A Canberra police officer caught on CCTV attacking a chained dog with pepper spray is the subject of an internal investigation.

The CCTV footage, taken during a raid on a Canberra home last month, shows three officers standing around a dog chained to a pole in the backyard.

One officer is seen taunting the animal before pepper spraying it.

He then stands back and throws things at the dog.

Other officers are seen laughing at the incident, with one man appearing to film it on his phone.

The dog's owner, who was not home at the time, made a formal complaint to police.

"It is cowardly for anybody to treat an animal in this way," a lawyer for the dog's owner, Peter Woodhouse, said.

"The fact that it is a police officer supposedly executing his duty is appalling.

"We are concerned that the AFP (Australian Federal Police) may not take this matter seriously. The behaviour of the police in this instance is atrocious."

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Mr Woodhouse said AFP Professional Standards originally classified the complaint as a level 1 public relations issue.

"At our insistence it has now been upgraded to a level 3 matter," he said.

"This is an obvious abuse of police powers. The officer has overstepped the mark and he needs to be held accountable.

"My client wants the matter investigated fairly and, if appropriate, wants to officer to be prosecuted for his conduct.

"The owner of the dog was very upset with what happened. I am told the dog hasn't been the same since."

In a statement, ACT Policing said it did not condone cruelty to animals and had launched an internal investigation.

"All officers are required to report all use of force actions, and the reported use of oleoresin capsicum spray is part of this requirement," the statement read.

"As this investigation remains ongoing, it would not be appropriate for ACT Policing to comment any further."