"The dog definitely understands what's happening — a larger number of dogs and handlers gather, and they sense they need to push harder," said Viru Prison handler Markus Romov.

"Today we assessed cooperation between the handler and the dog, and how well the dog can detect prohibited substances in different situations," said chief judge Riho Rannamäe.

Ahto Uue, a handler from the Ida Prefecture who competed with his German shepherd Karu, said success comes down to teamwork.

"We don't train separately for events — we train as much as possible. Since I'm a patrol officer, patrol work comes first and dog training follows, and they go hand in hand," Uue explained. "The dog can probably do many things on its own, but the handler must be able to read it."

Romov did not believe he and his Labrador Alaska had a home‑field advantage.

"I'd say no — a familiar environment where we've had fun before can become a small disadvantage when suddenly we need to perform under pressure," he added.

The overall victory went to the Tax and Customs Board team: Birgit Vana and Kira.

"The whole environment was challenging — it was a completely different kind of competition," said handler Birgit Vana. "We had to run, the dog had to overcome obstacles, and we also had to search in a dark room with a flashlight. It was a very cool competition."

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