A dog named by his previous owners after a fictional criminal is now firmly on the right side of the law after completing his police training.
PD Tuco, an 18-month-old Dutch Herder, was recruited by Nottinghamshire Police after his previous owners decided they could no longer meet his needs.
After excelling in early assessments, Tuco – named after fictional character from the TV show Breaking Bad – was selected for training with experienced handler PC Sam Hawker.
During an intensive eight weeks of training, both dog and handler were drilled in all the core disciplines of dog policing – from tracking people and property to detaining suspects.
After completing final licensing tests on Tuesday, 15 July 2025, the pair are now licensed to operate and will be heading out on patrol over the coming days.
PC Hawker, who has been a dog handler for more than five years, said:
“It’s fair to say that if we were starting from scratch, we’d not choose to name a dog after a fictional criminal, but it’s the name he came with and – more importantly – he’s an excellent dog.
“He really enjoys the criminal work in chasing and detaining people and has also shown great development in his scent work. “
Referring to Tuco’s previous life, PC Hawker added:
“These are dogs that want and need to be working all the time, so I am thrilled for Tuco that we’ve been able to take him on.
“As I said to his previous owner, Tuco will now be doing exactly the kind of things we wants to do on a daily basis, and living exactly the kind of life he should be leading.
“So, I am really excited about our future together as a team and am just really looking forward to getting started.”
PC Hawker was previously licensed with Police Dog Loki who retired last year – but not before the pair achieved their best ever result together and uncovered a string of vital evidence that led to the conviction of a man for causing death by dangerous driving.
Becoming a dog handler
Candidates for the dog handler course must have a minimum of two years of front-line policing experience.
They must then attend a two-day assessment exercise where their affinity for dogs and other natural attributes are assessed by expert handlers.
They must then come through a formal interview panel before going forward for training.
If they haven’t already done so, successful applicants also have to pass an advanced driving course before they move onto the 13-week dog handling course.
During the course of their partnership, dog and handler will regularly be reassessed to ensure they are meeting the high standards expected of them.