China's first police corgi has 400,000 followers and a nose for trouble

World view

- By TIFFANY MAY

The New York Times China's first police corgi will do anything for food. With a keen sense of smell and legs that seem too short for his body, Fu Zai the corgi has won a huge social media audience that has followed him doing official duties since he started as a sniffer dog last fall.

He was a pet puppy when a dog trainer spotted his potential at a park and recruited him to the Weifang Public Security Bureau, in the northern coastal province of Shandong. A love of earning treats as rewards has earned Fu Zai strong performance reviews. But it's also proved a challenge, as his trainer has found that keeping him in line is not easy.

Fu Zai was caught on camera recently grabbing a bite of a sausage in a child's hand during a street patrol. Officers have since tried to train him to better resist food, but many social media users offered support — and free sausages — for Fu Zai the next time he patrolled the streets.

In another video, some of the corgi's toys and snacks — part of a Lunar New Year "bonus" — were confiscated for sleeping on the job and using his dog bowl as a urinal.

Dog experts said that such behavior is normal for corgis.