The newest recruits to the Malta Police Force have never looked cuter. Seven Belgian Shepherd puppies, born just seven weeks ago to two of the unit’s established police dogs, are currently undergoing early training on their way to a career in the force.

There is still some way to go. At the Police Dogs Section headquarters in Mosta, the puppies are less interested in drug or explosive searches than in chasing each other around a small enclosure, where they are under 24-hour care by a dedicated team of police handlers, and busying themselves with ropes and toys.

At the same time, their trainers are hard at work exposing them slowly to the sort of challenges they are likely to encounter during their future work as police dogs – from loud noises to strange surfaces and crowds of people.

The puppies could also represent the start of a new phase for the canine unit. Until now, dogs were mostly bought from breeders locally or overseas, but with this new litter, the police force has embarked on a pilot breeding programme – which would allow dogs to be trained more effectively from a much younger age.