As the lifestyles of the rich and famous continue to evolve, many of these people are turning to guard dogs as a new way to protect themselves. While the concept of a guard dog is nothing new, these animals are more of an investment in safety. Many of the top-of-the-line dogs sell for more than $150,000.
From the Hollywood settlements that help train these animals to elite guard dog training facilities in Montana, those who can afford it are increasingly turning to these dogs as a form of modern protection and insurance. How are these dogs trained, and why are the prices so high?
Where can you find high quality guard dogs for sale?
A variety of high-end guard dogs are available for sale by a variety of companies, many of which breed dogs for guarding. One such breeder is Svalinn, which describes its dogs on its website as “the ultimate lovers and protectors” and dogs that provide “guaranteed peace of mind.”
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Souvarein, like other guard dog breeders, doesn't frequently relinquish dogs to owners; the company “doesn't sell more than 20 dogs a year and has only about 350 worldwide,” New York magazine said. Souvarein's dogs “cost at least $150,000,” but the dogs are “Dutch Shepherd, German Shepherd and Belgian Malinois crossbreds, with breeds not disclosed.” Most of that price “comes not from the breeding, but from the rigors of training, which takes two to three years.” The company positions itself as a “full-fledged concierge service,” Souvarein founder Kim Green told the magazine.
While Suvarin is based in Montana, other guard dog companies serve larger metropolitan areas. Crime remains rife in Los Angeles, where guard dogs are “highly popular among wealthy residents who worry about being targeted,” according to the Los Angeles Times. Companies like Delta K9 Academy in North Hollywood put their dogs through “rigorous training programs” and “market them with names like 'personal canine bodyguards' and 'executive bodyguards.'”
Artyom Bulgadarian, who bought a house in Sherman Oaks, bought a dog from Delta K9 for $70,000. [the cost] “It takes 10 to 15 years or more, regardless of the dog's lifespan, and it's not a very expensive thing,” Bulgadarian told The Times.
What can these dogs do?
The dogs undergo extensive training – in Souvrin's case, a “four-step process that involves meeting breeders and getting to know the dogs, visiting farms to select the perfect animal, and then securing it with a non-refundable deposit,” according to The Independent – as the dogs are trained to be “beasts that can slit an attacker's windpipe and also function as pets,” according to New York magazine.
Specifically, the dogs will be taught “with an emphasis on basic obedience, stability, agility, socialization and, of course, protection.” [so] According to the Suvarin website, each dog is trained to meet the “unique needs” of its owner, and training is then specifically tailored “to the owner's particular living situation, specific needs, daily habits and potential safety threats.”
Premium guard dogs undergo rigorous training early on to “turn them into confident, strong-personality puppies” by the time they're 3 to 4 months old, Mike Israeli, owner of Delta K9 Academy, told Business Insider. At that point, trainers “start teaching them commands.” By the end of the training process, the dog “understands that I won't attack unless I'm on command, but if I'm told to go, I'll go.” This isn't always easy, since “it's very hard to get a dog to understand that, 'You can be taught how to fight or bite, but sometimes you shouldn't make that decision unless you're on command.'”
