A police dog handler was reported to force bosses over claims of rough treatment of his animal during a training session.
The experienced officer, who previously won awards for his work with police dogs, was reported by expert dog instructors who witnessed the incident.
Police Scotland have confirmed the officer has since been given “guidance” on “over-correction”.
Sources said the incident happened during a training session at the Fettes former police headquarters in Edinburgh, where the dog branch is based.
The source 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.
“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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