Annual Salary
£21,000 to £30,000
Average UK salary in 2023 was £34,963
(source Office for National Statistics)
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Dog handlers work with specially trained dogs to help detect and prevent crime, find lost or missing people and protect property.
Average UK salary in 2023 was £34,963
(source Office for National Statistics)
You could work: evenings / weekends / bank holidays; on shifts
There will be
5.4% more Dog handler jobs in 2027.
Depending on the service you work for, you could:
You may need to wear a uniform.
You could work in kennels.
Your working environment may be outdoors in all weathers and physically demanding.
You can get into this job through:
You could take a course that will increase your knowledge and skills to handle and work with animals like a:
You'll usually need:
You could do an animal trainer higher apprenticeship.
Some employers may expect you to have previous experience of working with animals.
Employers will set their own entry requirements.
You can train to be a dog handler if you work or have worked in the uniformed services.
Check the entry requirements for applying to be a dog handler in the:
You can gain confidence with dogs and develop your training skills through volunteering.
Organisations like the National Search and Rescue Dog Association and dog rescue charities may be useful places to search for opportunities.
You can apply to work with a private security firm as a dog handler. You'll need a Security Industry Authority licence to do this.
You'll have an advantage when you apply for jobs if you've got experience of working with dogs.
You'll need to:
You can find out more about becoming a dog handler from the College of Animal Welfare.
Promotion opportunities will depend on the service or organisation that you work for. In the police and armed forces, you may have to move out of dog handling to get promoted to the higher ranks.
In security, you could go on to be head of canine services, where you lead teams of dog handlers.
You might also become a trainer, working with organisations like search and rescue, to help train dogs and their handlers.
You'll need: