Senior Constable Karl Harris works alongside his six-year-old German Shepherd Buster, a qualified general purpose police dog.

"We patrol the Wagga area and also out towards Albury, all the places around here that have a bigger population," he said.

Ever since joining the police force, Senior Constable Harris knew he wanted to be a dog handler.

"I've been in the police a fair while now, but I went straight into general duties like every cop has to do, I got comfortable there and learnt the ropes," he said.

"I stayed for a fair while then moved onto another section and began getting further on in not just my career but my age so I decided it was time to join the dog squad - it was something I'd always wanted to do and it is one of those things that if you don't do it now, you never will.

"The older you get the harder it is because it is quite a physical job, the training and course to get in is very physically demanding."

Unlike many nine to five jobs, being a police dog handler means taking your work home with you.

"Police dogs are a part of our family, Buster lives with me so we are together virtually 24/7," Senior Constable Harris said.

"Even when they retire, they stay with us - my first GP dog before Buster retired into my care as well."

Working with an animal in dangerous situations requires a great deal of time and effort, according to Senior Constable Harris.

"Depending on how early you get the dog will determine how difficult it can be to train them," he said.

"I had my original dog from the start so we went through the entire course together with my influence on him, we worked together and got to know how each other did things so it was quite easy.

"With Buster though, he originally came from South Australia police so I had to learn the way he was used to doing things and adjust him to the way we do things here in NSW.

"I also had to establish that bond with him again which took a while."

Senior Constable Harris said working as a dog handler was "the best job on the force", but it took a special kind of person to be up for the role.

"You have to have that bond with animals, that interest in dogs," he said.

"It comes down not so much to training, you have to have that natural ability to connect with a dog and really be passionate about the animal, it's naturally in people.

"Some people have a dog for the sake of having a dog whereas others are invested in their dog, it is part of the family."

NSW Dog Unit Commander, Detective Superintendent Peter McErlain, works at the heart of the state's dog handling unit.

"I've been in criminal investigations for most of my career in police and have been on the other end as a user of the dog unit so now instead of catching crims, I have dogs to that, and they do outstanding jobs," he said.

"When you come to work and can pet an absolutely beautiful animal to start the day, you really can't ask for much more than that."

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