Meet Bodge, the German Shepherd preparing to dish out some ruff justice
He may look cute but this new police dog recruit is gearing up to take on the tough guys.
The German Shepherd will now go on to train alongside the force to join their 64 general purpose dogs and 30 specialist dogs across the borough.
Specialist search dogs are trained to locate anything from drugs, firearms, cash and even explosives.
The police run their own breeding programme to ensure that there is always enough dogs when required, as opposed to having to rely on sales and donations.
Like many other forces in the UK, West Midlands Police started using dogs after the end of the Second World War.
Then it was recognised that trained dogs using their natural instincts could play a major role in maintaining law and order and catching offenders.
From those early beginnings, the dog section began to grow and in 1959 they moved to their first real home. It was an old farmhouse affectionately known as 'Home Farm' within the grounds of Harborne Golf Club, Birmingham.
In December the force called for members of the public to act as 'puppy walkers' - who would look after and play with the dogs until they reach their development stage.
Anyone interested in looking after one of the puppies can email breedscheme@west-midlands.pnn.police.uk
