Welcome to XD63 Dog Services
Xd63 services provide search services, workshops, seminars, training provision, and the assessment of other dog teams in the Greater London and Thames Valley area.
The provision of obedience/sport and tracking lessons for the general public.
Xd63 dogs are Police trained pro-active free-running explosive search dogs, not leash-limited searchers.
Xd63 services now provide Tobacco search services.
Our Team.
The XD63 team is made up from Left to right, with the newest member of the team, Luna, a 2-year-old Spingador, followed by the eldest member and former British Transport Police dog Kilo, then Fred, the police-trained Labrador and finally Zac the Tobacco search dog.
What We Do
Robert and his dogs have been working for almost 35 years in the policing sector, in both Canada and the United Kingdom. During his work, he has conducted sensitive operations and detailed investigations of all levels. Examples of previous work include insurance inquiries, missing persons, background due diligence, infidelity, and criminal defense inquiries. He is now working low profile with his dogs as a retired officer.
Previous Operational Deployments
Private social events.
Corporate event seminars.
Exhibition centres.
Major sports stadia.
Music and Film premiers.
Nuclear/Industrial plants.
Government/Political locations.
Royal palaces.
Universities/Colleges.
Banking/Financial Headquarters.
Qualifications
Background and experience
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Robert's work is based on his nearly 35 years of extensive experience with top-level security and risk management, as well as having a background of investigating criminal law, anti-social behaviour law, human trafficking, landlord and tenant law, drug and alcohol abuse, and environmental and noise legislation. He is accustomed to high-pressure environments with strict time constraints. Robert is a qualified dual license holder of security and private investigations. XD63 Services is a registered Private Investigations Agency and is fully covered by Public Liability Insurance.
Explosives
As of 2019 and years before it, explosives have been used more and more to cause harm and destruction to both military and civilian personnel including business and personal attacks. Examples of this are aircrafts, government buildings, banks, concert halls as well as individuals targeted via postal system or vehicle placement. This is an issue of both infrastructural damage and loss of life or serious injury.
History
Established in 2014 and based primarily in the United Kingdom by an owner with almost 35 years of experience with the police service, the XD63 Dog Services comprise of reliable, dedicated and experienced workers in their assortment of fields.
Explosives Qualifications
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Along with accumulated knowledge over 35 years, Robert and his dogs have worked with the Thames Valley Police force, Metropolitan and City of London Police, and they all have constant training from the Regional Police training school in Surrey. They are all trained and accredited to the NPCC or National Police Chiefs Council standards as well as ACPO (Association of Chief Police Officers) and HABC level 4 or both. Robert and his dogs are certified as a team and live together. They all undergo monthly training, as well as being reaccredited several times a year for their training both for Regional Police Dog Training School and the NPCC standards.
Proficiencies and previous work
Robert's dogs have been trained primarily for finding explosives in buildings, approach routes, vehicles, vessels, aircrafts and open areas. The majority of their work is pre event; whether that be for sporting events, conferences, exhibitions, tourist attractions, industrial and nuclear facilities, government offices or the commercial sector.
Services
Retained by.
Tactical Asset Protection Services-Taps
VP Protection
Logixx Security Services
hhk9detection
Cdn detection
Afimac
Sentinel Security
Tyler Security
Tactical K9 Ltd
Kryus K9
Accted
Explosives services
Tactical venue threat assessment
Defensive Pre event or random visit searches of venue
Pro active visible patrol and response
On call threat response to venue
Continuous training of qualified handler/dog teams
Safe system assessments of search teams
FAQ's
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How often do you train your dogs?
My dogs are accredited by the UK police force, the ACPO (Association of Chiefs of Police) require 10 one day sessions and 2 one week course per year to maintain that accreditation. This is an independent assessment, and was carried out by the national police dog training school in Surrey, England.
What age does your dog retire at?
There is no set age for retirement, most police forces review training records for stamina and efficiency on a monthly basis, scrutiny if performance has to bear in mind age, illness, and training conditions. In basic terms if there is an apparent lack of drive to search and enjoy play rewards on a repetitive basis, it may be time for retirement.
Can your dogs search for other substances too?
Search dogs have the capability to search for multiple odours, however for safety and operational efficiency, explosive dogs should be limited to those identified substances, because of the procedures following a positive indication, I.E. a high level evacuation versus one person with drugs.
Does your dog get bored working all day if he finds nothing?
Dogs do get saturated with negative searches when working, and depending on the venue, the handler will judge when to rest, refresh or create a reward hide to increase their dogs drive. Most handlers carry materials to hide/reward on shift deployments.
What materials do you train on?
My dogs are trained on live explosive materials, not pseudo or chemically manufactured compounds. The advantage of this on top of the regular police training is that newly identified materials being used are identified by police intelligence imminently and then imprinted on the dogs.
Can I pet your dog?
Some handlers and companies prefer the dogs not to be fussed with, and it is always best to ask the handler first. Search dogs are well balanced in terms of behaviours, therefore they won't be dangerous dogs, however some handlers prefer no distractions. Robert has no objections to greeting his dogs.
Where do your dogs get a rest or drinks?
Most handlers have a designed vehicle to provide a tranquil and refreshing space. This can be former designed police dog unit vehicles, or private vehicles that are modified.
In the United Kingdom, vehicles must be inspected and comply with standards to include; intake and extraction fans, cooling, comfortable bedding and rest space, food and water supplies as well as first aid kits for both dogs and humans.
Why do you have two dogs, is one better than the other? Do most handlers have two?
Myself and other handlers that I have worked with for operational efficiency and animal welfare matters, use 2 dogs. All dogs must be accredited to the same operational standards. The value is that environmental situations such as noise, extreme temperatures, over crowding and prolonged searching could cause nasal fatigue. The benefits of having regular rest periods to refresh a dog is highly desirable. A good handler will also note if any of his dogs are suffering ailments, as us humans do.
Useful Links
https://www.cpni.gov.uk/canine-detection-0
https://lawi.org.uk/association-of-chief-police-officers/
https://www.npcc.police.uk/
https://www.icts.co.uk/services/canine
https://www.evolutionk9.ca/
http://www.vpprotection.com/
https://www.logixxsecurity.com/
https://www.tylersecurity.com/
https://www.rfasecurity.co.uk/
