Some of Hong Kong's finest police dogs will continue serving the community even after their death - by fathering police pups with the help of modern technology.
The police dog unit plans to start an artificial insemination programme next year which would store sperm from some of its best dogs.
The unit's Chief Inspector Charles Kong Cheuk-cha said a good police dog was hardworking, brave and friendly but prepared to attack on command, something that some breeds cannot be taught.
'I would say 90 per cent is genetic and 10 per cent is training . . . You can pretty much tell what a puppy is going to be like if you look at its parents,' he said.
'We're trying to obtain the best working dogs for the force. When we do have such dogs it would be good to save their sperm.'
The force does not look only at a dog's service record in deciding if he is a suitable sire for another generation of police pups, but also at its physique.
For example, genetic hip defects often cut short the working lives of German shepherds, so Inspector Kong is particularly keen to preserve the sperm of an ageing German shepherd called Nelson because he has strong hips.
