Dog Handler

As a dog handler, you’ll still be an Authorised Firearms Officer, and you and your new canine partner will go on patrols, intercept suspicious activity, serve the public, conduct searches and respond to incidents. You’ll also spend many shifts training with your dog and taking part in site exercises.

It goes without saying that you need to love dogs to be a dog handler. In fact, we’ll give you the opportunity to home kennel 24/7, helping the both of you to create a unique bond. The role’s also very active with lots of exercise and walking involved, so you’ll need to have a high fitness levels.  

When you become a dog handler, you’ll receive the training to reach national police standards. Your dog will also be trained for a variety of roles, from general purpose police work to explosives detection. Because of this, you’ll occasionally be asked to support our host forces.