From puppies to police dogs - a trainer's diary (Week five)

Week two: The soon-to-be police dogs are showing the first signs of active life

Have you ever wondered how police dogs get to be so highly trained? Rochdale Online has teamed up with one of Rochdale's best known dog trainers, who works as an outside trainer for Greater Manchester Police, and can reveal the grueling journey from a cuddly puppy into a strictly trained criminal catcher.

Week Five:

"This is a very important week.

"The puppies are on the move and exploring everywhere.

"We have barriers in place to keep them from straying into areas of natural beauty which we want to keep that way. It is fascinating to watch them interact with each new environment and the way in which they solve their little problems.

"For instance, how do you reach your siblings on the other side of the fence? Well you can sit and scream but that doesn't solve anything or you can work the fence line till you find a gap.

"It is the constant exploring and working out problems that helps to develop a dog's cognitive ability to its full potential. We have shown that puppies which are stimulated in this way out perform other puppies reared in say a kennel environment where their early experiences are limited to the immediate rather bland surroundings of the kennel.

"We wait to see how this lot perform come the seven week test!".