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TOKYO - Japanese police said Tuesday they will be taking on two new recruits -- a pair of toy poodles.

Two-year-old Fuga and one-year-old Karin have passed tests to become police canines for Tottori Prefecture Police, said a spokesman.

"Their trainers thought the dogs had keen senses and responded exceptionally well to commands," the spokesman said, acknowledging poodles were an unusual choice for police, who usually prefer larger breeds like Labradors.

He said the dogs would find employment searching for missing hikers in the mountainous prefecture.

Tottori prefecture, some 310 miles (500 kilometers) from Tokyo, does not have a full-time police canine force, and relies on about 20 privately owned dogs with special training to help with investigations when needed.

Image (not one of the poodles in question): Yasuhiko Ito / via Flickr