The training is run by Raúl Martín, an expert handler from Spain who has been appointed by the CFS and has carried out this activity for a long time on behalf of the Andalusia Region. He also trained four of the five dogs forming the Anti-poison dog units activated in 2010 by the Gran Sasso-Laga National Park thanks to the LIFE ANTIDOTO project. In the spring 2016 the same handler will transfer the 12 dogs from Andalusia, where they will be trained, to Italy, and he will entrust them to the CFS handlers. A special course for handlers lasting four weeks will make it possible to complete the training procedure of the Anti-poison dog units which started in June 2015 with a course aiming at improving the knowledges about the phenomenon of the use of poison baits and about the prevention and combat techniques of the CFS operators that will lead the six units (one handler and two collaborators for each of them).
Once the handover will be accomplished, the animals will be transferred to their headquarters in the following national parks: Foreste Casentinesi, Monte Falterona e Campigna; Monti Sibillini: Abruzzo, Lazio e Molise; Cilento and Pollino. A further unit will be established in the province of Isernia.
The so established six Anti-poison dog units will work all over central-southern mainland Italy.