The Westbrook Police Department issued a big welcome Wednesday on its Facebook page to the newest member of the force.

Cal, an 8-month-old Dutch Shepherd police dog, has been paired with Westbrook Officer Jeremy Smith. Man and dog have already begun their training.

In the post, the brindle-colored dog was photographed while perched atop the hood of a Westbrook police cruiser.

The American Kennel Club describes the Dutch Shepherd breed as intelligent, lively and athletic. The dog was bred to herd sheep, which gives it the physique to run all day.

“We’ll be sure to keep everyone updated on Cal’s progress in training, and will post photos as he grows,” the department said.

Westbrook police said that Cal will be trained in apprehension and drug detection, with the first part of his training focused on patrol work, apprehension and tracking.

The police dog was named after national power company Calpine, which provided a donation toward his purchase. Calpine operates the Westbrook Energy Center.

Cal’s photograph is drawing a lot of attention and praise on Facebook.

“Beautiful pup! Good luck to both partners,” one commenter wrote.

“Cal looks like a ball of energy, good luck!” another person said.

Dennis Hoey can be contacted at 791-6365 or at:

dhoey@pressherald.com