The man was arrested after two police officers watched from a neighbor's home as he struck the dog, picked him up and slammed him several times on a concrete patio slab, according to the police report.
John Peter Lavelle, 26, of the 2200 block of Northwest 80th Terrace, was charged with cruelty to animals, police said.
He told police he was training the dog, according to the report. The report quoted Lavelle as saying, "How else would you get a dog to listen to you?"
Police also think that Lavelle threw the dog into glass panes on a garage door, the report said.
The dog, a 7-month-old male pointer named Buckeye, was taken to a pet emergency center and is being treated at Broward County Animal Control, officials said.
Buckeye is recuperating from small wounds on his head and neck, pain in the left side of his stomach and possible internal injuries, said Alan Davis, the animal control director.
The dog, who weighs about 30 pounds, is between 10 and 15 pounds underweight and his ribs show, Davis said.
Another dog at Lavelle's home was also taken into protective custody, police said. The dog, a 1-1/2-year-old female pointer, is in good condition and shows no signs of abuse, Davis said.
A witness told police that Lavelle started beating the dog about one month ago and did so two to three times a week because he was frustrated with trying to train the animal.
A neighbor of Lavelle's called police shortly before midnight on Wednesday.
The neighbor, who did not want his name revealed, said he was alerted by the sounds of an animal in pain.
He said he saw Lavelle pick up the dog and hold him by the neck. Then he said he saw the dog picked up by the tail and thrown against the wall.
"The poor thing was in such agony. It was a brutal scene," the neighbor said. "The poor dog was howling, crying, and was making all kinds of noises."
If convicted of the misdemeanor charge, Lavelle faces a maximum penalty of one year in jail and a $5,000 fine, officials said.
Sgt. Sherry Schlueter, supervisor of the Broward Sheriff`s Office Animal Abuse/Agricultural Crimes Unit, said she encourages residents to report animal cruelty.
"Just as with child abuse, it's imperative that people act on behalf of victims who can't act in their own behalf," she said.
