$230,000 for a Guard Dog; That's Just Stupid

[erpowers]

I just read an article about people who are willing to pay more than $50,000 to get a guard dog. This article reminded me of the Acura car commercials in which a person would list the reason they bought some extremely high priced item. At the end of the ad an announcer would make a statement explaining that these people were making excuses for spending so much money on a so called luxury item. This dog article is similar to those commercials.

At the beginning of the article the reader is told these dogs are not called guard dogs; they are called "executive protection dogs". The article goes on to talk about the breeding of these dogs and the fact that they have won international competiions. The main dog profiled in the article, Julia, and most of the other dogs used as "executive protection dogs" are German Shepherds. The owner of Julia pay $230,000 for her.

Do these people not realize that German Shepherds are guard dogs? You do not have to pay $50,000 or more to get a German Shepherd that protects a yard and a family. German Shepherds do not have to be trained in, or a certified expert in Schutzhund(protection dog)in order to protect a family. You do not have to say "Packen" (the supposed German term for "seize") in order to get your German Shepherd to attack an intruder. Either the dog will attack when he/she realizes the item he/she is supposed to protect is threaten or if an owner says "attack".

In reality, all anyone needs to do in order to get a good German Shepherd is to pay about a few hundred dollars and then get the dog trained. For those who support shelter dogs, it would be possible to get a good German Shepherd dog from a shelter.


From the AKC (American Kennel Club)
Energetic and fun-loving, the breed is very fond of children once a relationship is established.
He is a loyal family pet and a good guard dog, the ideal choice for many families

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/12/us/12dogs.html?_r=1
http://www.akc.org/breeds/german_shepherd_dog/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D3Lw_02M63Y

[ejpoeta]

1. We had a german shepherd. he was 6 when we got him, but he i think was

certified. he was trained. He was not an attack dog. We untrained him really well. He was the best. His best job was keeping salespeople and jehovah witness folks in their cars. I really miss him.

I remember that commercial.... about the car... I see those commercials and find it disgusting. and here we go again. I guess we haven't learned anything after all.

[rfranklin]

2. These people are buying a magic talisman...

that they hope will protect them.

[TygrBright]

3. German Shepherd Dogs do require training...

...in order to apply their natural protective character appropriately as their human companion(s) want/need. They need to learn to look to their handler for cues, to respond to specific directions, etc. The training is not difficult and there are several good training methods/schools that are commonly used. The best require the owner(s)/handlers to "go to school" as well. Most good training schools charge from a few hundred to a couple of thousand dollars.

GSDs are not the only breed that has protective character and can be appropriately trained as guard dogs. There are half a dozen breeds well known for the character and ability to take guard dog training, but just about any intelligent medium- to large-size dog of a moderately protective character (including cross breeds) can learn the basics. The key is in the training, for handler AND dog.

Appropriate dogs can be found at many/most shelters and lots of breed rescue organizations. You can pay a reputable, caring breeder for a purebred if you really, really want, but most ethical, reputable breeders will supply a puppy of stellar lineage for under $5,000.

Add in a couple of thousand for top of the line dog/handler training.

Law enforcement dogs and those in high-risk environments may need protective gear, add a couple thousand more for that.

$230,000 is beyond stupid. It's degenerate.

disgustedly,
Bright

[valerief]

4. Yeah, but where are the bragging rights in that?

Obscenely rich people always need to up the ante with all their stolen money.

[FSogol]

5. I don't think $230k is too much for a flying guard dog that is fluent in German.

Wait, what?

[Wait Wut]

10. !

:rofl:

[Taverner]

6. The rich are going to need a helluva lot more than a guard dog to protect them soon...

In fact, if they continue their crimes, they just might want to start looking at leaving planet Earth...

[Sonoman]

7. "pay about a few hundred dollars and then get the dog trained"

That's fantasy.

First of all, working dogs of this caliber sell for thousands of dollars.

Trainers charge tens of thousands, depending on what type of training is required. These particular dogs are trained for years in Germany. A good dog will run $40K+. One with superior bloodlines can sell for really serious money.

If you have been around dogs like these, you would get it. Hell, people who have dogs like these pay much more for their automobiles.

We have twelve of these highly trained dogs (Rotts) who guard millions of dollars worth of some of the finest Brahman cattle on the planet. Thankfully, we only had to go large on two breeder bitches (can I use the proper term on DU? I don't know what else to call them.).

Sonoman

[Obamanaut]

8. Here too

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=439&topic_id=1286246

[Stevenmarc]

9. You can bet $230,000 comes with a lot of support and guarantees

[Canuckistanian]

11. Truly a magical animal

One that's capable of killing an intruder by ripping into a limb or throat - yet gentle enough to play with the kids without worry.

Sheer fantasy.

[HopeHoops]

12. Maybe it had cute widdle ears and a waggedy-waggy-woogie tail.

:hug: