From Alsatians to autonomy: China seeks home-grown edge in police dogs

BEIJING – China’s national security authorities are urging police forces nationwide to prioritize a home-grown dog breed over foreign working dogs such as German Shepherds, Rottweilers, Belgian Malinois and Springer Spaniels, as Beijing pushes harder for technological self-reliance.

The Ministry of Public Security on Thursday called on police to help “promote the development goal of ‘international first-class’ police dog technology,” highlighting the Kunming dog — a wolf-dog hybrid developed in southern China over decades using Alsatians and local breeds.

“Unleashing the police potential of Kunming dogs is an important step in China’s independent control of police dog breed resources and brand building,” the ministry said in a statement.

While not indigenous to China, the Kunming dog is the product of long-term selective breeding. The ministry established a specialized canine breeding center in the southwestern province of Yunnan in the 1950s and is currently developing three additional domestic working dog breeds.

“What gives the Kunming dog its advantage is its relatively diverse genetic composition,” said Wang Guodong, a Kunming-based zoological researcher featured in a video accompanying the ministry’s statement.

Wang said the local breed is more versatile than foreign dogs, noting that Chinese law enforcement agencies have found that imported breeds “often excel in a single task but also show clear weaknesses.”

The Kunming dog is “China’s first and currently only police dog with fully independent intellectual property rights,” the ministry said, describing it as having high technological and innovation value.

According to handlers featured in the video, the breed outperforms foreign counterparts in tasks such as detecting narcotics and explosives, as well as tracking and apprehending suspects.

Some Chinese police dogs have previously been trained using German commands, a separate state media report said, based on the belief that the dogs respond better to that language.

“As global competition in police dog technology becomes increasingly intense, ensuring a stable supply of high-quality working dog breeds adapted to local environments is essential,” the ministry added. 

-Reporting by Xiuhao Chen and Joe Cash; Editing by Jamie Freed/Reuters