Meet Haku: Miyazaki Certifies Its First Pomeranian Police Dog

What's going on

Police dogs in Japan work under two very different arrangements. The first type — chokkatsu keisatsu-ken (直轄警察犬), or directly managed police dogs — are owned and housed by the prefectural police themselves. Only seven breeds are eligible for this track: German Shepherd, Dobermann, Airedale Terrier, Boxer, Labrador Retriever, Golden Retriever, and Belgian Malinois. These are the big, serious dogs people picture when they hear "K9 unit." The second type — shōtaku keisatsu-ken (嘱託警察犬), or commissioned police dogs — are privately owned and raised by civilian handlers, then put through official certification testing by the police. Any breed can apply. The standards aren't relaxed. But the roster is open.

Haku (ハク号), a 2-year-old white Pomeranian from Miyazaki Prefecture in southern Japan, just passed that test. After a full year of training at a facility in Kadogawa town, he received his official commissioned certificate at Hyūga Police Station on April 13th — making him the first Pomeranian ever certified as a police dog in Miyazaki. He joins a small but growing cohort of compact breeds taking on police work across Japan, from Toy Poodles to Chihuahuas to Shiba Inus.

The case for small police dogs isn't just novelty. They're less intimidating to civilians during searches, and they can access unstable terrain and tight spaces where larger dogs simply can't go. One of Haku's handlers noted that small breeds can work ground that's too precarious for bigger dogs. Whether Haku himself is fully briefed on the gravity of his new responsibilities is — based on available footage — an open question. He is, by multiple accounts, extremely vocal about everything.