Does the buyer know what good looks like? asks Simon Mallin, Head of Canine Standards & Compliance, at the security dog and handlers association NASDU.
Over recent months, one of the areas I have been looking at closely in my role as Head of Canine Standards and Compliance at NASDU is not simply how General Purpose Security Dog services are delivered, but how those services are actually purchased. The development of the NASDU General Purpose Security Dog Buyer’s Guide came out of a number of discussions within the Association, including matters raised at our AGM, together with wider observations about some of the challenges facing the private security dog sector.
Much of our work naturally concentrates on the people delivering the service — handlers, trainers, security companies and the dog teams themselves. But it became increasingly apparent that there was another important part of the equation that deserved greater attention: the buyer. There are recognised standards within the sector, and there are professional companies and handlers working hard to meet them. However, those standards can only have their full effect if the organisations procuring security dog services know what they should be asking for and, importantly, what evidence they should expect to see. That was the thinking behind the Buyer’s Guide.
We wanted to produce something practical rather than another technical document: a straightforward resource that could be used by procurement professionals, security managers, facilities managers and others who may purchase canine security services without necessarily having specialist knowledge of working dogs. The principle behind it is simple. If buyers know what good looks like, they are better placed to ask the right questions, recognise professional provision and make informed purchasing decisions.
And that matters because the decisions made at procurement level ultimately influence what happens on the ground. The effective use of General Purpose Security Dog teams begins long before a handler and dog arrive on site. It begins with procurement.
Buyers of security services are routinely expected to make decisions across a wide range of specialist disciplines. Canine security is one area where the end user may understandably have limited technical knowledge, yet the decisions made during procurement can have significant implications for operational effectiveness, public safety, animal welfare and the quality of the service ultimately delivered.
The challenge, therefore, is not simply ensuring that appropriate industry standards exist. It is ensuring that those purchasing canine security services understand what good practice looks like, what questions they should ask and, crucially, what evidence they should expect a provider to produce. NASDU (National Association of Security Dog Users) is the UK’s longest-established industry association for security dog users, providing certification, assessment and guidance for the sector.
Standards already exist
General Purpose Security Dog services do not operate in a vacuum. BS 8517-1:2016 Security dogs – Part 1: Code of practice for the use of general purpose security dogs provides the recognised British Standard for General Purpose Security Dog services. BS 8517-2 provides the corresponding code of practice for the use of detection dogs. While this article and the NASDU Buyer’s Guide focus specifically on General Purpose Security Dogs, it is important to recognise that established British Standards exist across both disciplines.
The Standard provides a framework covering areas including the selection and training of handlers and dogs, operational deployment, continuation training and assessment, record keeping, equipment, transport and welfare. It is worth noting that BS 8517-1 is a code of practice. Its provisions are expressed as recommendations rather than mandatory requirements, meaning it does not carry the force of statute. However, a provider claiming compliance is expected to be able to justify any course of action that deviates from its recommendations, and a reputable provider will treat those recommendations as the standard they operate to as a matter of course.
A British Standard can only influence procurement effectively if the person purchasing the service understands what compliance should look like in practice. A statement that a company or handler is “trained”, “qualified” or “compliant” should not necessarily be the end of the buyer’s enquiry. The important question is: what evidence supports that claim?
Looking beyond the certificate
A certificate can form an important part of demonstrating competence, but procurement should not become simply a certificate-checking exercise.
Buyers should understand who trained and assessed the handler and dog, whether the certification is current and relevant to the work being undertaken, and how ongoing operational competence is being maintained.
BS 8517-1 sets out the expectation that competence is properly maintained over time, through documented continuation training and periodic assessment, rather than treating initial certification as evidence of competence indefinitely. The same principle applies across the service being purchased. Buyers should expect appropriate Assignment Instructions and Risk Assessments, evidence of suitable insurance, appropriate identification and records, and assurance that the dog being deployed is the dog identified within the relevant documentation. Fundamentally, the documentation, the handler, the dog and the service actually being delivered on site should all marry up.
Welfare is part of professional procurement
Animal welfare should never be regarded as separate from operational standards. Buyers should be satisfied that appropriate arrangements exist for transport, kennelling where applicable, rest, hydration and the general welfare of Security Dogs both on and off duty. The way in which a provider manages its dogs can also tell a buyer a great deal about the professionalism of the wider operation. Welfare arrangements should therefore form part of the procurement and monitoring process rather than being assumed to be somebody else’s responsibility.
Price should not be the only measure
Commercial realities will always form part of procurement, and buyers understandably need value for money. However, there is a difference between obtaining value and simply purchasing the lowest-cost service. Providing a properly trained, assessed, insured and equipped Security Dog team, supported by ongoing continuation training, appropriate documentation and proper welfare arrangements, carries a genuine cost. Where a quotation appears substantially lower than the wider market, buyers should be prepared to ask why. Reducing procurement to hourly rate alone risks creating commercial pressure further down the supply chain, where corners may ultimately be cut in areas that the end user never sees.
An informed buyer is in a much stronger position to distinguish between a genuinely competitive service and one where the price may not realistically support the standards being claimed.
The buyer has influence
Much of the discussion around raising standards within the security dog sector naturally focuses on handlers, training providers and security companies. NASDU believes buyers themselves also have considerable influence. If procurement teams routinely ask for evidence of current competence, continuation training, appropriate insurance and compliance with recognised standards, providers have a commercial reason to ensure those things are in place. In other words, better-informed procurement can help drive better standards throughout the supply chain.
That does not require the buyer to become a canine expert. It requires the buyer to know the right questions to ask and to recognise when satisfactory evidence has — or has not — been provided.
Giving buyers a practical tool
It was against this background that NASDU developed the General Purpose Security Dog Buyer’s Guide – Version 1.8. The Guide is aimed specifically at buyers, procurement professionals, security managers, facilities managers, event organisers, local authorities and others responsible for procuring or overseeing General Purpose Security Dog services.
Rather than expecting buyers to interpret a technical British Standard unaided, the Guide translates the key considerations into practical procurement questions and checks. It covers areas including recognised standards, training and assessment, ongoing competence, documentation, insurance, operational deployment, welfare and some of the warning signs that should prompt further questions before a contract is awarded. It can be used when developing tender requirements, evaluating prospective providers and subsequently monitoring the service being delivered.
The purpose is not to tell organisations which security provider they should use. Nor is it intended to create another standard. Its purpose is much simpler: to help buyers make informed decisions and understand what they should reasonably expect from a professional General Purpose Security Dog service. Raising standards from the top down
There will always be discussion within the security dog industry about standards, regulation, training and professionalisation. Those discussions are important.
But improving the sector cannot be achieved solely by concentrating on those supplying the service. The organisations commissioning and paying for canine security services have significant influence over what the market delivers. If buyers understand what good looks like — and are prepared to ask providers to evidence it — professionalism becomes commercially valuable. That benefits responsible security companies. It benefits competent handlers. It supports the welfare of Security Dogs. Most importantly, it provides greater assurance to the organisations and members of the public that those teams are employed to protect.
NASDU therefore encourages buyers, security professionals and procurement teams to use the NASDU Buyer’s Guide, share it within their organisations and incorporate its principles into the procurement and ongoing monitoring of General Purpose Security Dog services.
For further information
For a complimentary copy of the NASDU General Purpose Security Dog Buyer’s Guide – Version 1.8, contact Simon Mallin, Head of Canine Standards & Compliance, at inspectorate@nasdu.co.uk. The Guide can also be downloaded from www.nasdu.co.uk.
