It's a regular weekday morning at the Hong Kong Police Dog Unit (PDU) Headquarters in the city's North District. Hippie, a 1-year-old Belgian Malinois, darts around inside the grassy training area of the compound. The dog runs between obstacles and performs a few exercises. Once he is through with his tasks for the day, Hippie looks up to his handler, Police Constable Chong Yuen-chun, for approval. The bond they share is obvious.

Police dogs like Hippie are trained to take on a wide range of duties, from patrol work to more specialized tasks crucial to maintaining law and order in the city. As the PDU celebrates 75 years of service this year, a behind-the-scenes look at the selection and training processes of Hong Kong's police dogs seems most timely.