The newest recruits of a police force are four-legged, small and fluffy.
Looks aside, however, these month-old puppies of Taiwan’s National Police Agency have a serious role, says Mashable. They will be trained as part of the NPA’s K9 Anti-Bomb and Drug unit in Taipei.
Being police dogs though runs in the family. Six of them are puppies of Yellow, a longtime K9 veteran.
The puppies at work captured hearts on the police agency’s Facebook account.
Training dogs for police work
All K9 dogs are screened for their obedience, before undergoing further obedience training. They also trained in the following:
- Endurance and agility — jumping over walls, climbing stairs, being around people, vehicles and roads
- Specialty training — such as in searching for drugs, bombs and guns.
Commands in police dog training are also often in German. “Service dogs are trained in German mostly because it is a somewhat uncommon language (especially in the U.S.), so it gives the owner more control over the dog,” a report notes.
Interestingly, German Shepherds are one of the most common breeds of police dogs. Perhaps because they know, well, German? — Photos from NPA