Photo/Illutration Anzu, a toy poodle and a contract police dog with the Ibaraki prefectural police, jumps over an obstacle in Tokai village, Ibaraki Prefecture, in June 2023. (Junko Miyasako)

With a sense of smell said to be 3,000 to 100 million times more powerful than humans, police dogs have long been essential at crime and accident sites.

Now, these indispensable partners are expanding to include a more diverse range of breeds.

Raised in private households and deployed at the request of law enforcement, contract police dogs have traditionally been mostly large breeds.  

However, in recent years, small and midsize breeds of a growing variety have also been recruited nationwide.

This comes as the number of missing person cases requiring searches increases, while the availability of contract police dogs declines.

According to a survey conducted by The Asahi Shimbun across 45 prefectural police departments that recruit such dogs, 31 breeds were registered this year, a 1.7-fold increase from 18 breeds in 2015.

POPULAR BREEDS

Large breeds, such as German shepherds and Labrador retrievers, are still the most common utilized, but there is a notable boost in small and midsize dogs.

Contract police dogs are selected through screening committees. This year, around 20 small and midsize breeds were adopted nationwide―double the number a decade ago.

Recruits are diverse and include miniature dachshunds, fox terriers and the kooikerhondje; this particular breed has gained popularity thanks to Major League Baseball star Shohei Ohtani's beloved pet Decopin, also known as Decoy.

One of the reasons behind this upswing in variety is the decline in the number of contract police dogs.

According to the National Police Agency, there were around 1,200 such dogs a decade ago, but the number has dropped below 1,100 since 2021.

About 60 percent of the 45 prefectural police departments surveyed registered fewer dogs this year compared to 2015.

According to the Nippon Police Dog Association, one contributing factor is that changes in living conditions have made it increasingly difficult for households to keep large dogs.

MISSING PERSONS SUPPORT

On the other hand, demand for search dogs is rising as cases involving individuals requiring urgent rescue, including those with dementia, are increasing.

In 2023, the number of such individuals reached 67,909―the highest since records began in 2010, according to the NPA.

In recent years, eight prefectural police departments, including Nagasaki, have expanded the range of breeds they recruit due to the shrinking number of available dogs.

The Ibaraki prefectural police, which broadened the range in 2016, have since begun adopting breeds such as toy poodles.

In addition, three prefectural police departments, including Tottori, have raised compensation for deployments, while three others, including Nara, have started allowing dogs from outside the prefecture to register, ensuring a wider pool of search dogs.

Fukui prefectural police has introduced its own category of “quasi-police dogs.” The dogs are not involved in criminal investigations, but they are allowed to assist in missing person searches.

Additionally, some prefectural police departments have extended the registration period for contract police dogs.

(This article was written by Daichi Itakura and Yuka Suzuki.)

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