Gavel the German shepherd was just too damn friendly for police work.

Instead of catching crooks and sniffing out explosives, he much preferred getting belly tickles and cuddles from strangers, reports the BBC.

His handlers at the Queensland Police Service in Brisbane, eastern Australia, decided in February that he was too sociable for the force and cut him from its 16-month training program.

But the adorable pooch has since thankfully landed firmly on his paws.

He’d lived at the Queensland governor’s official residence throughout his training. So Gov. Paul de Jersey opted to make the animal that he’d first met as a 10-week-old puppy in April 2016 a permanent part of the family.

And he awarded Gavel the prestigious title of Vice-Regal Dog in February in recognition of the pooch’s winning ways.

As this contract reveals, he’s now tasked with welcoming visitors and attending official ceremonies:

Gavel appears to be enjoying every moment of his new role:

Even though he doesn’t always get it totally right: