Eight new police dog handlers and their canine partners have joined Greater Manchester Police’s Tactical Dog Unit after completing intensive 13-week training programs, bringing the department’s deployable general duty dogs to over 30.

The fresh recruits, who transferred from various departments including neighbourhood policing, response teams, firearms units and child sexual exploitation teams, graduated from two separate training courses. Each dog, all under two years old, was carefully matched with their handler at the start of training based on compatible size and personality traits.

The successful completion marks a significant achievement, as both officers and dogs faced rigorous external testing with no guarantee of passing. All eight handler-dog teams successfully met the demanding standards required for active deployment across the region.

Inspector Michael Weeden praised the new additions: “We will have more police dogs and handlers responding to more incidents, preventing and reducing crime and delivering outstanding service to the communities of Greater Manchester. It is a demanding role with the dog being with the handler at work and also at home, so it is a big commitment for the officers and their families to make, but one that is also extremely rewarding.”

---

Source: Read original article