OSCE Programme Office concludes canine training course on explosives detection in Kazakhstan
An OSCE-supported Canine Explosive Search Training Programme co-organized by the OSCE Programme Office in Astana and the United States Embassy in Kazakhstan concluded on 24 May 2017 in Astana.
The month-long seminar aimed to enhance the capacity of Kazakhstan’s law enforcement agencies to effectively use dogs in countering transnational threats to the country’s security through better detection of explosives.
Eleven canine specialists from the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the National Guard and the State Protection Service received training conducted by the Head of the Canine Centre at Austria’s Ministry of Internal Affairs. They were trained using advanced techniques and methods for service dogs through hands-on training using positive reinforcement on detection of explosives and their components.
Participants and their animal companions were trained on theoretical foundations in dog training, groundwork in searching and passive indicating behaviour.
The course is a follow-up to a similar training event held in October 2014, August 2015, and a two-stage programme in 2016 as part of the Office’s multi-year activities aimed at building Kazakhstan’s capacity to counter transnational organized crime and terrorism.