China’s corgi police dog begins official duty, but iconic happy face has turned to ‘smell of work’

Following the recent passing of assessments by China’s first corgi police dog, his “smell of work”— a term coined by Chinese netizens to describe the exhaustion often felt by people in the workplace— captured public interest, with many humorously commenting that “even a dog has it in the workplace.”

This follows the recent sharing of a photo by the Beijing Municipal Public Security Bureau, showing Fu Zai post-certification as a police dog. 

Many netizens commented that they could see the intense “smell of work” in his eyes, suggesting that there are many stories to be told from his gaze, especially in comparison to his previously iconic happy expression.

Fu Zai, who has attracted people’s attention with his iconic happy face, officially moved from reserve status to a fully certified role this month, according to the public security bureau in Weifang in East China’s Shandong Province.

In accordance with the assessment standards and Fu Zai’s individual capabilities, the police tailored the evaluation to match his abilities. Under the guidance of his trainer, Fu Zai successfully completed assessments on obedience, luggage and vehicle searches, room searches, and obstacle navigation. Many netizens also sent their best wishes to him following the good news.

After making his debut in March at the open day event held at a police camp in the city of Weifang, Fu Zai went viral thanks to his iconic smiley face, cute short legs, and impressive skills in bomb search, according to the Xinhua News Agency. 

Fu Zai was spotted at just two mont