If you are looking at purchasing a protection dog for yourself or a member of your family, you might be considering if it would be more economical to buy a pre-trained dog or purchase training for a puppy.
There are many benefits to each option which we will help to break down for you.
What are the benefits of purchasing a pre-trained protection dog?
Purchasing a pre-trained protection dog can be perfect if you are looking for a protection dog you can use immediately.
If you need a dog to protect you from the get-go, looking into a pre-trained dog is honestly the best way forward.
If you go with training a puppy instead of buying a pre-trained protection dog, there is a lot of time when you will not have a trained protection dog.
What should be considered when purchasing a trained protection dog?
Shop via a reputable trainer who not only sells dogs with excellent training but also a dog that will live a healthy life.
Ask to see any relatives of the dog you are purchasing to make sure they are healthy and of a decent size for the protection work you plan to undertake with them.
It can also be a great idea to ask the trainer if they have any examples of protection dogs that they have trained previously.
You should be able to view many examples of a trainer’s work by watching fully trained protection dogs they have worked with.
You need to find a dog who will complete the protection work you need for you without any problems.
You need to think about the breed that will fit in best with the work you plan to need your protection dog for.
Popular breeds used for protection dogs are German Shepards, Belgian Malinois, Czech Shepards, Border Collies, German Shorthaired Pointers, and Labrador Retrievers.
Research the characteristics of these breeds thoroughly before making your decision. You need to find a dog that is trainable and assertive instead of aggressive and stubborn.
You should also consider that a trained protection dog is not the same as having a new family pet.
Protection dogs are trained for a job and they must know that job well in order to protect their family effectively and not accidentally attack the wrong people.
You must fully commit to a protection dog and continue the training they have already received for life with them.
How much does a trained protection dog cost?
Now usually we would list a variety of money-saving tips and tricks to help you shop around and get the most out of your money however, with protection dogs this is an investment that we would not want to be cheap on.
It is better to pay top dollar for your protection dog to ensure you are left with a good protection dog and not an untrained aggressive type that could leave you in dangerous situations or even illegal ones.
You cannot put a price on safety and while we have found cheaper protection dogs with full training at $15,000, we would really suggest spending as much money as you can to ensure you get a true protection dog.
The cost of a protection dog with full training can be as high as $65,000 if the breeder/trainer you go to has a very good reputation.
What are the benefits of purchasing a dog and then protection dog training?
By purchasing your dog first you can do a thorough job of choosing the ideal breed for its personality, size, and how effective it works as a protection dog.
You can often get a much more personalized dog than if you buy a pre-trained protection dog.
When you purchase protection dog training you can also be a little pickier about the trainer you use.
Perhaps the breeders who train and sell trained protection dogs can offer you an immediate service but you will have to work with the dogs they have for sale already and you must work with the training systems they have already implemented for their dogs.
When you separate the breeders from the trainers you can choose exactly what systems work for you and your needs.
Protection dog training can be quite specific to individuals so by buying the training separately from the dog you can be sure you will be getting a more individually tailored to your package.
What should you consider when buying protection dog training?
Once again you must ask to see examples of a trainer’s work. Be certain they will train your dog to be loyal and protective instead of just aggressive.
You need to make sure the trainer you choose for protection dog training uses methods you are comfortable with and that they are able to inform you how to handle your dog safely and confidently.
A big priority needs to be safety with any protection dog training. You need to be sure that the dog trainer will help you learn to train and handle your protection dog in a way that does not endanger any humans or animals.
How much does protection dog training cost?
The cost of any dog training is a little hard to calculate as there are many different variables such as how trainable your dog is, the experience level of the trainer you choose, and how often you schedule training sessions.
However, on average, the price of protection dog training is between $20,000 and $25,000.
Of course, a lot depends on the level of training you consider to be fully trained for a protection dog.
The cost of a protection dog that is specifically trained in detection like a TSA dog or bomb detection dog can be higher than $40,000.
If you require more specialist levels of training for your protection dog then the cost will be much higher than if you just require a regular level of training.
Additional costs to consider
When paying for training for a protection dog there are some costs you may not have considered.
Some trainers will require you to sign a contract and have yearly or every couple of years maintenance sessions with your dog to maintain their standard of protection dog training.
The cost of maintenance sessions for protection dogs can be as high as $2,000.
The added costs on top of that though can be travel, business expenses, and a hotel room if your trainer has to come from a further distance away.
