Even though Marcel Bonnefin was born and grew up in England, he ?likes Mauritius?, his father?s country, and would like to use his skills and experience to help it. The managing director of Top Dog Security in Britain would like to open a business here to help in fields such as the customs, the police, the airport or the port for instance. His long experience in breeding and training dogs for the security industry should help Mauritius in security matters ? search of explosive and drugs are his most common jobs in the UK ? in strategic points as well as for individuals.

Marcel has a special feeling for Mauritius. ?I am trying to process my citizenship at the moment and I wish I could open my business as early as possible. I have been working for many years and in different agencies in UK, so I am sure my experience could serve the country.? In fact, his job is not only about training dogs. The handler and the dog work as a team to assure the client that his site is in safe hands.

Synergy between dog and handler

His experience in large stadiums, port facilities, airports and local transport should make searches really efficient in Mauritius. ?Most of our handlers are ex-military or police, which gives them the correct manner and approach to security work and attention to detail?, he states. The first stage of the job is strategic; the handler will not send his dog in any part of the building or will not get into the building before. There has to be a sort of synergy between the two so that the handler knows exactly how to detect his dog?s signals. ?For instance, we will teach the dog to sit and stare at any dangerous area wherever it feels it so that the handler can clearly know what is happening. Sitting is a position that the dog will not use if he is tired or if he is excited for instance?, he explains.

The relationship between the dog and the handler is very important because ?you really need to have a special ability to work with dogs?. Although it is an essential condition, loving dogs is not a sufficient reason for getting involved in the profession. As for Marcel, he says he must have a special ?air that dogs can feel but I can?t really describe it?. To obtain long-lasting results with the dog, ?you simply have to understand canine psychology?.

But how simple is that? ?It?s just the same with human beings. You don?t like to be over-powered, you like people to speak to you properly, you like to be rewarded when you do something right. Dogs just react the same way.? Since he arrived in Mauritius, Marcel has been able to ?train? the dog at his relative?s place. ?A few hours have been enough to make the dog understand basic things.?

What his relatives had taken years to achieve ? or not achieve ? Marcel has done in only a few hours. It must have something to do with his special ?air?, really! What he wants now is to pass on the knowledge and experience he has gained in the UK to Mauritius.

?Ready for any sort of attack?

Britain has been suffering from terrorism for a long time now while Mauritius is known as a very safe place. So why should the authorities bother about implementing more security if what we have now has delivered the goods so far? ?Today, it is becoming increasingly difficult to attack Britain because the authorities are ready for any sort of attack. Mauritius is indeed very safe but there are daily flights from Europe coming here. If terrorists can?t attack the UK, they may try to attack the British subjects everywhere they can,? he rightly points out.

Mauritian economy is more and more based on tourism and we can?t afford to take risks concerning the security of visitors. Such initiatives to bring into the country specific skills may have to be seriously considered! At the beginning, Marcel may have to bring his own staff to train the dogs but he hopes to train and employ local staff as soon as possible!