More about Bill's successful dog training career

Bill Gowans has been professionally training dogs since 1970 and was a dog handler with the Metropolitan police for 29 years.

Bill qualified a record ten times for the finals of the National Police Dog Championships and won numerous working trial competitions with his dogs during his career. He was the Metropolitan Police working trials champion six times and the Metropolitan Police Obedience champion ten times. He holds the Home Office Instructor qualification and in addition to training his own dogs has had many years experience training other police dog handlers.

Now retired from the police, Bill has been enjoying helping people train their dogs for over three years.

Read more about Bill's police dogs:

Police Dog Kerry

Bill joined the Metropolitan Police Force in 1966 with the goal of joining the dog section. After 4 years on the beat he began training his first dog Kerry - 5 months later they were competing in the finals of the Metropolitan Police Dog Championships.

Kerry won several civilian working trials qualifying UD.ex, WD.ex, and TD.ex by the age of three.

Police Dog Samson

Bills second dog, Samson, was a large German Shepherd who out grew his previous two owners and was then donated to the Police.

He went on to win several Area Police trials and was the Metropolitan Police Dog Champion in 1983. He also qualified twice for the finals of the National Police Dog Championships and was the Metropolitan Police Obedience champion three times.

Police Dog Sting

Sting, Bill's third dog, was special from the start. Sting was unique in winning the Metropolitan Police Dog Championships five years in succession.

Sting also competed a record six times at the National Police Dog Championships - winning the Obedience, Tracking and Searching trophies on several occasions.

Police Dog Storm

Storm was Bill's last working dog and retired early with Bill who had completed 32 years service with the Metropolitan Police.

Storm competed twice in the finals of the National Police Dog Championships, the first time at the age of two - winning the searching competition. He also won the Metropolitan Police Dog Obedience trophy twice.