Customs dogs in action: over 1,120 attacks and millions secured!

Customs dogs in action: over 1,120 attacks and millions secured!

In 2024, the service dogs of Austrian customs shone with impressive successes. With over 1,150 missions, the four -legged helpers were able to handle more than 9,420 checks and recorded 1,120 attacks. Their clear effect on the fight against crime is shown in the determination of almost 2.5 million euros in cash, around 100,000 cigarettes, more than 200 kilograms tobacco, 1,333 cigars, as well as 224 kilograms and twelve -covered species protection offenses. These outstanding results were also recognized by Finance Minister Gunter Mayr, who found that the service dogs once more demonstrated the right nose.

a strong team

The 25 inch service dogs, mostly German and Belgian shepherd dogs, are an indispensable part of customs controls in Austria. There are also seven German short hair and a Labrador. These dogs are intensively trained in order to track down drugs, cash and products in terms of species protection. Your training is often carried out with the support of the Schönbrunn zoo. The dogs learn to display passively by going to the odor source and lingering there while the customs officials carry out the searches. This is done in a playful atmosphere in which the dogs are rewarded for their performance with food or toys.

The services of the dogs are in demand around the clock. In addition to the classic customs controls at airports and border crossings, innovative training methods such as clicker training are also used. After about ten years of intensive search work, it is time for the dogs to retire, where they mostly stay with their service dog handlers. The impressive balance of 4,700 less visible smuggling activities shows the importance of cooperation between humans and dogs in the fight against illegal activities, such as gailtal-journal.at and