Security is a high priority for every type of commercial business, but different industry sectors have different needs and face different risks, and so there are specialised services dedicated to certain sectors, and canine security is a good example of that.

You want to protect your people and your business from the threat of theft, vandalism, nuisance, trespass and unauthorised encampment, and there are various environments and scenarios where dog security is the best way to do that.

The benefits of dog security

Dog security is a specialised form of security because it deals with specific risks and hazards and requires trained and accredited personnel who are able to react to security threats in a certain way. But fundamentally, K9 security offers the following benefits:

Highly sensitive detection – Dog’s have a sense of smell that is considerably more sensitive than a human’s, and hence they can be trained to detect substances and threats in large crowds and much quicker and more reliably.
Deterrent – Dog security is a visible presence that can act as a deterrent and prevent security threats occurring.
Training – You can be supplied with dog security that is trained to meet your precise needs, so this can be a powerful and aggressive presence, or a passive presence used mainly as a deterrent. Dogs can also be trained to detect very specific substances.
Speed – Dogs are extremely agile and fast, and can react quickly to apprehend a security threat much quicker than a human could.
Confidence – A dog handler is able to attend to more complex and risky situations because they have the back-up of a trained and experienced dog.
Consistency and loyalty – All dogs are loyal to their owners/handlers and this is particularly the case with dog security, so they will always be motivated to act as required, are obedient to follow orders and instructions and will always give a reliable and consistent level of performance.

How to match dog security with your business needs

Different industry sectors present different security threats, but dog security is not necessarily the solution every time. In some situations dog security may be considered overkill, such as for children’s events or in a small and quiet office environment which only operates on a 9-5 basis, while other sectors need the additional security measures that dog security can provide. These needs are identified by carrying out a thorough risk assessment, which studies the operations of a business and the type of security threats which could impact on it, and matches these with security solutions.

When carrying out a risk assessment we would look at the following aspects of your business activities:

The location
The hours of operation
How many people are on site and how this differs over the course of 24 hours
The nature of your operations
Existing security measures and what security weaknesses are present
What is stored on site in terms of stock, tools, machinery and equipment

Based on these factors, there are certain elements of a business which directly suggest that dog security would be appropriate. These would be:

The business is in an out-of-town area where there is little or no residential population, ie. passers-by who would identify security breaches or deter it from taking place
The site is large and would benefit from mobile patrols to compensate for CCTV blind spots
The business cannot afford an expensive investment in CCTV
The business operates on a 24-hour basis and there is less personnel on site overnight
Valuable product and machinery etc is stored on site
There is open, unoccupied land surrounding the site where trespass and unauthorised encampment could be a possibility, or these issues are known to have occurred

If one or more of these factors apply to your business, then dog security would be a suitable solution.

What different sectors would benefit from dog security?

Dog security would be an ideal security solution for various different types of business, based upon the above criteria. These include:

Construction – A construction site involves various health and safety hazards, and by their very nature construction sites change and evolve every day, presenting new hazards every day, so they require very tight security measures which are particularly important because a construction site is left unmanned overnight with part-construction in place. A construction business has a significant responsibility for public liability for this reason, and has to guard very carefully against trespass and nuisance, not least because a construction site and the machinery and equipment left on it, is an inviting location for people intent on innocent horseplay which could lead to serious accidents, or organised criminal behaviour. Construction site dog security is therefore able to carry out frequent overnight patrols and act as a suitable deterrent against these risks.
Warehousing – The biggest security factor in warehousing is that sites are usually very large but not necessarily heavily manned. Many processes are automated, but the product being stored, loaded and received is still valuable and vulnerable to theft. Warehouses often have weak spots in terms of areas not covered by CCTV, and often leave entrances open for long periods of time while product is moved around. Warehouses are also often in locations on the edge of residential areas, so are open to both opportunist and organised criminals, and also operate out of hours. Perimeter patrols from dog security can help to compensate for a lack of personnel on site and the vulnerability of open entrances.
Industrial Estates – An industrial estate is usually a collection of leased business premises which can include retail outlets, light industry, stockists, automotive centres, commercial offices and warehousing. The varying nature of the businesses means that dog security is often employed as a comprehensive solution to cover the range of security threats which exist. Industrial estates can be sited in various different types of location, and don’t often operate on a 24-hour basis, and so can be vulnerable overnight when there is no personnel present.
Manufacturing – It is common for manufacturing businesses to operate on a 24/7 basis to maximise efficiencies, but this often means that overnight there is a skeleton staff of just production workers, because general office and support functions only work regular daytime hours, so a manufacturing business will be more vulnerable overnight. Manufacturing sites are often quite large and can have several points of access in addition to the main entrance, such as fire doors, warehousing and goods entrances. This makes a manufacturing site vulnerable to theft and trespass, particularly overnight when there are less staff present. The 24-hour operation also means there is no set ‘shutdown’ procedure and some doors and entrances could be left open unknowingly.
Events and hospitality – Dog security is suitable for events that are high risk in terms of a potential for violence or a potential for illegal substances to be smuggled in, so this could be political rallies, football games, concerts, nightclubs or music festivals, for example. Sometimes you want dog security to act passively at events, while sometimes you will want it to react to disorder that occurs. Depending on the nature of the event, you can be supplied with exactly the type and style of trained dog security you require.
Vacant properties – There are many reasons why a commercial property has to be left vacant for a period of time, this could be because the business has ceased trading, the property could be awaiting sale or occupation by a new tenant, or the business could be on an extended holiday or shutdown period. In effect, this can apply to many different industry sectors. Vacant properties are vulnerable to theft, nuisance, vandalism, trespass and unauthorised encampment, so dog security can act as a visible presence and a deterrent, but can also react to situations and is trained to de-escalate potential violence and to negotiate the removal of trespassers where necessary.

Contact React K9 for the best dog security for your industry sector

If you need professional dog security for your business then we can help address your security needs. We can supply highly trained and accredited K9 security to ensure the security threats that exist in your business are addressed using a bespoke solution tailored to your needs. At React K9 we have experience of working across many industry sectors and are able to identify where specific threats exist and what solutions we need to employ.

Our handlers are also experienced in dealing with many different security scenarios and are able to employ the most suitable measures to deal with security threats and to de-escalate situations in a legal, cost-effective and professional manner, so contact our team at React K9 today.

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