'Inquisitive' puppy trains as London fire dog

Five-month-old puppy Chase has joined the London Fire Brigade's (LFB) fire investigation team.

The cocker spaniel follows recently retired Sherlock and joins Smokey and Simba, two other fire investigation search dogs with the brigade.

At the end of his training, Chase and his handler, sub officer Peter Guppey, will be assessed on their ability to work effectively as a team, search a range of environments and locate traces of ignitable substances.

Guppey said Chase had a lot to learn in the coming months, and described him as a "great little character". He added: "He's enthusiastic, inquisitive and always keen to get involved, so I'm really enjoying getting to know him."

Fire investigation search dogs are used to help identify evidence that could indicate whether a blaze was started deliberately.

The LFB said they were selected at a young age for qualities including a strong drive to play, which is used in their positive reinforcement-based training.

Fire investigation station commander Darren Woodhams said the dogs were a "valuable asset".

"Chase is showing the drive and enthusiasm we want to see in a working dog and is responding well to his early training," he said. "He still has a long way to go, but he's made a promising start and we hope he will go on to become a fully qualified member of the team."

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