SERVICE DOGS

Service dog breeding appeared in Russia at the end of the 19th century.

In 1902, an organized state import of Doberman Pinschers, the first search dogs, or, as they were then called, police sniffer dogs, took place.

In 1904, the International Red Cross donated four Airedale Terrier ambulance dogs to the Russian army.

In 1908, the Russian Society for the Encouragement of the Use of Dogs in Police and Guard Service was organized.

In 1923, the Central School and Kennel for Bloodhounds of the Criminal Investigation Department of the NKVD Administrative Directorate opened.

In 1923, the Central Instructor Courses were established to train border guards and dogs for the border service. They were later renamed the Central School of Service Dog Training for the Border Troops.

In 1924, by order of the Revolutionary Military Council, the "Experimental Kennel of Military Sports Dogs of the Red Army" was created for their use in guard and communications service, soon renamed the "Central School of Dog Breeding of the Red Army."

In 1925, an organization called the "Doberman Pinscher and German Shepherd Lovers' Section" was established within the All-Russian Hunting Union. When it transitioned to the OSOAVIAKhIM (in 1928), it became known as the Central Section of Service Dog Breeding.

In 1925, the first All-Union exhibition of bloodhounds and guard dog breeds was held in Moscow.

In 1928, the registration of service dogs in the All-Union Stud Book began.

In 1930, the Central School of Dog Breeding of the Red Army first published a manual on the use of military service dogs in the Red Army.

In 1933, a fundraising campaign was launched for the OSOAVIAKHIM tank column. Moscow dog breeders contributed funds for the construction of a tank and an airplane, which were named "Moscow Dog Breeder."

In the mid-1930s, work began on breeding the East European Shepherd. Mass sled dog races were a powerful means of promoting service dog breeding. The first race took place on February 25, 1930, in Arkhangelsk.

In 1932, the Central Section of Service Dog Breeding organized the Great All-Union Star Run, which ran from Leningrad, Murmansk, and Magnitogorsk to Moscow. A total of 18 teams of 148 dogs participated. The total distance covered by the Star Run was over 9,000 km.

The second half of the 1930s was characterized by rapid growth in service dog breeding, improvements in the population, and the establishment and systematization of training. Service dog clubs were established throughout the country. Young Dog Breeders' Clubs also emerged during these years.

With the onset of the Great Patriotic War, service dog clubs restructured themselves, organizing a continuous supply of dogs for the army while simultaneously preserving the breeding stock.

Since 1946, exhibitions of service dogs have resumed.

In 1949, the Red Star Kennel began working on breeding new breeds: the Black Terrier, Moscow watchdog, Moscow diver, Moscow Great Dane.

In 1960, the Central Republican School for Training Dogs was established guides for the blind.

In 1966, the Young Dog Breeders Clubs (YBC) were revived.

Currently, service dogs assist people in the police and at the border, in the Ministry of Emergency Situations and at customs, in the protection of various facilities and in agriculture.