Students meet PC Taylor and his canine partner Max

Max and students

GM Dog Section PC Taylor and his canine partner, Max, took over a Level Two Animal Care class at Hopwood Hall College to educate on the role of man’s best friend in the police forces.

The German Shepherd and his handler educated students on the ever-increasing role dogs play in the UK’s police forces, the care levels service dogs must be treated to and the importance of their role in keeping the public safe.

With numerous students looking to one day work with animals in a professional industry, the partners in crime fighting gave a crash course in feeding regimes, work load, daily care methods and how their course can aid bringing through the next generation of law enforcement animal teams.

To demonstrate the effect Max’s role plays in the Greater Manchester community, students watched videos of pursuits Max has been involved in from both police helicopter and car viewpoints.

Their experience of ‘a day in the life of Max’ was topped off with a tracking challenge. Students hid a set of keys in the college’s woodland and gave Max the scent of the hand that hid them.

The class then watched as Max went to work, finding the set of keys in a matter of minutes.

Animal Care student Maxwell Millar said: “I really enjoyed it. It broadened my career options and I particularly liked the demonstration of the dogs tracking skills, the effectiveness of mother nature still tops most of the technology we have developed to this day.”