Puppy walkers are ordinary members of the public who volunteer to give up their time to help prepare police puppies for training by getting them used to as many environments are possible. They don't train the pups but intoduce them to as many different people and places as possible from noisy train stations to crowded shopping centres so they become familiar with everything they might encounter in their working career.
Julie, who lives in Billericay, is puppy walking Essex Police German Shepherd puppy Flo. Flo is the first Essex Police puppy Julie has looked after but she has cared for guide dog puppies in the past and has two dogs of her own.
She took Flo home on Friday, March 4, 2011 and will care for her until Flo is paired with a police dog handler to begin training to be a general purpose police dog in January 2012.
