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British RoyalsPrince & Princess of Wales

Dog that bit Prince William now Crufts finalist

A finalist in the Kennel Club’s Eukanuba Friends for Life at Crufts this year has been revealed to have had a rather awkward prior encounter with the Duke of Cambridge, according to a report in the Lincolnshire Live.

Nine-year-old Belgian Shepard, Carlos, is an eight-year veteran with the RAF Search and Rescue Service, had previously served alongside Prince William during the latter’s career as a search and rescue pilot in Anglesey from 2010-2013. The Duke of Cambridge’s tenure saw him take part in numerous operations in and around British waters, including the rescue of two sailors from a sinking cargo ship in the Irish Sea. Carlos himself has also seen service in the Falklands, where he assisted in tracking and locating missing persons.

However, it would seem that His Royal Highness’s service alongside Carlos saw the latter grow a little over-excited during a routine training exercise.

Curious about how police dogs were trained, the Duke of Cambridge observed a training session with Carlos, and the canine companion apparently decided to get a little too much into character. One thing led to another, and Prince William found Carlos taking a rather energetic nip of the royal person. According to Carlos’s owner, Rachel Christopher of De Wint Avenue, there was no harm done even if there were a few nervous glances from onlookers.

“[The bite] was not in a nasty way,” she explained. “It was just in training — he was just showing the Prince how he catches people.”

Being a dog owner himself, we’re sure the Duke of Cambridge is more than used to being nibbled by dogs when they’re feeling playful.

Rachel and Carlos now hope to be taking a trip to the Kennel Club’s Eukanuba Friends for Life, the world’s largest dog show, come the 12th of March this year. The competition is dedicated to those dogs who have truly demonstrated companionship and loyalty and celebrates the friend mankind has in them. During events, owners will share stories of just how intense those bonds between a dog and their human can be even in adversity.

Rachel is currently engaged to Carlos’s former handler before his retirement, Corporal Andrew Brett, and assures us that Carlos is very much enjoying his time post-RAF career. Describing Carlos as “just a great dog”, Rachel and Corporal Brett have also revealed that they fully intend to have Carlos present at the wedding — replete in a doggy tuxedo.