With increasing crime rate constantly on the news, more and more guard dogs have been on demand. So much so that in some areas almost everybody who is anybody owns one – or so it seems. Many businessmen are purchasing guard dogs under the misconception that they will be the answer to their countless security problems. However, once they purchase these security dogs, they find the animals ineffective, poorly trained, or unnecessary in the first place. So they get rid of their canine security and are poorer, but wiser, for the experience. Each time this occurs, the credibility of the guard dog as an effective and viable tool in industrial security is tarnished.
Having researched and discussed the problem with numerous businessmen and other executives, it appears that several factors contribute to the frequent failure of guard dogs when employed in an industrial environment. Among the most common of these are:
1. Misunderstanding of the capabilities of these dogs.
2. Inability to procure properly trained animals.
3. Failure to identify a valid need for security dogs before a program is initiated.
Other problems exist, of course, but the above reasons seem to recur most frequently. Obviously then, there is a need for a fair discussion of guard dogs in the industry, their strengths and weaknesses, and their use and misuse.
When employed properly, guard dogs can be valuable assets to a security program. Valuable, that is, if they are properly trained and expertly handled. Unfortunately, many people in the business of dog security are dishonest and are only out to make a sale. By the time a security dog salesman gets through with a prospecting client, the client is going to buy several of those wonderful dogs whether he really needs them or not.
Therefore, the decision whether or not to purchase security dogs should be based on an honest and realistic analysis of the criminal threat involved – not fad, emotion, or beliefs.
Sometimes this is difficult to do, especially when your boss is pressuring you to reduce burglary from open storage areas and increase the overall protection of the company assets. Regardless of the pressure, however, clear thinking must be applied before a security dog is added to the company staff.
We must keep in mind that canine security is not the answer for all of the problems facing security planners. Instead, it is merely one of many choices available that can help in suppressing criminal misconduct.
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Contributor's Note
Author has granted reprint rights to contributor
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