Police Dogs Are Really Pussycats
Sun Herald
Sunday February 25, 2001
GERMAN shepherds are becoming too cowardly and unbalanced for police work and may be replaced by other breeds.
The NSW Police Service's Dog Unit is looking at breeds such as the rottweiler and belgian malinois to play an increasing role in crime fighting because of a chronic shortage of suitable german shepherds.
So dire is the problem, police have set up a breeding program to help boost numbers.
The moves coincide with police in parts of the UK ditching the german shepherd.
Dog Unit commander Inspector Peter Crumblin said while german shepherds were likely to always have a role in the service, handlers were frustrated by the availability of suitable animals.
He said unscrupulous breeders wanting to win dog shows had bred animals which were pleasant looking but had poor temperaments.
Others had bred smaller and more docile dogs to better suit family homes and in the process eliminated the drive that made shepherds good police dogs.
``A lot of breeders have looked at the cosmetic side of things as being of primary importance," Inspector Crumblin said. ``For us, the thing that is most important is a dog's temperament."
Inspector Crumblin said the ideal police dog was not vicious but well-balanced, playful and inquisitive. Animals that displayed aggressive or frightened behaviour were rejected for police work.
He added that while there were responsible breeders, others driven by profit had weakened the overall genetic pool.
``There's no doubt that the dogs we look at are a product of what people are breeding," he said.
``We still manage to find dogs, although [it's] a lot of work."
By contrast, Inspector Crumblin said the rottweiler breed had maintained more of its integrity and the dogs were generally well-balanced and robust.
Another breed under consideration is the belgian malinois, which is used in the US and Holland.
Police hope a dedicated breeding program during the past year will increase the number of suitable german shepherds.
But Inspector Crumblin appealed for owners and breeders with healthy, well-adjusted animals to approach the unit.
About 100 dogs of several species are used by police in NSW.
German shepherds are used for general patrols, to find bodies and in tactical response situations. Labradors and a spaniel are also used to find bodies.
A wild past
German shepherds are descendants of wild dogs domesticated to herd sheep in Germany.
Modern breed established by Captain Max von Stephanitz, who in 1899 started a society for german shepherds modelled on his ideal dog, Hektor Linksrhein.
Renamed alsatian wolfhound in many countries after WWI to counter anti-German sentiment. The name alsatian is still used in Australia.
© 2001 Sun Herald
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