Our working dogs play a vital role in our society. Dog sports ensure that enough good dogs are available. Who would know this better than Vika Bezus, service dog handler with the Ukrainian National Guard, breeder for the military, and dog sports enthusiast? It was a moving moment for the IGP community when Vika – deservedly – took home the FCI 2022 World Championship title.
Vika Bezus (translated from English)
Statements claiming that IGP or Mondioring dogs are extremely dangerous to society have a negative impact on service dog handlers and sport dog handlers. I cannot ignore this.
I am speaking not as an athlete, but as a member of the military and a breeder of working dogs that are in daily use:
My own dogs (Malinois and German Shepherds) work for the Ukrainian National Guard. Some are search and rescue dogs, some are guard dogs, and others are explosives detection dogs. A few of my dogs received awards for their service starting in 2014, when Ukraine was first invaded by Russia. Some of my dogs have had to gain real-life combat experience since 2022, after Russia launched a new, bloody phase of the war.
My dogs are very different. Their work is very different. The only things they have in common are that I train them all in IGP (Igemonic Working Dog Sport) and that they live under one roof with me and my two-year-old child.
Even before they receive their military dog badge certification, all these dogs have their IGP3 (the highest of the sport tests) and each one has qualified for world championships; be it for FCI/FMBB or WUSV.
I'm not sure if every dog trainer or owner understands the connection between sport and service. A soldier, of course, immediately understands why you can't have a broken, unreliable rifle with you. We test our dogs' operational readiness during IGP championships.
I know of no more complex sport than IGP. This sport demands a dog's mental abilities, activates its instincts, and tests its composure. In this sport, we see whether our dog remains under control at long distances and can work in cooperation with the handler. That's precisely what we evaluate in this sport: the dog's unwavering will to work and its ability to be responsive in any situation. Someday, people's lives will depend on this ability!
My family and I are only alive thanks to these dogs!
Not every dog is suited for every task. That's why there are 400 breeds. Even if a breed is generally suitable for a particular purpose, that doesn't mean that every single member of that breed is suitable. Therefore, we have to select and test. And that's not possible without working the dog in a sporting capacity.
Could we even work in certain government agencies without these highly skilled dogs? Are we prepared to risk the lives of soldiers or police officers because the sport is banned?
Are governments prepared to be held responsible for the loss of human lives because they have chosen to trust populism and the recommendations of people who have no practical experience?
