From 10 to 12 December 2025, Frontex’s European Border and Coast Guard (EBCG) Academy organised the Frontex Conference for Heads of Canine Training Centres in Sibiu, Romania.
Hosted by the Centrul Chinologic “Dr Aurel Greblea” (Cynology Centre) in Sibiu, the conference brought together heads of canine training centres and units, Frontex-certified canine training assessors and instructors, and other experienced dog-handling professionals from 21 EU Member States and Schengen Associated Countries: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland.
The event provided a dedicated forum for senior practitioners to exchange experience and strengthen common approaches, supporting the harmonisation and continued development of canine training methodologies and standards across the EU.
Across the programme, discussions focused in particular on:
- Frontex course for dog handlers: a pathway to modern and ethical training
- Positive reinforcement versus punishment: breaking new ground in police dog training
- Their duty, our responsibility: ensuring canine welfare
- Canine first aid in operational environments
- Fit for duty: exercise strategies and injury risk reduction in service dogs
The conference also showcased examples of Frontex-supported training developed and delivered by the EBCG Academy in cooperation with Member States, demonstrating how common training standards can support more effective and interoperable canine capabilities across the European Border and Coast Guard community.
As the operational demands on service dogs continue to evolve, building modern training methods and safeguarding canine welfare remain essential. Through its training portfolio, the EBCG Academy supports dog handlers and canine teams with quality, well-developed courses, developed in cooperation with Member States, to strengthen competencies, interoperability and operational effectiveness.
“The Frontex Conference for Heads of the Canine Training Units proved to be a remarkable event. Interest from Member States was enormous from the moment the conference was announced”, said Ivana Petrickova, a Senior Training Officer at Frontex, and the conference organiser. “Colleagues were eager to contribute, to support, to attend and to share our common intention to enhance the harmonisation and strengthening of canine training methodologies and standards across the EU. I am positive that this event reinforced professional and personal connections between canine experts from different countries and opened the door to meaningful dialogue and stronger collective approach to addressing current and future challenges in canine training and operational effectiveness.”
Canine teams play an important role in supporting border management, including the detection of prohibited and dangerous items, as well as searches and other operational activities. By convening heads of canine training centres, the conference helped strengthen cooperation between national services and supported continued alignment between training and operational needs on the ground.
