Security concerns could give service dogs more roles, trainer says

Service dogs could take on more roles as the security situation grows more complex, the head of Estonia’s service-dog training centre, Rene Radala, told ERR’s R2 Päev programme.

Eight handlers have completed the basic service-dog course at the Estonian Academy of Security Sciences’ Meriküla centre. Training takes about 18 months, while a dog’s working career usually lasts eight to 10 years, said Radala, a lieutenant colonel.

Both dogs and handlers must meet specific criteria to join the course. Handlers must be officials referred by a government agency, which obtains a puppy based on whether it is expected to become a patrol dog or a drug-detection dog. Training usually begins when puppies are two to four months old.

Radala said service dogs can handle some tasks better than people because the work may involve emotionally difficult situations, such as another person’s death. Police dogs have helped save lives, he said. In one example, handler Risto Kotkas and his dog took part in a search in Lithuania for a US soldier who died when an armoured vehicle sank into a bog. Tax and Customs Board dogs detect drugs, while Rescue Board dogs search for explosives.

Radala said the number of uniformed personnel in Estonia has fallen from 8,000 when he joined the service in 1993 to 3,500 today. Services have become more compact, but the number of dog handlers is higher than it was 10 years ago, partly because of volunteers. If the security crisis continues to develop, he expects the number of service dogs to grow.

A good service dog should work well with its handler and have strong motivation, Radala said. The dogs are selected based partly on their genetic traits, with breeders’ dogs chosen to help predict whether puppies will be suited to the work.