Dogs' sense of smell exceeds that of humans by 3,0000 to 100 million times. That's why police dogs have long been indispensable in fighting crime, especially when it comes to finding missing people.
In Japan, the diversity of four-legged helpers is to be increased through different breeds. Most contract police dogs used by law enforcement are bred in private households and tend to come from large breeds. Since last year, however, it has been observed that more and more small and medium-sized dogs have been selected across the country.
Police dogs don't necessarily have to be big
This is mainly due to the increased number of missing person cases that require a search for people, so the number of police dogs required is also increasing. According to a survey of 45 police prefectures conducted by a major newspaper, 31 different breeds were registered as police dogs this year. In 2015 there were only 18 breeds that were considered capable of these tasks.
Large breeds such as German Shepherds and Labrador Retrievers are still the most common, but the number of small and medium-sized dogs has increased significantly. The dogs are selected by examination committees. This year, for the first time, around 20 small and medium-sized breeds were selected across the country. This means that twice as many were hired as ten years ago.
This year's recruits include miniature dachshunds, fox terriers and Nederlandse Kooikerhondje. The last breed is particularly popular with Japanese stars like Shohei Ohtani and is therefore currently very popular in Japan. Overall, however, the number of police dogs has increased overall in recent years. According to the national police agency, ten years ago there were around 1,200 police dogs. Since 2021 the number has fallen below 1,000 animals.
Smaller dogs can help with the search
About 60 percent of the police prefectures surveyed registered fewer dogs this year than in 2015. According to the Nippon Police Dog Association, one reason for this danger is the changing living conditions in households, which makes it difficult to keep and train dogs. At the same time, the number of search dogs that can search for people is also increasing. Many more people with dementia are ensuring that the animals get more work.
According to official data, the number of such sick people reached 67,909, the highest since records began in 2010. In recent years, eight police prefectures have taken into consideration due to the shrinking numbers of available dogs starting from smaller breeds, such as toy poodles. Some prefectures have increased compensation for the use of dogs. Other stations have hired dogs from other prefectures to meet their needs.
The Fukui Prefecture Police Department has introduced a category that includes “quasi-police dogs.” These dogs are not licensed for criminal investigations, but are allowed to assist in the search for missing people. Additionally, many police prefectures have also extended the registration deadline for police dogs to provide more choice.
