The breeds most used as police dogs are Belgian Malinois (pronounced MAL-IN-WAH) or Dutch Shepard. The reason to use these breeds is they are highly driven, are not fearful, and are very trainable. They are smaller than German Shepherds, so they can fit in tighter spaces when doing searches. The Belgian Malinois and Dutch Shepherd typically have a longer life span, with not as many health issues. One of our dogs is a cross between the two breeds, and the other is a Belgian Malinois.