Security dogs

[x11]

in my state they cannot be insured as there is no insurance company that will do it.

[björn]

"guard dogs" and securitydogs are not the same, the first only guards an area the other is a PP-dog for his handler and hence demands more training and controll.

[Blitzkrieg1]

This was my first intro to working dogs. Dogs were trained in PP and varied from sharp to solid. Different dogs were sent to different sites..eg sharper dogs were sent to more isolated areas and the more solid dogs were sent to high traffic areas like apartment buildings.
(I still remember the shift change with one sharp dog named Gator, he would bark and growl at the incoming guard every time. The out going guard would have to hold his collar and pass the leash to the incoming guard. Then they let him go and he would rush up the new guard and sniff him. Did that ever get your adrenaline pumping. Lol for some reason if you were in possession of the leash you were rated as a friendly. Everyone else was on his watch list..lol)

Guards were also rated on their handling ability, dogs requiring a higher level of handler ability only went to handlers that were able to work them effectively.
Dogs were trained to bite and offer aggression towards a target on command. Some dogs were also detection trained though I never had a chance to get involved in that aspect of the business. Dogs were never allowed off leash and basically were trained to heel, sit, down and come. Training also involved having the dog bite a decoy and out on command.
Dogs were only for protection of the Guards person not to be used offensively.
Dogs were Dobes, Shepherds, Beucerons and mixes of the three.
Dogs were kept in a central kennel and were driven out to guards on sites every day and picked up at the end of shifts. Dogs were handled by multiple handlers throughout the week.

Starting a security company in Ontario is not close to being worth it. The big box comapanies like G4S are driving the prices down as they go for quantitiy over quality, you have a heart beat and a clean record your hired. In addition most clients are not interested paying enough extra for a k9 to justify the expense of purchase, board and the training of a patrol dog. Forget the fact that insurance for a company using k9s is not insignificant.
As far as I know the dogs do not need to pass any govt mandated test. Guards require a Provincial License and are covered under the criminal code as such. Dogs are classified as weapons/tools and as such, are treated and judged the same way a Baton or handcuffs are.

Most people in working dogs seem to be big into termite and bed bug detection these days, at least in Ontario. Perhaps this will change in time, but from what i can see there are only one or two companies in Ontario that still use dogs. Most of the others shut their k9 programs down due to cost and slim to no profit for the effort.

[carmspack]

send me a PM - I know many of the security companies and have provided dogs for them "back in the day" .
There were some good ones , and more than a few really bad scamster types. There is one at the moment that is offering courses -- to people without a speck of hope of being employed , for a number of reasons . Laws are different now . Thankfully and about high time.

[SFGSSD]

Originally Posted by Tim Connell

In our state, "guard dogs" need to be insured, licensed, and a whole host of other regulations. I am unaware of any laws regarding training requirements or regulations though.

True,
MA requires a licence for protection dogs. To have and to train for others.

The licence and requirements for MA State licence can be obtained at MDADAH (Massachusetts Department of Agriculture Division of Animal Health)

Check with your state as I believe it is different from state to state.