They're elite, often able to detect hidden cash, drugs and explosives in places no one else would even think or dare to look, and they also have four legs and a tail.

Australian Federal Police officer in charge of the canine unit Melissa Bushby said the role of police dogs is critical.

"They find things hidden in places, like drugs or cash secreted in spots we would never find manually," Ms Bushby said.

"We could search a house for two days and never find it. They save us time and money."

From sniffing out illegal material at airports, warehouses and homes, to work in counter terrorism operations, the police dogs are able to do tasks their human counterparts can't.

Inside a complex at Majura in Canberra is the Australian Federal Police's training centre for its 80 dogs who work around the country.

The training facility includes a makeshift house and airport terminal, complete with a working baggage carousel.

Dogs in the canine unit usually begin training at 18 months of age. They are bred especially for the role as part of an Australian Border Force program, although a handful come from the pound.

Training is an ongoing process. The dogs spending six weeks learning basic skills and then spend 13 weeks with their handler before going out to work for six months.

Ms Bushby said only the very best dogs make it through to the job.

"If you imagine athletes, there's good runners, then there's those who do fun runs and then there's Olympic athletes, and we're after those."

"We had 10 dogs in our last training course and only two made it through, so that was quite a small number," she said.

When out in the field, AFP dogs work their entire career with the one handler. Ms Bushby said the bond between handler and dog is one of the strongest relationships.

"They have to be very close," she said.

"They have to be able to trust each other, and whether they go into an environment that's crowded or a surface that's unusual, the dogs need to trust the handler and the handler needs to trust the dog knows what it's doing."

Leading senior constable Kym Baillie is a recent addition to handlers in the canine team, working with her dog Ted around Canberra Airport and other locations in the ACT.

"I've been in the AFP for 18 years and I've always wanted to work with dogs," Ms Baillie said.

"There's a lot of things to learn like how to handle the dog and bond with them and also how to position yourself."

An average police dog works for about eight years and then retires to a more relaxed life with their handler, she said.