The image of the security guard hanging on to the leash of his dog is a somewhat diminishing sight these days.
Guardsman, with their signature Doberman Pinscher logo, is one of the few security companies, as well as Atlas, that still use patrol dogs on a large scale.
"The dog is still widely used but the emergence of electronic security has had some impact," Anthony Rothery, president of the Jamaica Kennel Club (JKC), says. There are some smaller companies that still have dogs but not as many as those two, he adds.
Maintaining the dogs is another reason for the reduction as the training and care of a dog can be highly prohibitive.
Guardsman's Helmut Lechner says it costs approximately $150,000 per year to keep each dog. There are 400 dogs now active at Guardsman and its affiliate, Marksman, he says.
However, Lechner lauds the use of dogs for security guards over the firearm. There are many advantages, he says, arguing that a dog provides additional eyes and ears. "A guard with a firearm is a target; there are no cases where a guard has ever been attacked for his dog," he quips.
Proper training is also one important factor in producing guard dogs.
But Rothery reveals that there are no structured facilities for people to learn how to train dogs; however "members of the JKC and others have developed expertise in training," he says.
"There is no accreditation system for dog training, it is just hands-on experience, but there are a few people with the skill," adds Rothery.
Lechner adds that security companies will set up their individual training facilities and sometime, these trainers will offer services to private citizens.
"We buy pups and rear them at Serenity Park before taking them into Kingston for training," he says.
Breeds preferred for security purposes are Rottweilers, German Shepherds, Dobermans and Mastiffs, which are very rare in Jamaica. Naturally aggressive breeds are better, explains Tucker.
The infamous Pit Bull, known for its aggression, is not on the list.
It is not a very large dog, says Tucker, but it can be very dangerous. "Long ago they were used for dogfights. They were thrown into pits (hence the name pit bull) where they fought unto death".
"In the United States today, there are cases where they have been trained to become killers."
But, while they are an aggressive breed, they can be very ordinary dogs, Tucker adds. Training is what makes the difference. Pit Bulls are illegal in Jamaica but that has not stopped them being imported into the island. "A lot of them are now in the country," says Tucker.
Importation of dogs is critical to improving the local bloodlines, Rothery explains. In order to get better dogs, especially for shows, dogs from outside have to be brought in for breeding.
However, dogs can legally be imported to Jamaica only from the United Kingdom.
"All dogs imported into Jamaica have to be born and bred in the United Kingdom. Rabies is the major reason. We, as well as the UK, are rabies-free countries."
But getting dogs into the island, according to Rothery, is quite costly. According to information from the Veterinary Division of the Ministry of Agriculture, it costs $800 for an import licence for a dog. But there are other debilitating costs. "First there is the cost to purchase the dog. Then there is the airfare, and duties are set at 75 per cent of the CIF value,"says Rothery. His peeve, however, is the designation of dogs as cargo rather than passenger luggage.
"Jamaica is the only country in the Caribbean that stipulates that the dog must be brought in as cargo instead of passenger luggage." The JKC president contends that if dogs were allowed as passenger luggage overweight can be charged by the airline and the CIF charge would reduced.
"Most other animals can be brought without restriction, what is it about the dogs? Rothery asks speculatively.
The Jamaica Observer - The Dog Business
