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A little dog has a big mission in Japan after the New Year. A long-haired Chihuahua named Momo will be employed as a search and rescue dog. She beat about 40 other dogs for the job.

Meet the latest candidates at Japan's police academy, as they sniff and bark their way through their final exams in the western Japanese prefecture of Nara.

Of the original group only 32 dogs made the cut, including Momo, a long-haired chihuahua.

She has now become Japan's first, and perhaps the world's only, chihuahua police dog.

Momo did well in the search and rescue test, finding a person within five minutes after merely sniffing their scent.

Weighing in at less than seven pounds, Momo will be used for rescue operations during disasters such as earthquakes. She may be able to squeeze her tiny frame into places too narrow for normal rescue dogs, which tend to be German Shepherds.

[Keiko Matsuyoshi, Momo's Owner]:
"I think there are situations when small dogs are useful, I would like to keep up with the training."

As a reward for coming out as top dog in the tests, her owner cooked up Momos' favorite dish of tomato-stewed chicken breasts.

Momo is not due to start work until after the New Year, and her contract will last for at least a year - which in dog years is a very long time.