Apprenticeship Β· earn while you train Β· live UK standard from the careers engine
Apprenticeship

Detection and protection working dog specialist

Level
3
Advanced Β· like A-levels
Length
2 yrs
typical
Sector
Agriculture, environmental and animal care
Pay
Paid
you earn while training

In a nutshell

Manage specialist working dogs effectively to support business objectives when operating in complex or high pressure environments or situations.

What you'd do

Conduct daily welfare checks, feeding, and exercise for your dog
Run structured training sessions to maintain and develop detection skills
Deploy with your dog to search sites, vehicles, or individuals
Complete operational logs and record search outcomes accurately
Liaise with colleagues and partner agencies during operations
Attend kennels for cleaning, maintenance, and equipment checks
Prepare evidence records when a detection leads to a find

What you'd learn

Canine behaviour, learning theory, and welfare requirements
Reward-based detection training methods and scent theory
Relevant legislation governing the use of working dogs
Operational search techniques for buildings, vehicles, and open areas
Dog health monitoring, first aid, and kennel management
Record keeping for training sessions and operational deployments
Personal safety and risk assessment in operational environments
Ready to look for a place?
See live Detection and protection working dog specialist apprenticeship vacancies on the official government service.
Find vacancies
A Careermash concept Β· apprenticeship standard from our careers engine Β· vacancies via gov.uk.

Career data: role, pay and progression profiles built for Careermash's careers engine; AI-impact estimates from Anthropic's observed AI-usage telemetry and OpenAI's AI Jobs Transition Framework. Course data: HESA / Discover Uni, including Graduate Outcomes, LEO and the National Student Survey. Apprenticeships: IfATE-published standards, approved only.

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