Drug-sniffing dogs outperform technical devices in detecting narcotics, including synthetic drugs

Drug-sniffing police dogs can be trained to identify nearly any new synthetic drug, making them more effective than technical detection equipment, according to a report by Finnish public broadcaster Yle.

With drug use on the rise, the demand for police narcotics dogs has grown. These dogs can be trained to recognize an almost unlimited number of substances, including emerging synthetic drugs like alpha-PVP, said Senior Detective Constable Marko Sokura of the Central Finland Police Department.

“Synthetic drugs always contain something familiar,” Sokura explained. “There’s always some intoxicating substance the dog has already learned to detect. Once a completely new substance is introduced for training, it takes no time for the dogs to pick up the scent.”

Training relies on timely rewards and playful reinforcement, allowing dogs to learn a vast range of detectable scents. Sokura, who now works as a school police officer but has extensive experience as a dog handler, emphasized that no device currently matches a dog’s efficiency and cost-effectiveness in drug detection.

“In movies, they might hide a kilo of cocaine under coffee grounds or in liquid containers, but the dog will find it if there’s any scent at all,” he said.

This week, police narcotics dogs and their handlers competed in the Finnish National Championships in the Tampere region, organized by the Central Finland Police Department and the Finnish Police Dog Association. The three-day event tested dogs’ ability to locate hidden drugs in outdoor areas, indoor spaces, and vehicles. On Thursday, the competition took place at Pirkkala Airport’s closed terminal, where dogs searched luggage for concealed narcotics.

Senior Constable Valtteri Majaniemi, who served as both organizer and judge, noted that this year’s challenges were deliberately designed to be difficult. “We’re pushing the boundaries—this isn’t just practice, but a real test of who has the best skills,” he said.

While dogs perform consistently regardless of whether they’re training or competing, handlers may act differently under competitive pressure, potentially affecting performance. “Handlers can only make things worse by getting nervous, changing tactics last minute, or doing things differently than usual,” Majaniemi added.

The overall winner was Senior Constable Sami Söder and his dog Repe from the Western Uusimaa Police Department. Second place went to Sami Hämäläinen and Wänä from the Southeast Finland Police Department, while Camilla Boman and Yoda from the Eastern Uusimaa Police Department placed third.

Being a police dog handler requires mental resilience, as the role involves working under scrutiny and supporting small team operations, Sokura explained. “It’s a tough spot because you’re constantly being watched. Your dog has to perform—especially a patrol dog, which is also a tool for use of force.”

Handlers must also accept their own and their dog’s limitations. “You have to admit if a police dog isn’t yet ready for certain tasks, like use-of-force scenarios,” Sokura said.