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Description
The project shall contribute to Outcome 2 ''Improved capacity of law enforcement services to prevent and detect organised crime''
The main activities in the project shall include:
- Purchase of the necessary equipment to train candidates to become instructors
- Purchase of vehicles for dogs
- Monitoring visit organised by the Border Guard Centre for Specialized Training (BGCST). Representatives from Ukraine and Lithuania Border Guard will participate.
- The aim of the monitoring is to assess the achievements and the level of preparation of the candidates for the instructors, in order to determine the need for possible changes and corrections in the training program.
- International cynological conference at the BGCST in Lubań (project opening conference)
- The main aims of this conference are discussion of the project and the expected effects of the project, defining the level of knowledge of trainers/experts from Ukraine and Lithuania and exchange experiences with them, and how to promote of the project.
- International cynological seminar at the BGCST in Lubań
- The aim is to improve knowledge and skills in dog handling, and exchange experience in solving problems. The group of trainees will include Polish and foreign participants.
- Instructor''s trainings courses (2 editions) involving experts from Lithuania and Ukraine
- Representatives of the project partners will take part as experts in the sessions (classes) during the training period. The experts will provide the target group with their knowledge and they will share their experience in the field of dog handling. The aim of the training is to prepare instructors who have the necessary qualifications to carry out instructor’s training in dog handling.
- International cynological competition
- Participants of the trainings (trained instructors) will take part in the competition which will allow to verify the acquired knowledge and skills
Summary of project results
Service dogs have their place in Polish Border Guard structure. Together with their handlers they are playing different roles – they can search for people, drugs, explosives and other things that can be illegally transported across the border. They can also be patrol dogs used to assist in the service of their handler.
Such dogs are being trained by Border Guard Centre for Specialized Training in Poland. Each dog has to be carefully selected, trained and certified to be able to serve with its handler. Length of the training differs depending on the dog speciality. After the training, dog’s certificate is valid for specified period of time – after that time is passed, dog needs to be assessed again to renew the certificate (check whether the dog still has its skills). In the meantime the crucial role in maintaining dog’s skills plays the dog’s handler.
Border Guard Centre for Specialized Training in Poland identified the need for a role of instructor-selector in each Border Guard branch in which service dogs are present. This person would have specialised knowledge about selecting dogs for service, training them and maintaining their skill throughout the service. Basically instructor-selector should support dog’s handlers with knowledge to avoid mistakes in day-to-day work that can deminish skills of the dog.
- organised trainings course for instructors of the service dogs
- purchase of equipment necessary for the cynological activities /instructor''s training, hosting conferences, seminars, cynological competition
- organised international cynological seminar and competition
- trained 14 instructors of the service dogs
- purchased equipment necessary for the cynological activities /instructor''s training, hosting conferences, seminars, cynological competition, including two vehicles
- organised three international events on the topic of cynalogy for combined number of 150 people, which enable networking and exchange of knowledge and experience
All of the activities were targeted to service dogs'' guides and instructors.