Jaguar is first Formosan mountain dog trained as a police dog

Jaguar is first Formosan mountain dog trained as a police dog

2024-04-25

For the first time in Taiwan, a Formosan mountain dog could be about to become a police dog. The indigenous Taiwanese dog breed is very friendly and strong, but has never been used for police work before. Now Jaguar is well on the way to becoming a bomb detection officer. The 9-month-old has won approval from his handlers in the New Taipei Police Department.

A moment ago, Jaguar was playing with his handler, but when he puts on his jacket, he follows each command instantly. This Formosan mountain dog is a fresh face on the New Taipei police force.

He sniffs suspicious tins out. Jaguar can tell with one sniff where the explosives are hidden. He shuts his mouth and sits down to say, “It’s here!”

Many people think of easy to train and reliable breeds like German Shepherds or Labradors when they hear the phrase “police dog.” This is the first time New Taipei has branched out to a Formosan mountain dog, and Jaguar has passed the training with flying colors, doing much better than many expected.

Chen Yen-hung
New Taipei Police Dept. K-9 Unit handler
They’re as smart as Labradors, and easy to train and friendly. But they have the endurance of a wolfhound, the stability of a wolfhound, and excellent stamina. We use the olfactory box, and give him three chances, to see if he can find it – but normally he gets it on the first time.

Jaguar is currently in training to become a bomb-detection officer. He is already very familiar with the smells of C4 explosives and dynamite. But at just nine months old, he’s a teenager in dog years and is bursting with energy. He still needs training to develop his reliability.

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