Organization, deployment, and operation of a guard dog kennel

1. Selecting the grounds for a guard dog kennel.

The grounds must satisfy the following requirements:

• the kennel grounds must be surrounded by a fence at least 2 meters high to prevent strangers and stray animals from accessing the area;
• the grounds should not be located near landfills or industrial plants with high levels of air pollution;
• the area dimensions must meet the military canine units’ standards of at least 10 m2 per dog;
• each dog should be housed in an enclosure with a doghouse inside it. For the ease of transportation and installation, the enclosures should be prefabricated and assembled on the spot.

 

To assemble an enclosure, the following parts are necessary:

Part	Quantity	Diameter	Length	Total length
Bracket 4×4 cm for foundation	5		2.10 m	10.05 m
Pipe for front poles	2	6 cm	2.09 m	4.18 m
Pipe for rear poles	2	6 cm	1.97 m	3.94 m
Bracket 2.5×2.5 cm (front, side, and rear walls)	8		2.10 m	16.80 cm
Bracket 2.5×2.5 cm (door)	2 2		0.78 m 1.45 m	Total: 4.46 m
Rebar	68	1 cm	1.45 m (door) 1.51 m (walls)	15.95 m 61.53 m
Metal plates 10×10 cm for pole support	4			Metal sheet 40×40 cm, thickness 0.5 cm
Pipe to attach fasteners	32	2 cm	5 cm	1.60 m
Steel bar	32	1 cm	7 cm	2.24 m
Door hinges	2
Iron sheets for roofing				2.20 x 2.60 m
Flooring boards	11		0.04×0.15×2.1 m
Lock	1

 

A wooden doghouse assembly is installed inside each enclosure.

Its main dimensions are as follows:

Floor: 0.98 x 1.80 m;

Front wall: 0.81 x 1 m;

Side wall: 1.7 x 1 x 0.8 x 1.10 m;

Back wall: 0.75 x 0.8 m;

Roof: 0.98 x 1.19 m.

 

2. Requirements for a station to host a dog handler or a team of dog handlers on a 24/7 duty.

The station should be equipped with a wardrobe or a coat rack, a writing desk, chairs, a sofa, communication equipment, and a fire extinguisher. The room should be also equipped with a display board where all the information on the current activities of the station will be posted.

Each dog handler on duty should possess a valid pass or ID card to enter the premises of the company. While on duty, the dog handlers should wear uniforms with stripes on both sleeves that indicate their service at the guard dog center.

3. Cooperation between the dog handlers and the company security.

The head of company security must have a list of all dog handlers assigned to work with guard gods on the company grounds. The list must contain the personal data of the dog handlers, including their photographs. At the discretion of the head of company security, the dog handlers may be provided with portable radios for instant communication, coordination of their actions, and information exchange. At the beginning of his shift, each dog handler reports to the company security supervisor on duty. They discuss and clarify the canine specialist’s work plan and the coordination of his actions with the company security.

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4. Assignment of the areas and spots where guard dogs will be employed.

To use security dogs most effectively, the dog trainers together with the company security develop a proposal as to which locations and routes should be selected and equipped for canine protection. Each location or object is called a station and must be assigned a unique number and a code name. For instance, “Station #1” (Warehouse). Stations guarded by dogs should be marked so on the map of the company premises. Patrol routes must be planned and marked on the map as well.

All pertinent data are entered into a table following a template below:

 

Station #	Code name	Mode of guard dogs’ operation	Number of dogs on duty	Time of canine operation
1	Warehouse	Outside, at the checkpoint	1	10:00 PM–10:00 PM (24/7)
2	Garage	Inside, free roaming	2	7:00 PM–7:00 AM (12-hour shifts)
…	…	…	…	…
TOTAL over the company	Total stations: 6	Checkpoints: 4, free roaming: 2, in enclosures: 2, on patrol: 3	20	10:00 PM–10:00 PM stations #1, 3

5. Identification and development of the most effective tactics of guard dogs’ deployment.

Checkpoint security.

A checkpoint ensures the security of a particular direction so that no one could pass through a certain area unchecked. A checkpoint can be placed, for example, near a fence, a wall of a buildings, or between buildings. Depending on the terrain, the checkpoint can be either isolated or a system of several stations with different layouts. For instance, the stations could be placed along a straight line, or form a zig-zag pattern at different angles, or form a closed loop. One checkpoint can control a space up to 100 m wide. Checkpoint area up to 10 m wide must be cleared of garbage, bushes, etc. The dog must be chained and move within the guarded area on the chain fastened to a wire strung between two posts. A doghouse should be installed near the checkpoint.

Guarding on a fixed length leash.

Checkpoints with a guard dog on a fixed length (non-retractable) leash can be set up when the area is no less than 4 m wide. This method is used to secure narrow passages, hallways, or warehouse doors.

Free roaming.

The dog is unleashed and can move freely around the site. In this case the dog can patrol the premises while being either outside or inside the fenced area. This type of protection is most effective when a pair of dogs is deployed.

If the area guarded by a free roaming dog is more than 1200–1400 m², it should be divided into several isolated parts depending on the number of available guard dogs. If a dog is placed inside a building, there should be no free access from floor to floor.

Security inside an enclosure.

Security inside an enclosure means that the guard dog roams free inside a fenced area. An enclosure can be built along a fence, a building wall, or along its perimeter. A fence is built 10–15 m (depending on the terrain) from the guarded area perimeter, thus creating a narrow passage. A dog should roam inside this space. Similar to the free roaming method, here it also advisable here to deploy dogs in pairs. The goal of the canine protection inside an enclosure is to secure a greater distance than a checkpoint could, and to prevent strangers from entering the premises or leaving them unchecked. This type of canine security is widely used by prison guards.

Patrol and station security.

This type of canine security includes a dog handler with a guard dog either patrolling along a pre-determined route or staying at a fixed station to prevent unauthorized persons from entering the premises or leaving the premises with stolen goods.

 

6. Acceptable work hours for dog handlers and guard dogs.

The number of dog handlers and their schedule are determined depending on the total number of service stations and guard dogs. The schedule must be approved by the head of the canine center, and can be coordinated with the head of company security. In addition, the canine center’s administration may develop other standards and instructions to regulate the professional activities of the dog handlers.