Security dog handler in black uniform with a German Shepherd on a lead during bark training in a field

Services / K9 unitsDog-led cover

K9 security dog units for sites across London and the M25

Q: Are your handlers right-to-work checked and vetted?

A full 5-year work and background check is carried out. Handlers also hold SIA Door Supervisor licences, and any SIA licence can be checked by the client on the SIA public register by licence number.

Q: Are the dogs safe around staff and the public?

The dogs are general-purpose security dogs working under a handler, and the handler issues a clear verbal warning before approaching anyone found on site, as the warehouse account shows. On live sites where staff or the public are present, cover is planned so the dog unit works perimeters, yards, and out-of-hours periods rather than crowded areas.

Q: Do you subcontract dog units when you are busy?

No. The dog section is in-house, approximately 15 to 20 dog-and-handler teams, and Aspire does not bring in units from other companies to fill a shift. The same rule applies in reverse: Aspire does not supply its dogs and handlers to other security companies.

Q: How quickly can a dog unit get to a site inside the M25?

Call-out to a site is approximately one hour, from a control room staffed 24 hours a day. The hour is the client's own approximation, not a promise; for an urgent request, ask the control room for a realistic time for your site when you call.

Q: Can dog units work alongside our existing static guards?

Yes, and this is a common pattern. Your own officers or another provider's guards hold the gatehouse and reception; an Aspire dog unit patrols the perimeter and covers the overnight period. Aspire supplies labour to work under your site rules.

Get a Quote for Dog Cover

A security dog unit is a handler and a general-purpose dog working a site together. Aspire Security Ltd runs its dog section in-house, approximately 15 to 20 dog-and-handler teams, with handlers certified to NASDU Level 2 GP and dog units operated to BS 8517, covering live and vacant sites in South London and anywhere inside the M25. Nothing is subcontracted, and Aspire does not supply its dogs and handlers to other security companies.

A control room staffed 24 hours a dayCall-out to a site is approximately one hourNASDU Associate memberISO 9001 certified

What a dog unit does that an officer cannot

An officer on a vacant site sees what is in front of him and hears what is loud enough to carry. A trained dog works from scent and movement, and it searches the places nobody thinks to open. That is the argument for a dog unit, and it is easier to show than to explain.

On a routine patrol at an unoccupied warehouse in London, one of our handlers observed his dog displaying a sudden change in behaviour and barking repeatedly. He left the vehicle with the dog to investigate. An initial inspection revealed no visible sign of forced entry or attempted break-in. The dog remained highly alert and continued searching, then focused on a row of industrial waste bins alongside the warehouse. The handler issued the standard verbal warning. A man emerged from inside one of the bins. He was escorted off the premises at a safe working distance and without incident, the control room was notified immediately, and the required incident report was completed.

In the client's own assessment, without the dog it is highly unlikely that a lone security officer would have located him.

The full incident account is published as a case study →

The division

Dogs and handlersApproximately 15 to 20 dog-and-handler teams

Employment modelAll handlers are Aspire's own; no units are subcontracted in, and Aspire does not supply its dogs and handlers to other security companies

DogsGeneral-purpose (GP) dogs

Handler certificationNASDU Level 2 GP

Unit standardDog units operated to BS 8517, the British Standard for security dog units

MembershipNASDU Associate member (National Association of Security Dog Users)

VettingA full 5-year work and background check is carried out

LicensingHandlers hold SIA Door Supervisor licences

ControlA control room staffed 24 hours a day; call-out to a site is approximately one hour

Where dog units earn their place

01Vacant and void propertyEmpty warehouses, industrial units between tenants, and buildings awaiting demolition or refit. Nobody inside to raise the alarm, plenty of places to hide. Detection matters more than presence.See vacant property security →02Construction sitesOut-of-hours cover for plant, materials, and open perimeters. A dog unit covers a large, irregular site on foot and finds people who have already got in.See construction site security →

03Live sites with a specific problemPersistent intrusion, rough sleeping in loading bays, theft from yards. A visible dog unit changes behaviour, and a dog can search a site rather than only watch it.

04Events, overnight and perimeterDog units hold the fence line and the overnight build and break periods while Door Supervisor licensed officers work the public-facing positions.See event security →

Ask About Cover for This Site

How a deployment is set up

Cover is quoted from three things: the site location, the hours of cover required, and the reason for the deployment. What those produce is a pattern for that site, which may be static dog presence, patrol rounds, searches, or a mix. The hours are yours to set, and the minimum job is discussed per contract.

What a handler does on a deployment is scheduled or risk-based patrols, checks, incident response and deployment in accordance with site requirements and agreed instructions. Appropriate service and incident reporting is provided in accordance with the assignment and client requirements.

If someone is found on site, the incident at the warehouse above is what the client describes as standard operating procedure:

01 →Verbal warning

02 →Safe working distance

03 →Escort off the premises

04 →Control room notified

05 →Incident report completed

Questions

Questions prospects ask before they book a dog unit

01What NASDU qualifications do your handlers hold?

All Aspire handlers are certified to NASDU Level 2 General Purpose, and the company is an Associate member of NASDU, the National Association of Security Dog Users. Dog units are operated to BS 8517, the British Standard for security dog units.

02Are your handlers right-to-work checked and vetted?

03Are the dogs safe around staff and the public?

04Do you subcontract dog units when you are busy?

05How quickly can a dog unit get to a site inside the M25?

06Can dog units work alongside our existing static guards?

Get a dog unit quoted

Three things set the price: the site location, the hours of cover you need, and the reason for the deployment. Put those in the form and a person replies from enquiry@aspiresecurityltd.co.uk. The phone is +44 7736 149254, staffed 24 hours a day.

Quote My K9 Deploymentor call +44 7736 149254+44 7736 149254