SHE may be a cute, fluffy puppy now, but seven-week-old Lanner is destined for a key role guarding one of the most controversial military bases in the country.

The German Shepherd pup has been brought from her original home in the West Midlands to the scenic surrounding of the North York Moors, where she will become an elite, highly-trained police dog protecting RAF Fylingdales.

Lanner will be replacing Spike, an eight-year-old fellow German Shepherd, when he retires from his role at the base, which is destined to play a key role in President Bush's missile defence strategy.

Lanner was named by PC Kevin Benton, a Ministry of Defence Police dog handler, who has been in the role for more than 11 years, serving two of those at RAF Fylingdales.

PC Benton is responsible for training and looking after the puppy at the base and at his home in Burythorpe, near Malton, for the first 12 months of her life.

Lanner, whose name refers to a breed of falcon, will then be sent to the Defence Animal Centre, Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire, for intense training in control and agility, criminal work, tracking, and searching.

She will then become part of the ten-handler, ten-dog team which patrols the 3,000 acre Ministry of Defence site.

"Twenty years ago German Shepherds were just sharks on leads. Now they're the thinking man's dog," said PC Benton, who is also the wildlife and environmental officer at the base and a keen falconer.

During her service at the listening station Lanner may have to deal with crowds of protesters, tracking scents, searching buildings and people, and catching fleeing criminals.

PC Benton hopes that with Lanner he will be able to develop at the base a bloodline of dogs of a suitable high calibre that can be trained up to police dog standard.

PC Benton appealed for anyone who had a German Shepherd or any of the gundog breeds, aged between one and three-years-old, who was thinking about giving their pet up, to consider donating it to the Defence Animal Centre.

"Many of the dogs there have bitten the postman, growled at the kids or wrecked the house. The centre will give them a second chance and turn round that aggression," said PC Benton.

You can phone the centre on 01664 418668.

Spike, who was donated to the force by Battersea Dogs Home, will retire home with PC Benton in about a year's time.

Updated: 09:59 Monday, January 24, 2005