Kunming Dog

The Kunming Dog is a Chinese military and police breed, developed by the People's Liberation Army from the 1950s.

History

Chinese army breeders at Kunming crossed German Shepherds with local dogs and, by some accounts, wolf stock, to produce a working dog suited to Chinese conditions and available without imports. It was standardised in 1988 and remains the standard service dog of Chinese police and military units, where it is used for patrol, detection and search.

Temperament

The breed is known for being confident, energetic and highly trainable, closely bonded to its handler and watchful with strangers — bred for work rather than for company.

Care and training

It needs a great deal of exercise and real mental work, along with early socialising and consistent handling. The double coat sheds heavily.

Health

Known tendencies follow the German Shepherd: hip and elbow dysplasia. These are patterns for the breed rather than a forecast for one dog; the measured facts are in the panel.