What happened when we went to meet the police pups in training

  • Watch Alex Lovell's report here.

Police dogs in the UK are used for a variety of purposes, including tracking suspects, searching for missing people, and recovering evidence. They are trained in different roles and disciplines, and come in a variety of breeds. 

Fifteen-week-old German Shepherds Loki, Nova and Sully are siblings that have recently joined Gloucestershire Police.

The man in charge of getting them up to standards is PC Richard Hunt.

He said: “The most important thing at this time is to allow them to be a puppy and to grow up, but grow up confident. And that means we try to expose them to as much as they can. 

L-R: Loki, Sully, and Nova Credit: Gloucestershire Police

“Environmental training and socialisation is the most important at this stage of their life.

"They’re living with police dog handlers at the moment, so they are being exposed to so much. Simple things you wouldn’t expect a police dog to worry about such as stairs or shiny floors, right up to driving in a police vehicle with sirens and lights.”

Training starts in January 2026, and it takes up to two years for them to be completely trained.

Richard said: “Living in a rural county, our bread and butter would be tracking. Offenders that have made off from the scene of a crime, also missing people and vulnerable people that have gone missing that we need to find. 

“That’s where they really come into their own because they’ll be able to search vast areas using their nose, following scents and hopefully finding people that might actually be in danger.”

For now, the siblings just need to get used to life with their handlers. Then when they’re a bit older, full training begins. 

ITV's Alex Lovell went along to meet the trio, as well as some seasoned veterans

Alex said: "Who wouldn't love to spend time with these gorgeous pups? It was also amazing to hear about the journey they'll take when they're ready.

"The care that the handlers take is also incredible - spending time introducing the puppies to everyday experiences whilst still working with their fully operational dogs.

"Taking 'a bite' was utterly terrifying. I knew if I followed instructions I'd be okay but when you have 42 teeth chasing after you, it certainly gets the heart pumping. What actually happened was a total blur but I immediately wanted to do it again!"