Edinburgh police dog handler has been reported over claims of rough treatment of an animal during a training exercise.
The experienced Police Scotland officer, at Fettes police HQ, previously won awards for his work with the dogs was reported by expert instructors who witnessed the incident take place.
The Daily Record reports that Police Scotland have confirmed the officer has since been given “guidance” over the matter.
A source told the Record that he left the dog winded after striking it.
They said: “The dog handler appeared to strike the dog, leaving it winded. The instructor reported it and put this in writing to the management but nothing happened at all.
"Other dog handlers weren’t happy but nobody wanted to put their head above the parapet and speak out for fear of repercussions.
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“Over-corrected is a way of saying the handler has reacted too strongly to an error by the animal.
“The dog may not have been seriously injured but it was left winded and caused the people who witnessed it some distress.
“The officer involved has been a dog handler for long enough to know the difference between reacting out of proportion and the dog actually doing something wrong.”
Police Scotland said the officer involved was not disciplined following the incident.
They said: “The dog was uninjured and suitable advice was given to an officer.”
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