Meet Essex Police's newest recruits, born less than two months ago but almost ready to hit the beat.
Tia, Tyson, Tex and Turbo, four playful German Shepherds pups, were born after the Essex Police dog, Xena, was bred with a male dog from a private breeder.
They have already made their debut appearance at the Sandon Dog Unit, after being paired with a group of volunteers known as 'puppy walkers' - members of the public who give up their free time.
They will then leave their puppy walkers and pair up with a PC handler, who will put them on a demanding 13 week course during which they will learn to work as a team to track, search and detain potential suspects
They have all been given names beginning with the letter 'T', after PC Terry Collinson, one of the police instructors who has been looking after them.
Speaking about the crucial pre-training phase, PC Collinson said: "It's all about getting the dogs used to their surroundings, different people and different surfaces in the real world." He said.
"The idea behind it is to ensure that these dogs are environmentally sound and experience various noises and sights.
"They will be taken to places like airports and Lakeside shopping centre, which will happen this month."'We enjoyed having her so much'
The volunteers provide the dogs with a vital introduction to various situations, such as dealing with crowded shopping centres.
Whilst the work of the puppy walkers is an important stage in the career arc of these dogs, it is also a gratifying experience, with some choosing to come back for more.
"We had Ruby, who was part of the previous 'R' litter, and we enjoyed having her so much that now we are looking after the little bitch, Tia," PC Collinson added.
"It's so rewarding to watch them grow, and you can really see how these dogs are bred to be superb, loving police dogs. But they also need to work, as essentially they are working dogs.
"We've also taken Turbo home with us so our house is a little busy at the moment."
However, training prospective police dogs can be a daunting task, as puppy walker 'Guy' admitted to feeling slightly anxious at potentially biting off more than he could chew.
he said: "My overwhelming feeling was apprehension. It is going to be very challenging producing a working police dog, but it is one which I hope to enjoy, too."
"It is something that we decided to do after we moved to a new house with a bigger garden, and the entire process of showing initial interest on Twitter to now taking home a puppy has taken around two months."
If they make the grade they'll be operational on the streets of Essex for 2016.
