Detection and protection working dog specialist

Apprenticeship summary

Occupation summary

This occupation is found in a wide range of employers operating across sectors such as Defence, Police, Border Force, Department for Transport, Prison Service, private security companies, or de-mining charities. All organisations employ specialist working dogs within complex settings. Detection and Protection Working Dog Specialists (DPWDS) operate and manage specialist working dog teams in complex environments alongside other departments or agencies. In some instances, they may be required to operate overseas. They can handle specialist working dogs themselves but will very often be managing, developing, and supporting basic dog handlers to ensure that they are operating safely and effectively. Specialist working dogs may need to be accredited to operate within a multi-agency setting. They may be combined with other resources to deliver a coherent, combined effect. The setting in which they operate might be austere and isolated with minimal support (e.g. military operations, search and rescue, disaster relief). Alternatively, it could be congested and confused (e.g. crowds, busy transport hubs). DPWDs can be employed, in rural or urban settings, in tropical or arctic conditions, and anything in between. Employers can range in size and include government departments, private companies, or charities. DPWDSs can be employed across a range of settings. For example, they could use detection dogs to find explosives or detect other prohibited substances including narcotics or electronic devices. In other settings, they might use dogs as part of a combined force to find people (including those with hostile intent), or to chase, bite and detain people. In the charitable sector, they may be involved in de-mining or helping to find buried individuals following natural or man-made emergencies. In the search and rescue sector, a DPWDS will combine with other resources to find and rescue people in trouble.

The broad purpose of the occupation is to manage specialist working dogs effectively to support business objectives when operating in complex or high pressure environments or situations. The DPWDS must be aware of the constraints and limitations of their dog in all of the settings outlined above. Typically, the specialist dog may be deployed on general purpose, passive or active detection activities or tracking of individuals. The DPWDS will carry out dynamic risk assessments of complex environments in order to minimise risk to the dog and any individuals present during operations. They work closely with other departments or agencies to scope the operation and plan the most effective integration of the specialist working dog into the operation. They will deploy the specialist working dog in the most effective way necessary for the given circumstances and take necessary steps to preserve environmental or evidential integrity. The DPWDS may be involved in all aspects of managing specialist dogs from sourcing and handover of a dog through to the management of health and welfare, planning and evaluating feeding regimes, maintaining the dogs’ physical condition through to deployment and supporting evaluation of performance through to dog retirement. The DPWDS will maintain and use a range of dog records and will have responsibility for validating licensing arrangements and identifying continuation training requirements. The DPWDS will also be responsible for ensuring that working dogs, once no longer fit for service role, are able to enjoy a safe and full life, including where they have trained to chase, bite and hold.

In their daily work, an employee in this occupation interacts with a wide range of stakeholders dependent on the sector they are operating in. This may include: Task Commanders such as the commander of a military, police, customs, prison service task group; the management team of a conference facility, a high-profile venue or a freight hub (including land, aviation and maritime); operational partners ‘on the ground’ that operate alongside the specialist working dogs, such as fire-arms teams, forensic experts, customs officials, Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) operators and medical teams; operational enablers such as transport operators for helicopter search and rescue or the military; inspectors who will validate and assure the accuracy and effectiveness of the dog and the control systems in place to manage it; dog breeders and trainers to replace or provide expert training of dogs; science support staff to enable validation of capability and the development of training aids when dogs are no longer meeting operational requirements and require specialist training; suppliers of food, equipment, training aids, kennels; behavioural specialists; veterinary care providers such as veterinary surgeons, physiotherapists, groomers; infrastructure management (to repair and maintain kennelling); cleaners and support staff; chains of command and management who may not have any specialist working dog expertise.

An employee in this occupation will be responsible for managing and operating specialist working dogs independently of other dog-related expertise for extended periods and reliably identifying when specialist working dogs are operating correctly. DPWDSs also support the assurance of dog capability, the failure of which could lead to injury and loss of life to self, the dog and others. The DPWDS has a responsibility to the overall commander and other agencies involved in an operation to confirm how dogs will or are being used, will or are complementing other capabilities and are performing or have performed. They will communicate information that has been obtained from the action of the specialist dog to other agencies to enable them to act on that information. They support the sourcing or retiring, developing and licensing of dog teams as well as managing the health and wellbeing of multiple dog teams. They have knowledge of the latest science of dog welfare, how dogs behave and learn and scent and how to use this knowledge to employ and operate dogs effectively wile maintaining their health and welfare. They will manage training aids, equipment and resources safely to develop and maintain the performance of dog teams. They will maintain specialist working dog teams of different classifications at the required operational standard and retain evidence that demonstrates the assured status of the specialist dog. The DPWDS ensures that dogs under their charge are operated and cared for in compliance with all relevant legislation, including the Animal Welfare Act, Dangerous Dogs Act and transport legislation. They select the safe and appropriate approach to deliver an operational task. This includes; undertaking suitable planning and reconnaissance; ensuring specialist working dog constraints and limitations are understood by all stakeholders; operating reliably within set constraints such as time, limits of exploitation, legislation; manage all resources relating to working dogs under their charge appropriately, such as food, medication, training aids (including explosives, schedule drugs and prohibited items), kennelling, vehicles, protective equipment, canine ancillaries and personal weapons. A DPWDS will be responsible for maintaining operational performance and continuation training of the dogs under their charge, they will require the support of those with greater expertise to carry out initial specialist dog training and correct significant behavioural issues, or train in complex skills. 

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