Pros
*Easy work. Working the gates or the parking lot only takes a few hours. The rest of the 8-12 hour shift is chill'n in your car with the dog and being "on call."
*Travel opportunities are great. San Diego, Vegas, NYC, Seattle, Lots of opportunities, and travel is pretty easy with the K9, and reimbursements for gas and food are always taken care of.
*Training: I found the paid training to be pretty good, and if you get sent to additional training for FDC (firearm detection course), it's even better, some of the best in the country.
* A lot of handlers will say the dogs are the best part. nd I would love to agree, but I'll explain in the cons why it's a double-edged sword.
Cons
- Hours, November through May, there was hardly any work. But the company will fire you and force you to quit by not giving you hours if you try to find another job. 100% this is a part-time job with a seasonal heavy period. They expect you to live off VA benefits and use this as a supplemental income. but will act like a toxic partner if you search for additional employment.
- The dog. their dogs come with problems. They are not treated well in the CT kennels at all. Severely sick, underweight, and many have anxiety problems.
- The company understands that since the animals live with you, you build a strong bond with them. They will use that over your head and threaten to take the k9 if you show up late or underperform.
- If you don't retire the dog with you, it's absolutely heartbreaking for you and your family to have the dog taken away.
- I was told by a regional manager that " this is a good job, but it's not a career."
- very limited room for growth. You can possibly become an FDC or Cargo handler, but this will depend on the drive of your randomly selected K9, not on your performance. Growth upward is extremely limited, with only 4-6 management positions on the West Coast, and I'm not positive about growth on the East Coast.
