On June 21, the Russian Federation celebrates the Day of Cynological Units of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation. In the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the country, as in other power structures, the canine service plays a very important role. Service dogs perform the functions of searching for explosives and drugs, searching for criminals, carrying a security escort, guard and patrol service, participating in search and rescue activities, etc. Specialists of the canine service are used in the units of the criminal investigation department, forensic service, police patrol service, private security, riot police, transport police, police units at security facilities, in units of the internal troops of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation. Despite the development of all kinds of special technical means, law enforcement can hardly be imagined without service dogs. It is in this field of activity that you can most often see examples of wonderful friendship between man and dog, and the number of human lives saved by service dogs goes into thousands only in Russia, not to mention the rest of the world, where service dogs have also long been used for police, border, customs, rescue service.
Sacred dogs of the ancient Aryans
Centuries and millennia pass, but the friendship between a man and a dog only grows stronger. Whether it is war, natural disaster or riots, guarding prisoners or searching for prohibited items at the train station - everywhere dogs come to the aid of a person. The business relationship between man and dog is so long that it is hardly possible to say with certainty where the first service dogs and the first dog breeders appeared. Several millennia ago, the vast expanses of Eurasia - from the Black Sea steppes to the Pamir Mountains, from the Don to the Indian Ocean - were inhabited by numerous tribes of ancient Aryans, who became the ancestors of not only Indo-Aryan and Iranian peoples, but also modern Slavs. The nomadic tribes of the ancient Aryans, engaged in cattle breeding, covered vast distances, somewhere creating settled settlements in which they switched to agriculture, and somewhere preserving the traditional way of life of their ancestors - a tent, horses, herds of cattle and periodically bloody skirmishes with competitors for pastures … The steppes of the Northern and Northeastern Black Sea regions were occupied by Scythian and Sarmatian tribes, which became one of the key components of the formation of the South Russian population. As nomadic herders, the Scythians and Sarmatians inevitably encountered wolves in the Black Sea steppes - the main predators that posed a threat to herds, but aroused sincere admiration for their fighting qualities. Domesticated descendants of wolves - dogs - became faithful assistants to the cattle breeders of the Black Sea steppes in protecting countless herds from steppe predators, as well as in battles with enemies. It was the wolf and the dog that enjoyed the greatest respect among the Iranian tribes.
In the VII - VI centuries. BC. numerous Scythian detachments under the command of the leader Ishpakai invaded the territory of Western Asia. On the lands of modern Iraq, the Scythians were to face the great power of that time - the mighty Assyria. However, despite the developed armed forces, even for the Assyrian state, the onslaught of the Scythian tribes was a great and difficult test. King Assarhadon turned to the oracle of the god Shamash, but he said to the ruler: "The Scythians can put up a dog with a belligerent, fiercely furious". What the oracle of Shamash had in mind remains a mystery. It is possible that the Scythian leader Ishpakai himself was meant by "the belligerently furiously furious dog" - after all, his name went back to the ancient Aryan word "spaka" - "dog". But, perhaps, it was about some kind of military alliance. It is known that the existence of secret military alliances was characteristic of many archaic peoples in all parts of the world - such societies existed in Africa, Polynesia, Melanesia. The West African peoples had "people - leopards", and the Polynesians - "people - birds." The ancient Iranians, to whom the Scythians belonged, surrounded with honor "people - wolves", or "people - dogs". Traces of ancient totemism are still preserved in the legends of some North Caucasian peoples about their descent from wolves. After all, the wolf has always symbolized valor, bravery, strength and ferocity in the cultural space of the Iranian and neighboring peoples.
The "dog people" of the ancient Scythians were precisely members of a secret male union, for which the dog was a totem animal. When "people - dogs" had to engage in a fight, and they had to do it often, they fell into a state of trance and presented themselves as war dogs, turning into indomitable warriors. Domestic and foreign archaeologists during excavations on the territory of the Black Sea steppes, as well as in the Caucasus and the countries of Western Asia, repeatedly found bronze plaques with the image of a dog - they were placed in the grave together with the owners - the deceased Scythian warriors. In addition to bronze images of dogs, dog skeletons have been repeatedly found in Scythian barrows. Until about the end of the 4th century. BC. dogs were buried only with representatives of the Scythian military nobility. Commoners were not supposed to have a "true friend" in the grave. However, later, with the spread of dog breeding among the Scythians, the custom of burying a dog in the grave of a Scythian man - a warrior extends to ordinary people. Apparently, the ancient Scythian dogs were the ancestors of the Hort hounds - the very long-legged and smooth-haired dogs that the ancient Greeks often painted on the images of the hunting of Amazons - Sarmatian women warriors.
By the way, the Sarmatians and their direct descendants, the Alans, had their own dog breed - large mastiff dogs, quite possibly related to the ancient mastiffs and mastiffs of Central Asia. In the first years of our era, the Alan tribes invaded Europe and actually passed it entirely, stopping in the Iberian Peninsula. In France alone, up to the present time, no less than three hundred geographical names of Alanian origin have been preserved, and they are also found in Spain. Naturally, along with the Alanian tribes, their fierce dogs appeared on the territory of Europe, which were the faithful assistants of their masters in numerous combat clashes.
The Scythian and Sarmatian tribes, which did not have their own written language, have not left works of literature to this day. But the southern Iranian peoples, separated from the common branch of the ancient Aryans and settled in the spaces of Central Asia, Afghanistan and Iran, formed one of the richest and most interesting cultures in the world - the Persian culture, which had its own written tradition. Before Islam penetrated the lands of Persia, together with the Arab conquerors, the Iranian peoples and tribes professed Zoroastrianism - a religion at the origins of which was the famous prophet Zarathushtra (Zoroaster). Zoroastrianism as a dualistic religion is based on the opposition of good and evil - two principles that are in a state of permanent struggle. According to Zoroastrianism, all things and beings are either a product of the supreme deity Ahura Mazda, or - the result of the creative activity of the "evil" Angro Manyu. Seven elements and beings are listed among the good creations of Ahura Mazda. These are fire, water, earth, metal, plants, animals and man. A special place among animals in Zoroastrian mythology has always been occupied by a dog - it was she who accompanied the soul of the deceased and she also protected the deceased from evil demons. The famous bird king Simurgh, who is mentioned in numerous works of classical Persian literature, including Firdousi's poem Shahnameh, was a cross between a dog and a bird, so to speak. He had both bird wings and a dog's head, although he could be depicted with lion features. It was Simurg who was a symbol of the Sassanid dynasty, under which the Persian state in the first centuries AD. achieved substantial prosperity. It is known that the legends that formed the basis of Ferdowsi's Shahname were formed precisely among the Saks - Iranian-speaking tribes, linguistically and culturally related to the ancient Scythians and Sarmatians, but lived not in the Black Sea region, but in the territory of modern Kazakhstan and Central Asia.
Between the II century. BC. and IIII century. AD the ritual Persian code of Videvdata was created, in which a whole impressive section is devoted to dogs and their attitude towards them. "Videvdata" describes the origin of the dog and tells about what should be expected for those wicked who dare to encroach on the life of a dog or show unjustified cruelty to the dog. "Whoever kills a dog from those guarding livestock, guarding the house, hunting and trained, the soul of that with a big cry and a big howl will go to the future life than a wolf could scream, falling into the deepest trap." In the Videvdata code, killing a dog was considered one of the gravest sins, along with the murder of a righteous man, violation of marriage, sodomy and sexual perversion, failure to comply with the duties of guardianship of people in need and extinguishing the sacred fire. Even revenge or slander was considered less serious sins than the murder of a four-legged "friend of man." The code stated that dogs should be fed "men's food", that is, milk and meat. At the same time, believing Zoroastrians, taking a meal, left three untouched slices for the dog. Even among modern Zoroastrians, this custom is practiced, which took the form of leaving pieces of bread for homeless dogs after sunset - when it is customary to remember departed relatives and friends. By the way, for some reason, the ancient Persians included not only canine representatives, but also otters, weasels, and even porcupines and hedgehogs. The greatest honor was surrounded by white dogs, since the white color was recognized as sacred and allowed these dogs to participate in the ritual activities of the Zoroastrians. Up to the present time, the Zoroastrians, who now remain one of the religious minorities of modern Islamic Iran, maintain a respectful attitude towards dogs. In the villages in which the followers of Zoroastrianism live, there are much more dogs than in Muslim settlements, and the attitude towards them is incomparably better (according to Islamic doctrine, a dog is considered an unclean animal).
The four-legged army of the pharaohs
The ancient Greeks called the city of Kassu, the former administrative center of the 17th nome of Egypt, Kinopol, that is, the "dog city". A huge number of dogs lived in Kinopol, which were honored and respected by local residents. It was believed that every dog offender who fell into the hands of the inhabitants of the "dog city" would inevitably be killed, or at least severely beaten. After all, Kinopolis was the capital of the cult of Anubis - the patron god of the dead, whom the inhabitants of Ancient Egypt painted in the form of a dog, jackal, or a man with a dog's or jackal's head. Anubis played an important role in ancient Egyptian mythology - he was entrusted with embalming the dead, making mummies, and also guarding the entrance to the kingdom of the dead. As in the everyday world, dogs guard the entrance to a person's dwelling, so Anubis in the world of shadows guarded the entrance to the abode of the dead. By the way, for some reason, it was the dogs in many mythologies of the peoples of the world that were trusted to see off human souls to the next world - such ideas prevailed not only in Ancient Egypt, but also in Central America, Siberia, and the Far East. Historians believe that it is Ancient Egypt, or rather Northeast Africa as a whole, that is the real cradle of world dog breeding. Most likely, it was here that the domestication of the first dogs took place, at least in an organized manner. After all, the farmers of Ancient Egypt could not do without dogs, which were reliable defenders against the attacks of wild animals.
Later, the pharaohs and nobles of Ancient Egypt used dogs in their hunting pastimes. And this despite the fact that the Egyptians tamed cheetahs, jackals and hyenas - it is obvious that dogs were still better suited for hunting.
Most likely, it is from jackals that the history of ancient Egyptian dog breeding originates. The German researcher K. Keller argued that the greyhounds of the ancient Egyptian pharaohs and nobles descended from Ethiopian jackals who were tamed for hunting. Another German author, Richard Strebel, as a result of his research, established that in ancient Egypt there were at least 13-15 different breeds of dogs. Their images are present on the tombs of the ancient Egyptian nobles. In Egyptian culture, dogs were revered no less than in ancient Iran. Even ancient historians, including Herodotus, wrote about the great respect the Egyptians had for their dogs. So, in Egyptian families, after the death of a pet, mourning was inevitably declared with shaving of their heads and fasting. The dead dogs were embalmed in accordance with the customs of Ancient Egypt and buried in special cemeteries. It is known that in ancient Egypt, dogs were used for police service - they accompanied tax collectors and administrators who performed police functions. It is also likely that the dogs took part in the battles along with the warriors. In the chest of Tutankhamun was found an image of the Egyptian pharaoh on a chariot, who was accompanied by dogs running next to the chariot, biting the defeated enemy's head.
The fighting merits of the four-legged "friends of man" were quickly realized and appreciated by the inhabitants of Mesopotamia. They got an idea of the fighting qualities of dogs through contact with the Iranian tribes, which we wrote about above. It was with the ancient Aryans that the first war dogs, huge Eurasian mastiffs, with great weight and excellent military characteristics, came to Mesopotamia. In Assyria and Babylonia, they began to purposefully raise special breeds of dogs, the mass of which could sometimes reach at least a centner. These war dogs were distinguished by their aggressiveness and courage. Assyrian kings began to use dogs as a real weapon, releasing them against enemy cavalry. Such a dog could bite a horse's leg, deal with a rider. War dogs, clad in special armor, the Assyrian kings released their war chariots and infantry detachments ahead. By the way, the priests walked along with the dogs, who obviously played the role of modern instructors - cynologists in Ancient Assyria: they were responsible for training the dogs and could control them during the battle. From the Egyptians and Assyrians, the tactics of using war dogs in their wars were borrowed by the Persian state of the Achaemenids, and then by the ancient Greeks. In Greece, dogs were also used to participate in battles, but to an even greater extent they began to be used to carry out security and guard duty. After Ancient Rome successfully defeated the Macedonian kingdom, fighting dogs were captured along with the Macedonian king Perseus. They were led through the streets of Rome as a trophy of war.
Dogs of the Celestial Empire and the Land of the Rising Sun
On the other side of the world, in East Asia, dogs have also become widespread both as pets and as helpers in war and hunting. In the Pacific Islands, the dog was often the only animal, other than chicken and pig, which was also used for food. It was only after the islands of Polynesia, Melanesia and Micronesia were colonized by Europeans that other animals appeared here, including horses and cows. The inhabitants of the island of Eromanga - one of the Solomon Islands - having met the horses and cows brought by the European conquerors, gave them names in accordance with their logic. The horse was nicknamed "kuri ivokh" - "sled dog", and the cow "kuri matau" - "big dog". But if in Oceania and Southeast Asia the attitude towards dogs was still primitive, then in ancient China the history of dog breeding goes back several millennia. The attitude to the dog here was also based on local traditional myths and beliefs. For many peoples of multinational China, the dog is the most important "cultural hero", with whom even the emergence of mankind and its socio-economic progress are associated. For example, the Yao people living in southern China and neighboring regions of Vietnam, Laos and Thailand have a myth that the Chinese Emperor Gaoxing once fought a dangerous enemy.
The emperor could not defeat and he issued a decree, which said: whoever brings the head of the enemy king, he will receive an imperial daughter as his wife. After a while, the head of the king was brought … by the five-color dog Panhu. The emperor was forced to give his daughter in marriage to a dog. Panhu, who became the imperial son-in-law, could no longer remain at court as a guard dog, and went with the princess to the south of China, where he settled in a mountainous region. Representatives of the Yao people derive their history from the descendants of the mythical marriage of a dog and a princess. Men of this ethnic group wear a headband symbolizing a dog's tail, and the female headdress includes "dog" ears as an element. The Panhu dog is still worshiped in Yao villages, since the spread of agriculture is also associated with him - the dog, according to legend, brought rice grains in his skin and taught Yao to grow rice - the main food of this people.
Despite the fact that the peoples of the mountainous regions remained "barbaric" for the Chinese proper - the "Han", the cultural influence of the neighbors was of a mutual nature. Although the small peoples of China to a greater extent perceived elements of Chinese culture, the Chinese themselves also perceived certain components of the culture of their neighbors - national minorities. In particular, according to the famous ethnographer R. F. Itsa - a specialist in China and Southeast Asia - the Chinese myth about Pan-gu - the first man who separated the earth from the sky - is based precisely on the ideas of the peoples of South China about the dog - the first ancestor. According to the Chinese, the dog also accompanied the man on his last journey. In Chinese mythology, as a result of Indo-Buddhist influence, a new character appeared - the sacred lion. Since there were no lions in China, he began to be personified with a dog. Moreover, the ancient Chinese dogs "sungshi-chuan" ("shaggy lions") outwardly resembled lions - it is their descendants that have spread all over the world today under the name "chow-chow". "Dog-lions" were considered the protectors of houses and temples from the possible penetration of evil spirits. By the way, it was from China that the cult of the "lion-dog" penetrated into neighboring Japan, where dogs were also used for hunting since ancient times. The first hunting society in Japan was established as early as 557 AD. Under Shogun Tsinaeshi, the idea of creating a dog shelter for one hundred thousand stray dogs was formulated. Perhaps humanity no longer knew such a large-scale shelter. The sensational film "Hachiko" tells the story of Japanese Akita Inu dogs. For more than nine years, the dog Hachiko had been waiting on the platform of the station for its owner, Professor Hidesaburo Ueno, who suddenly died during a lecture and, accordingly, did not return to the station from which the dog accompanied him to the train every day. On the platform of the station, at the request of the Japanese, a monument was erected to the dog Hachiko, which earned universal respect for its loyalty to its owner.
From Russia to Russia
Russian civilization over the two millennia of its formation included not only Slavic, but also Finno-Ugric, Turkic and Iranian components, manifested in culture, and in the way of doing the economy, and in linguistic borrowings. For the inhabitants of the forest and forest-steppe regions of Russia, the dog became an invaluable protector from wild animals, protecting the farmer's economy from wolves and helping the hunter in search of game. In Slavic folklore, the dog has become one of the main characters. The famous historian of Slavic folklore A. N. Afanasyev cites an old Ukrainian legend that the Big Dipper is harnessed horses, and a black dog every night tries to gnaw at the team and destroy the entire universe, but does not manage to complete its dark business before dawn and while running to the watering hole, the team grows together again. Despite the adoption of Christianity, the ancient pagan ideas of the Slavs have not been eradicated, moreover, the "folk religion" perfectly absorbed their components, which made up a kind of Christian-pagan complex of beliefs. So, wolves were considered the dogs of St. George and it was him - the "wolf shepherd" - it was worth praying for protection from the attacks of wolves. The inhabitants of Ukraine believed that on the eve of St. George's Day St. George rides on wolves, which is why the latter were sometimes called "Yurovaya dog". Among other beliefs - the omen of the howling of a dog as a herald of the imminent death of one of the residents of the house or courtyard. Eating grass by a dog indicates rain, refusal to eat food leftovers after a sick person - about the imminent inevitable death of the patient. The location of a possible betrothed was determined by the barking of a dog: "bark, bark, little dog, where is my betrothed."
Meanwhile, the Christianization of Russia introduced a certain negative attitude towards the dog. Of course, the Russians understood perfectly well that they could not do without a dog either in hunting or in guarding. But for Christianity, as well as for other Abrahamic religions, there was a rather negative attitude towards the dog, which was superimposed on the popular perception of this animal. Numerous swear words appeared on the "dog theme", and the use of the word "dog" or "dog" to a person began to be interpreted solely as an insult. So, the warlike neighbors of Russia began to be called dogs. These are both "dogs - knights" and Turkic-speaking nomads of the Eurasian steppes. However, the Christianization of Rus was never able to eradicate the positive attitude towards the dog, characteristic of the Eastern Slavs. Dog breeding has become widespread among all segments of the population. Both peasants and noble people were touched by the loyalty and devotion of the dog, considered the dog to be a reliable protector and helper. So, it was not by chance that Tsar Ivan the Terrible chose the dog's head as the symbol of the oprichnina. The peasants believed that dogs would protect the house from evil spirits - devils and demons. Especially revered were "four-eyed dogs", that is, dogs with brown and tan and black and tan colors. By the way, the influence of Iranian mythology is also noticeable here, in which "four-eyed" dogs were also very revered. Ultimately, the Russian people retained a warmer attitude towards dogs than other neighboring peoples. One of the closest neighbors of the Slavs, with whom the latter fought and traded, were the Turkic peoples of the Eurasian steppes. From their predecessors on these lands - nomadic Iranian tribes - the Turks borrowed their attitude to the wolf as their totem animal. As for the dog, the Turkic nomads, on the one hand, saw in it the closest relative of the wolf, but on the other hand, as an assistant, which is indispensable in cattle breeding. After all, without guard dogs, herds of nomads inevitably became easy prey for the same wolves. Since Russia was in close contact with the Turkic-Mongolian population of the Golden Horde, the Russian nobility gradually perceived certain cultural features and even ideological guidelines of the steppe inhabitants. In particular, dog breeding has spread among the Russian aristocracy under the influence of the Horde khans. When in the XV century. there was a resettlement to the Ryazan and Vladimir regions of the Tatar Murzas, along with the latter, their four-legged pets appeared. Hound hunting from the Tatar Murzas was quickly adopted by the Russian boyars and even the tsars themselves. Almost every boyar, and later a wealthy nobleman, sought to acquire his own kennel. Dogs became a real hobby for many landowners who were ready to give a dozen for a good puppy - to other peasants, or even an entire village. In the 19th century, following the fashion for hunting dogs, a fashion for decorative dogs, borrowed from the aristocratic circles of Western Europe, also appeared among the nobility. The beginning of the twentieth century. accompanied by the rapid development of dog breeding, the natural course of which, however, was disrupted by the outbreak of the First World War and the subsequent revolutions and the Civil War. In troubled revolutionary years, people had no time for dogs. Moreover, in accordance with revolutionary ideas, the breeding of decorative dogs was considered as "bourgeois self-indulgence" and was condemned in every possible way.
Dogs of the USSR: at the front and in peacetime
In the first years of Soviet power, a course was taken to breed "socially useful" dog breeds, that is, service dogs, which could be used in the protection of law and order, the defense of the country or the conduct of the national economy. The establishment of service dog breeding clubs began. On August 23, 1924, at the Vystrel Higher Tactical Shooting School, the Central Training and Experimental Nursery for the School of Military and Sport Dogs was established. It was this organization that became the real center for the development of service dog breeding in the Soviet Union. Here, the development of methods for training service dogs was carried out, possible directions of their application in war and peacetime were analyzed. In 1927, in accordance with the order of the Revolutionary Military Council of the USSR dated August 5, as part of the rifle regiments of the Red Army, communication dog squads of 4 people and 6 dogs were introduced, and on August 29 of the same year, an order was given to create squads and platoons of guard dogs in rifle divisions of the Red Army. At the same time, the popularization of service dog breeding began among the population of the country, primarily among Soviet youth. In 1928, service dog breeding was entrusted to OSOAVIAKHIM. Subsequently, it was the Osoaviakhimovtsy who transferred about 27 thousand service dogs to the fighting units of the Red Army, which became an invaluable contribution to the approach of the Great Victory.
The central section of service dog breeding of OSOAVIAKHIM of the USSR carried out serious work to popularize service dog breeding as an important contribution to the defense capability of the Soviet state. Numerous circles of service dog breeding were created, in which professional trainers took part, who trained personnel as instructors of service dog breeding. It was during the interwar period that colossal work was carried out to study the dog breeds common in the USSR, including the North Caucasus, Central Asia, Siberia and the Far East. At the same time, Soviet cynologists studied the best practices of foreign cynology, breeds common in the United States and Europe and used for the activities of local armed forces and police units. In 1931, on the initiative of Major General Grigory Medvedev, the Krasnaya Zvezda Central Military Dog Breeding School was created, which by the beginning of 1941 trained dogs in eleven types of service.
The massive use of service dogs began during the Finnish War, but reached its climax during the Great Patriotic War. More than 60 thousand dogs fought in the ranks of the Red Army, among which were not only shepherds, but also representatives of other very different breeds, including even large mongrels. There were 168 dog detachments that made a huge contribution to the victory over Nazi Germany. In particular, the dogs rescued 700,000 seriously wounded soldiers and officers (!) Under enemy fire, found 4 million land mines, delivered 3,500 tons of ammunition and 120,000 dispatches to the troops. Finally, 300 Nazi tanks were blown up at the cost of dog's lives. The dogs checked at least 1223 square kilometers for mines, finding 394 minefields and clearing 3,973 bridges, warehouses and buildings, 33 large cities in the USSR and Eastern Europe.
In the post-war period, the DOSAAF was involved in the development of service dog breeding in the Soviet Union. In the service dog breeding clubs, basic training was given to future dog handlers, who were then called up for military service in the Ministry of Defense, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, and the KGB of the USSR. A great contribution to the development of service dog breeding was made by the internal affairs bodies, whose cynologists are actually on combat duty in peacetime - at the forefront of the fight against crime. It is the guides of service dogs who follow the trail of hiding criminals, escort dangerous criminals, risk their lives with their pets, checking buildings, cars and citizens' bags for explosives and ammunition. Many law enforcement dog breeders today serve in dangerous conditions in the North Caucasus. Naturally, the specificity of the activities of police dog handlers and dog handlers of other law enforcement agencies requires a perfect system of professional training that allows you to optimally cope with your duties, while maintaining the safety of people, yourself and the service dog.
Rostov school of service-search dog breeding
A unique educational institution of its kind is the Rostov School of Service-Search Dog Breeding of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation, which was established in 1948 as a nursery for service-search dogs of the Main Police Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the USSR. On the territory of a brick factory destroyed during the war on the outskirts of the city, in the village of Yasnaya Polyana, enclosures for 40 dogs, a kitchen, a maternity ward and a room for puppies were placed. Initially, the staff of the kennel consisted of 12 employees - three instructors and nine search dog guides. In 1957, the Training Center of the Militia Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the RSFSR was established here, where the training of guides for search dogs began at a three-month course for 50 students. Two barracks, headquarters and club buildings were built.
In 1965, the training course for search dogs was also relocated from Novosibirsk to Rostov-on-Don, after which the Training Center was reorganized into the Rostov School of the Junior Commanding Staff of the USSR Ministry of Internal Affairs. 125 cadets have already studied here, and the training period has been increased to nine months. In addition to cynological disciplines, future guides of service-search dogs also began to study the basics of operational-search activities, to improve in combat training. In 1974, the school was reorganized into the Central School of Advanced Training for Workers of the Search Dog Breeding Service of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the USSR, and in 1992 - into the Rostov School of Service and Search Dog Breeding of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation.
Currently, more than 300 students from all over the country undergo training at the RSHSRS of the Ministry of Internal Affairs annually. This is a truly unique and best-of-its-kind educational institution, whose graduates continue to serve not only in the bodies of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation, but also in other power structures of the country. The teaching activity at the school is carried out by brilliant specialists in their field, behind whom there are far more than one year of service in law enforcement agencies. Many of them took part in eliminating the consequences of emergencies, ensuring the safety of citizens during mass events, and took part in hostilities during the counter-terrorist operation in the North Caucasus. The demand for the knowledge that is given at school is evidenced by its popularity outside our country. For example, cadets from Algeria and Afghanistan, Bulgaria and Vietnam, Mongolia and Palestine, Nicaragua and Sao Tome and Principe, Syria and the DPRK, Belarus and Armenia, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and a number of other states were trained at the school at different times. They subsequently successfully implement the acquired knowledge in the service of the law enforcement agencies of their native countries.
In addition to educational activities, in the Rostov school of service-search dog breeding, scientific work is also carried out, including scientific conferences devoted to various relevant aspects of modern cynology. During the last five years alone, the school has issued 10 educational and teaching aids, and since 2010 the journal "Profession - Cynologist" has been published. Much work is being done in the field of veterinary research: school staff are studying the effect of changes in altitude on the general health and performance of service dogs, determine the possibility of using high-calorie food to improve the cardiovascular system of service dogs, analyze the specifics of using antioxidants to overcome biological barriers to adaptability and improving the performance of the sensory systems of service dogs. It has become a tradition to hold interdepartmental competitions on the school grounds, in which specialists - canine handlers from various divisions of the South of Russia, including both police officers and the Federal Customs Service, the Federal Service for the Control of Narcotic Drugs, and the Federal Service for the Execution of Punishments - take part. Moreover, graduates and students of the school often win prizes in competitions. They are readily employed in any structure of the cynological profile.
