join the ranks

ゼミ生はみんな卒業研究で追われています。そのためのこちらへの投稿もできない状況が続いていますが、これはせめてもののものです。標題の表現は「戦隊に加わる」という意味ですが、かわいいプードルが警察組織に加わると言うことをうまく表現しています。（b. m.）

Top dogs: Toy poodles to join ranks of Tottori police

TOTTORI -- A pair of toy poodles are set to be enlisted by Tottori police after passing the police dog test here. Karin, a 1-year-old female, and Fuga, a 2-year-old female, drew attention for their talent at a training facility in the prefecture, and the dogs began police training on Nov. 3. It is rare for toy poodles to be used as police dogs.
"With police dogs, it doesn't matter whether they are big or small," says 28-year-old Mihoko Miyamoto, who took on the job of training the canines.

In their first test on March 18, they performed well in a training exercise, in which canines follow a criminal's footsteps from the smell of one of their belongings.

The dogs will serve for one year starting in January. Their tasks will include helping in investigations and looking for missing people -- and if their success so far is anything to go by they won't just be poodling around.

(Mainichi Japan) December 4, 2011