"Our Brothers" Nomination: Ryzhiy the police dog is the region's only corgi serving in the biological examination department of the Forensic Science Center of the Main Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation for the Altai Krai.
Service dogs are indispensable police assistants. Four-legged officers perform vital tasks in maintaining public order, tracking evidence, apprehending criminals, and detecting hazardous substances. Among them are unique detector dogs whose sharp sense of smell and keen intellect help solve major and grave crimes. They identify scents left behind by perpetrators, including those on murder weapons.
There are ten detector dogs in the human scent trace research unit of the biological examination department at the Forensic Science Center of the Main Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation for the Altai Krai. These specially trained pups do not go out "into the field" to crime scenes. Instead, their work consists of participating in forensic examinations right inside the department's offices, as reported by the "Vecherniy Barnaul" portal (https://barnaul.press).
The imposing dog named Ryzhiy is the only Welsh Corgi Cardigan in this special unit of furry "sniffers," who possess twenty million receptors in their noses capable of recognizing scents even from many years ago. Puppies are carefully selected for service in the biological object examination department. These four-legged forensic assistants must possess not only a keen sense of smell, but also a stable psyche, a peaceful nature, and high intelligence.
The Corgi Red King Just Me—also known as Ryzhiy, Ryzhik, or the smiling dog "Ryzhaya Bulka" (The Ginger Bun)—came to Barnaul from a Siberian kennel. Just like the other pups, he underwent specialized training. After completing his internship and passing his exams, he now independently participates in forensic examinations, helping to expose especially dangerous criminals.
“This handsome boy was born in Novosibirsk. He is now one year and eight months old, and he is already a law enforcement officer. By position, Ryzhiy (known to his friends as Ryzhik or Ryzhaya Bulka) is a detector dog and a full participant in human scent trace examinations,” noted Darya Golovneva, Senior Expert of the Biological Object Examination Department.
“A charming face, a sincere, enchanting smile, and expressive, wise eyes with a charismatic twinkle—the pup’s attractive appearance is harmoniously complemented by a big, kind heart, a friendly nature, curiosity, and sociability. ‘He is very affectionate, loves delicious food, and enjoys spending a lot of time with people. Corgis are a very intelligent breed with their own distinct character; after all, they are real sheepdogs, despite their small size,’ the senior expert shared.”
“His four-legged colleagues treat Ryzhik with respect, recognizing his authority. The main task of the corgi and his furry fellow officers is to identify a specific scent left by a perpetrator among many others. ‘With the help of dogs like Ryzhiy, we are able to establish the presence of human scent traces on weapons used in grave and especially major crimes, such as murder, causing grievous bodily harm, as well as car thefts, burglaries, and other offenses,’ emphasized Aleksandr Volnykh, Senior Expert of the Biological Examination Department.”
According to the expert, the items under investigation that the perpetrator presumably held in their hands can vary widely: from large murder weapons (crowbars, pry bars, axes, firearms, pieces of furniture, etc.) and outerwear to matchboxes.
Scent traces are extracted in a separate room. Through professional procedures, experts transfer the scent from the objects onto cloths, placing them into small glass jars. Inside these containers, the scent can be stored in a freezer for several years until a suspect appears. As Darya Golovneva noted, the ideal sample of a person's individual scent is blood, which is taken from the alleged perpetrator for testing.
In the next stage, the four-legged employees join the examination. Ten containers filled with scents, including the suspect's sample and other options, are arranged in a circle on the office floor. The detector dog is first given a sniff of the alleged perpetrator's scent. Then, the furry assistant must walk around, sniff all the samples, and choose the one that matches the initial scent. If the scents match, the dog lies or sits down next to the specific container, signaling that this scent matches the suspect's. Ryzhiy the corgi signals by sitting down next to the jar and raising his head in anticipation of his favorite treat. In total, the detector dog makes four such rounds. Two other dogs perform the exact same actions. If three different pups point to the same sample, the examination is considered successful, and the suspect's involvement is proven.
In the experts' practice, there are cases where detector dogs helped prove involvement in crimes committed many years ago. According to Darya Golovneva, when human blood (from both victims and suspects) dries, it can "seal" scent traces, NGS22.RU reports. “In our practice, there have been objects older than 10 years. A large amount of the victim's blood prevented DNA testing from identifying the suspect, but this circumstance actually worked in our favor. In the end, with the help of detector dogs, we were able to detect the suspect's scent traces on the object,” the expert specified.
Interestingly, a scent cannot be destroyed or wiped away like fingerprints. As Aleksandr Volnykh explained, a scent trace always remains on all objects. Once, a bucket used by a criminal to beat a person to death ten years prior was submitted for examination. Dried splatters of the victim's blood remained on the alleged murder weapon, within which the perpetrator's scent had been "preserved." The killer was identified thanks to the human scent trace examination.
As a detector dog, Ryzhiy the corgi successfully participates in biological examinations, helping to solve various crimes. “In one of the most recent examinations, together with his fellow service colleagues, Ryzhik established the presence of the suspect's scent traces on a knife that was used to commit a grave crime against a minor,” noted Darya Golovneva.
Despite his high results, the four-legged pet continues to improve his acquired skills and natural talents. “In his free time from work and training, Ryzhik learns new commands with his human, plays with his favorite toy—an octopus, and goes for walks and has fun with his companions. In short, he fully enjoys every day of his happy life,” the experts said.
Photo from the archive of the Biological Examination Department of the Forensic Science Center of the Main Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation for the Altai Krai.