Force Dog Trainer Dave Pennock

North Yorkshire Police's Dog Section unveiled their newest and cuddliest recruits in the fight against crime last week. The puppies are all fit, healthy and full of enthusiasm, you might even say they're straining at the leash to start their new jobs!

The forces newest canine cadets are:

• 14-week old German Shepherds, Sam, Taff and Bolly.
• 12-week old Labrador’s, Moss and Ace.
• 16-week old Spanieldor’s, Rolo, Max and Starsky.

Although the puppies are energetic bundles of fun at the moment, they are just at the beginning of their police career with North Yorkshire Police.

At the moment the dogs are in the homes of volunteer puppy walkers, who care for them while they undergo their initial training. At eight to nine months old, they will be assigned to a dog handler, who they will work and live alongside throughout their police career.

Force Dog Trainer, Dave Pennock said: "The puppies may look cute and cuddly now, but they will soon be highly trained and effective members of North Yorkshire Police’s Dog Section.

"All our dogs have an important role to play in policing and we're excited about introducing the new puppies into our training programme”.

Once the puppies reach 14-16 months old, they will then start their formal training. General Purpose dogs, the force’s German Shepherds, and their handlers begin a 13-week initial course, where the dogs will be taught to follow a track or scent over various kinds of terrain, to search for and locate either people or property which may be concealed.

To make the grade the dogs must be obedient both on and off the lead, be under the control of the handler at all times and show courage and determination when detaining a fleeing person, or someone armed with a weapon.

Dogs that are going to specialise in narcotics, usually the force’s Spaniels and Labradors, will begin an intensive 6 week course.

The force also has dogs specialising in explosives, they receive an intensive 8-week training course along side their handlers.

If the dogs and handlers complete the course and assessment successfully, they will then become fully licensed operational police dogs and handlers. Both handler and dog are licensed together as a team.

The dogs will undergo regular refresher training until they are eight, when they are retired into the care of their handlers or re-homed.

North Yorkshire Police boasts a dog handler establishment of 20 operational officers and 35 dogs, assisting Police divisions on a 24-hour basis, seven days a week.

You can follow the progress of some of the Police’s latest canine cadets as they go through the police dog training programme via the North Yorkshire Police website at www.northyorkshire.police.uk/dogs