A three-day national training course for canine officers from the Border and Customs agencies of Uzbekistan was held in Tashkent on 6-8 February 2018. Dog handlers from the State Border Guard Committee of the National Security Service and the Customs Committee of Uzbekistan examined international K-9 practices and shared lessons learned from their own professional experience.

Experts from the K-9 Department of the Latvian Border Guard College introduced their approach in developing and maintaining a long-term, efficient and high-quality Canine Service. Particular attention was paid to innovative methods of education and training of service dogs and the creation of an enabling environment for the professional development of dog handlers.

During the training course, participants also acquired knowledge on modern standards for service dog-training based on scientific foundations, underlying principles and new methods of training service dogs, as well as their application through practical exercises.. The practical exercises were designed to enhance participants’ understanding of the role, capacities, and skills of service dogs in the process of detecting explosives, firearms, and drugs and, more broadly, in fighting terrorism and organised crime.