A French police dog credited with sniffing out 1,700 drugs suspects was today decorated with a medal for bravery and dedication at a ceremony in the southwestern city of Bordeaux.

Aldo, a Belgian Malinois sheepdog, has been behind 1,700 arrests since he started working for the Bordeaux police department in 2006 -- almost one a day -- and 475 arrests this year alone.

"Aldo is a police dog with an absolutely remarkable career," said regional police chief Patrick Stefanini.

Regional public security official Pierre-Marie Bourniquel said that less than a dozen police dogs had been decorated in France.

Aldo's handler Didier Hude did not receive a medal.