Final tests
“Yesterday, at the Dog Training Area Le Rascee, in Ne, the final tests of the training course for dog units trained in the detection of wild boar carcasses were held, as a tool for prevention and control of African swine fever, organized by ENCI and the Liguria Region. The participating pairs had access to training after passing an admission test, aimed at verifying the dogs' suitability for entry into the project.
How the training took place
The training took place with online theoretical modules, created with the didactic contribution of IZSUM - National Reference Center for Swine Pests, ISPRA (Higher Institute for Environmental Protection and Research), SIEF (Italian Society of Fauna Ecopathology), and Federico University II of Naples, Dept. of Veterinary Medicine, and with practical modules in presence with the teaching of Roberta Bottaro and Serena Donnini, ENCI trainers specialized in the training of detection dogs.
necessary checks
This course took advantage of ENCI's well-established experience in the training and use of dogs for monitoring wild boar carcasses, developed starting from 2019 with the first pilot project "Using canine units trained to detect wild boar carcasses as a prevention and control of African swine fever”. Throughout the day the dog units underwent a series of field tests aimed at testing their ability to find and report the target odor in a realistic environment with common distractions. A representative of the Liguria Region and the president of the Regional Dog Council Giorgio Navone were present at the test. The pairs that have passed the test will be able to be used in monitoring activities on the territory.” (ENCI President Dino Muto)