Could your pup join police ranks?

There is a difficulty in sourcing suitable pups for police search operations, such as to detect drugs, money and explosives.

And, as Inspector Allan Jones, public order trainer explained, the ideal pups could be currently living with Larne families.

“In terms of breeds, we tend to work with Springer or Cocker Spaniels and Labradors as they have the relevant search characteristics, which can be honed through a range of training processes. We introduce the dog to different surroundings and get them accustomed to walking on slippery floors, going upstairs and negotiating obstacles within buildings.

“We are always on the look-out for new recruits for the police dog training unit. If you have a dog that will retrieve almost anything, is full of energy, is not scared of running around inside strange buildings, climbs all over furniture and is too much of a handful for you to take care of, then this is the sort of dog we may be looking for,” he said.

For further information on the process contact a member of the training unit on 0845 600 800.