Shanghai customs hires its first stray puppy sniffer

Customs authorities in Shanghai have revealed that a stray dog has passed all the required tests to take up the post as a sniffer working in the city's airports, railway stations and ports from January next year.

The springer spaniel Nick is ready to take the tests. /Photo via Shanghai Customs

Nick, the black-and-white springer spaniel, was tested along with another 59 candidates and made it through in just two months of training, when it usually takes two years or longer to become a sniffer dog.

Nick was spotted by customs dog trainer Cheng Baolin this summer, when Cheng was on the way to the dog training center. "It was raining when I came across the skinny, stunted... puppy," Cheng told the Youth Daily.

Cheng Baolin and his first working dog. /Photo via Shanghai Customs

Just one of several strays at the roadside, however, Cheng felt there was something different about him. When he called to the dogs, Nick came running. When he said "do you want a home?" and opened the door, the dog jumped in quickly.

In addition to offering the stray a new home, Cheng also perceived the dog's innate talent. The one-year-old's friendly character with a breed suitable for sniffing, reminded Cheng of his first working dog, a springer spaniel he had called Nick, but who died in an accident in 2016.

Nick is trained to sniff out suspicious items from luggage. /Photo via Shanghai Customs

Cheng named the stray after Nick and decided to train him. Unlike other customs dogs which had been trained at young age, Nick started out with no experience but made great progress after many failures.

Nick undergoes tests to qualify as a sniffer dog. /Photo via Youth Daily

During the tests which assess the dog's ability to follow instructions and detect suitcases with suspicious smells, Nick passed in late November.

The trainer, Lu Zijie, who was working with Nick on the day, said he noticed that Nick could feel his anxiety and didn't perform very well. But when Lu became more confident about Nick, the dog's performance improved greatly and passed the tests.

Prohibited food when entering China intercepted by Shanghai Customs. /Photo via Shanghai Customs

By November this year, customs sniffer dogs in Shanghai had helped intercept about 16,000 batches of prohibited goods from entering the country, according to Shanghai Customs.

Nick is the first stray dog-turned sniffer working for Shanghai Customs and a spokesperson said it was a new approach in their efforts to rescue and care for street dogs.