Patrol dogs are an increasingly common sight in Edmonton, as security officers work with dogs at malls, parking garages and other retail businesses.

Nick Schmit, a security guard who works for Beretta Protective Services International, said canine patrols help security staff deal with aggressive criminals.

"The reason it is becoming more popular is because people that are committing unlawful activity are becoming more strategic, more violent, more aggressive with everything they do," said Schmit, who works with five-year-old German shepherd named Donna.

"The dogs are there to deter the aggression."

Business owners said thieves who make trouble for security guards might think twice if a dog is also on patrol.

Alan Durston, general manager of Edmonton City Centre, said the mall's parent company has used dogs in other cities.

"So, we thought we'd try that here. Typically, we run them through the parkades, and that's reduced theft levels," Durston said.

But security personnel like Schmit caution that patrol dogs can't be used in every situation.

In crowded areas, Schmit said, some people may mistake a patrol dog for a pet and try to touch them, an act which the dog might see as aggression towards the guard.

They aren't pets, he said.

"That is exactly what they're not," Schmit said. "They are so far from being pets."