German shepherd was on a long lead when it went round a corner in Seaford on Thursday night.

A man stopped to pat it and was bitten twice on the arm before the dog's handler caught up.

A police spokeswoman said the dog was searching for a man armed with a knife who had been involved in a domestic incident.

The bitten man was taken to hospital.

The spokeswoman was unable to say what would happen to the police dog.