Sniffing out new canine recruits

Police say they want German Shepherds and springer spaniels

West Yorkshire police officers say they urgently need more dogs to join their training squad.

Bosses at the force's dog training section say they particularly need German Shepherds and springer spaniels unwanted by their owners.

They say the dogs should be between 10 and 24 months old, energetic and keen to learn.

Officers are also looking for land such as fields and unused buildings to use as dog-training venues.

High standards

Police chiefs say that training a dog to the force's high standards is a lengthy process and the majority of animals fail for various genetic and behaviour reasons.

The force's dogs could find themselves working anywhere around West Yorkshire and are usually allocated to one officer, who they go home and live with.

The force's temporary puppy manager, PC David Cornforth, said: "A good dog is hard to find, especially one with the right stuff to become an operational police dog.

"We are always keen to take in unwanted dogs to put them through their paces and see if they can be trained to be police dogs."