POLICE DOGS, WHICH WERE FIRST INTRODUCED INTO EUROPE IN THE MIDDLE AGES, ARE STILL EFFICIENT IN TODAY'S TECHNOCRATIC SOCIETY. IN THE WEST GERMAN STATE OF BAVARIA, POLICE DOGS HAVE BEEN IN USE SINCE 1907 WHEN THE FIRST UNTRAINED DOBERMAN PINSCHERS WERE ACQUIRED. THE USE OF POLICE DOGS IS RESTRICTED BY WEATHER CONDITIONS--THE PERIOD OF TIME DURING WHICH A POLICE DOG CAN PICK UP A SCENT VARIES FROM 10 MINUTES TO UP TO 17 HOURS AFTER THE OFFENSE--AND, MORE RECENTLY, THE OFFENDERS' USE OF TECHNICAL EQUIPMENT SUCH AS CARS. STILL THE DOGS ARE INDISPENSIBLE IN PICKING UP TRACKS, PROTECTING BUILDINGS, FINDING HIDDEN OBJECTS (E.G, DRUGS) OR PERSONS (ESPECIALLY IF THE OFFENDER IS STILL AT THE SCENE OF THE CRIME), PROTECTING POLICE OFFICERS, AND FINDING LOST PERSONS (E.G., IN AVALANCHES OR COLLAPSED BUILDINGS). THE TRAINING OF THE DOGS TAKES PLACE ACCORDING TO SOPHISTICATED EDUCATIONAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL PRINCIPLES TO PROTECT THE ANIMALS FROM ANY MISTREATMENT, AND INDICATIONS ARE THAT THE DOGS, WHICH ARE CAREFULLY SELECTED ACCORDING TO PERSONALITY AND BREEDING CRITERIA, ACTUALLY ENJOY THE CHALLENGE. CASE HISTORIES ILLUSTRATE HOW DOGS HAVE PROVED THE LAST RESORT FOR FINDING VICTIMS OR TRACKING DOWN AND IDENTIFYING OFFENDERS. POLICE DOGS ALSO PLAY A VALUABLE ROLE IN POLICE PUBLICITY BY DEMONSTRATING TO THE PUBLIC THEIR AGILITY AND OBEDIENCE AT SPORTING EVENTS OR OTHER PUBLIC OCCURRENCES. NEXT TO THE LATEST MEANS OF COMMUNICATION, THE POLICE DOG IS STILL THE MOST VALUABLE AND USEFUL HELPER OF AN URBAN POLICE FORCE. CASE HISTORIES ARE CITED. --IN GERMAN. (SAJ)