NIO-FEM 2/2021, p. 8-11

Customs dogs & their drivers?

What is the importance of dogs for customs work? What is required of a good customs dog? The dog handler and instructor. Stefan Fredriksson talks about his work.

Rosersberg Castle. Around this beautiful residence in Sigtuna municipality north of Stockholm, a large natural area spreads out. People are out and about walking. Dogs can move freely under supervision. Several companies and authorities have located their activities here. One of them is customs. They have rented a property where they conduct training activities for customs dogs and their drivers.

At Rosersberg I am met by Stefan Fredriksson, educator for customs dog handlers. Stefan is a seemingly easygoing and garrulous man who likes to show me around their premises. A flatcoated retriever lies relaxed on the floor. In a corridor, the dogs’ restroom looms behind a few bars. They remind me a bit of a prison, but Stefan assures me that there are windows and lights in the spaces. In the coffee room, a group of dog handlers sit and talk. It is difficult to be accepted as a customs officer, they gladly inform. Many are called but few are chosen:

”So one could say, we’re special ones who work at customs,” a woman adds in a haste.

Stefan himself is a basically trained nature guide. He has previously worked at a game station with dogs and hunting. At the turn of the millennium, he started working at customs. He confirms that the customs profession is attractive. There are many development opportunities. One example is that you can train as a dog handler and then advance and become an instructor.

Very few people leave the profession.

Who can become a customs officer?

What does it take to become a customs officer? It requires a sense of curiosity and a willingness to search and find as well as to investigate, Stefan

reckons. Not all people are up to the mark. The same goes for dogs we train, no poochie hellhounds are suitable for service. A good customs dog must have hunting instinct and be curious. They must not be aggressive because they meet people who peacefully get off their planes, trains or other means of transport.

Swedish Customs currently has about 50 dogs. They don’t have a permanent supplier when it comes to dogs. Any private person can offer their dog to customs. During the COVID19 pandemic, a problem has arisen. The outbreak of the disease led to more people working from home. Many people got a dog to get company. Competition for dogs increased and customs received fewer offers for dogs. This has led to difficulties and customs have had to prioritize where to place the dogs they receive. Now that more people are returning to their workplaces, Stefan hopes that some of them will sell their newfound sweethearts to customs.

The dog Stefan is working with right now is an English springer spaniel. He used to have a Labrador. Today it is retired. Customs dogs retire at the age of ten and then the dog handler is offered to get the dog he had previously had as a work colleague. Stefan has taken care of his retired dog.

But what happens if no one commits to the dog? Stefan says that the dog handler’s family members can sometimes take care of a dog. A dog that Stefan previously worked with has since been taken care of by his mother. Every effort is made to prevent them from being euthanized, but in the end there is no pension insurance for dogs:

“If no one can take care of the dog, it has to be doffed.” he notes reluctantly.

Customs dogs also work quite hard. They don’t live as long as other dogs. A customs dog can work on a rolling schedule with shifts at different times of the day. Any ordinary pet dog normally goes to bed at ten o’clock in the evening and sleeps all night. A customs dog, on the other hand, may work at night, then it is free for two days. Maybe it has to get up and work in the morning. The circadian rhythm is disturbed. Likewise, Stefan has also worked under these working conditions.

Another health and safety problem for dogs is that they are forced to jump a lot up and down. They have to jump onto cars. They jump in and out of luggage compartments and onto the bonnet in their search for drugs, weapons and ammunition. Mosquitoes eventually cause their back and joints

to be easily injured. It is usually when they jump down that it wears on joints and bows. By putting a harness on the dog, they can help the dog a little to resist in situations where the hurt is. When the dog is on its way down, the handler then impedes the downward movement a little so that the load does not become too heavy on joints and bows.

What about the employment conditions and the salary of the dog handlers? ”About the same as for other customs officers,” says Stefan. One difference is that customs dogs live at the home of their handler. They have the dog in their home all day, every day of the week:

“And, actually, we’re not getting paid for that´,” he adds with a worrisome look upon his face, ”Sure, it would have felt better if we dog handlers got paid a little more.”

Although the occupational group receives some compensation for wear and tear in the home and for transporting them to and from work, but not for the care of the dog itself. On and off, dog handlers have tried to pursue the compensation issue as a union issue. So far, it has been fruitless. The issue comes back regularly and is investigated a little, but then it has stopped. In Finland, dog handlers receive an extra compensation for taking care of the dog, but not in Sweden. The Swedish Customs probably lives a little on the fact that it is so fun being a dog handler, Stefan believes:

”We like our job a little too much compared to the compensation we get,” he ponders dearly.

Popular dogs

Customs dogs are popular with the public; a lot of people think they’re doing a great job. Those who smuggle drugs or weapons naturally perceive the dogs differently. Many people think they can hide the drugs in the car in a way that makes the dogs not discover it, but it’s hard. The dogs track down a lot that you couldn’t believe they could detect.

Stefan has observed several changes since he started working in customs around the turn of the millennium. Criminals have become better at making hideouts in cars. They have more electronics, and the packaging has become more refined. At the same time, the dogs have also received a more thorough training. First, they get to sniff drugs that only smell a little. Then the amount is increased. The dog must be able to detect both small and large volumes of narcotics. So even though the criminals have become more refined over time, Stefan does not believe that – in the foreseeable future anyway – there will

be any technical tool that can replace the dog. Because although technology may be a complement, the dog is a thinking creature that stores memories. If a dog has found drugs under a certain dishwasher, it will next run directly to the dishwasher where the last found preparation. If there is nothing there, it will continue to look elsewhere. In one cocaine preparation it can be two percent cocaine and in the next it can be eighty percent. The dog can detect cocaine containing both percentage points, while a machine can only be calibrated for a certain amount, Stefan explains. I venture out with Stefan and he shows me how Peggie the customs dog works. Peggie is a very lively black Labrador. Stefan has hidden some drugs in a black parked car and asks his four-legged comrade to find it. She sniffs her way and quickly finds the hiding place. Stefan says ”still” and then he gives her a tennis ball as a reward. Peggie eagerly wagging her tail. Stefan responds by encouraging her. Admittedly, working as a customs dog can be burdensome:

”But just when they get started and find something, it’s always so much fun!”

For the dogs, the work of sniffing right on contraband is a game. Always. A hunting game. For the dog, hunting and playing are tantacious. For dog handlers, it’s important to keep the game fun so the dog still thinks it’s fun. And this is done by training on preparations. Every dog handler must bring some drugs so that the dogs can practice, Stefan concludes as we glance furtively across the beautiful scenery at Rosersberg.

By Leif Jacobsson

Master of Philosophy in social anthropology and co-worker at TAM-Arkiv

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