For the billionaire buying a guard dog, why
go with a standard pup when you can get one that’s trained in three different
languages?
It only costs $US230,000.
The Harrison K-9 facility, is a South
Carolina-based dog training company that only sells the most highly trained and
intelligent German Shepherds to executives and celebrities.
Harrison K-9 has been in business since the
1970s when founder Harrison Prather began training dogs for law enforcement and
the US government. Not long after, he learned there was a market for the über
wealthy to have not only a guard dog, but a companion as well.
The elite dogs are imported from Germany
and taught multiple commands such as “come, heel, sit, down, or stay” in both
English and German as well as through special hand signals. They are trained in
a variety of places such as office buildings, city streets, parks, vehicles,
and even yachts so they won’t become distracted or disoriented in a new
environment.
The 25-acre Harrison K-9 training facility
has obstacle courses where they teach the dogs to do perimeter searches for the
home, bite and hold onto aggressors, and complete agility courses.
To get one of these sweet pups, prices
start at $US35,000 and average between $US40,000 and $US50,000. Some of the
more top-of-the-line dogs run over $US80,000. They are sold when they’re around
two-years-old to make sure they’re mature enough for the field and highly
trained.
The most expensive dog Harrison K-9 ever
sold was a dog named Julia for $US230,000 to a businessman in Minneapolis,
Minnesota. Julia was so smart that the head trainer told The New York Times she
was almost like a person. “If my daughter Kailee was outside in the woods, I’d
say, ‘Julia, where’s Kailee?’, and she’d go out and find her,” she said.
One thing’s for sure — they’re loyal. Plus,
the company says on its website that having a dog will intimidate criminals far
more than security systems and human guards would thanks to its sharp teeth and
lack of hesitation to attack.
You can see the current guard dogs that
Harrison K-9 is training here. In addition to being extremely expensive,
they’re also adorable.
Article in Business Insider Australia
