In accordance with the work plan of the Council of Commanders of the Border Troops for 2025, competitions for dog handlers of border agencies of the CIS member states have started at the Border Cynological Training Center of the FSB of Russia, the press service of the Executive Committee of the Organization reports.
Border guards from the Republic of Armenia, the Republic of Belarus, the Republic of Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, the Republic of Tajikistan, the Russian Federation and the Republic of Uzbekistan will take part in them, competing in the following disciplines: "General training course", "Obstacle course", "Search service", "Search and detection of narcotics", "Search and detection of explosives".
In his opening remarks, the head of the Border Canine Training Center of the Russian FSB noted that the competition is not just a sport, but a way of life that unites the participants:
“In the competition, you will not only demonstrate your skills and exchange experiences, but also improve your abilities and skills in working with service animals,” he noted.
At the opening ceremony, the participants of the competition were welcomed by the Deputy Chairman of the Coordination Service of the SKPV, Lieutenant General Alexey Buerov.
"The execution of tasks to search for and detain violators, detect explosives and drugs largely depends on the professional training of dog handlers and the training of service dogs. I am convinced that the upcoming competitions will be held in a fair fight, the participants with their pets will show persistence, perseverance and desire to win, while due respect for each other will be observed and high results will be shown. This will be facilitated by a healthy spirit of team competition, decent organization and uncompromising judging," Buerov emphasized.
Competitions among dog handlers under the auspices of the Council of Commanders of the Border Troops have been held since 2009, and since 2019 they have been held once every two years. They allow participants to get acquainted with the material and technical base of the center, achievements in the field of border cynology and breeding work, exchange opinions and experience on issues of training specialists and the use of service animals in the protection of the state border.