Protection dogs for sale in Montana come with hefty price tag of $150K
There won't be anyone barking up your tree if you can swing $150,000 for this fido.
Svalinn, a dog breeding company based in Livingston, Montana, raises and trains protection dogs by mixing characteristics of different breeds.
The company has been making headlines and the pets appear to be sparking conversations on social media.
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On TikTok, there are more than 101 million posts related to "Svalinn Security Dog," and #svalinnworkingdogs has over 1,000 posts on Instagram.
The high price of the dogs is in part due to the minimum of 1,000 hours of training that starts when the pups are 8 weeks old.
Svalinn crosses breeds of German shepherds, Dutch shepherds, and Belgian shepherds, and not all the dogs are the same.
Each has their own distinct appearance and temperament, with some being a better fit for a family.
"Many so-called 'protection' dogs are trained for competitions; at Svalinn we aren’t interested in sports or games. Our focus is developing loving and faithful companion dogs that are also exceptional deterrents to a would-be threat, and instant protectors, should you or your family ever be in imminent danger," Svalinn's website says.
Just because one may have the means to purchase a Svalinn, doesn’t mean they may get one.
In order to purchase a dog, prospective owners must visit the remote ranch in Montana to see if there is a good match.
Kim Greene, Svalinn founder and CEO, told FOX Business that her clients are purchasing dogs to prioritize peace of mind.
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"A lot of us don't want to live our lives in fear, but knowing that we kind of have an ever-vigilant guardian angel by our side just makes us feel we can just live our lives in a state of awareness rather than having to be vigilant all the time," she said.
Fifty-five percent of Americans saw crime rising in their local area within a year, according to a Gallup poll released in October 2023.
Canines have been hand-delivered from Svalinn to owners across the country from New York City, Florida, Alaska to Hawaii.
Another security dog breeding company, Debut Shepherds, based in Texas, lists its most expensive dog at nearly $53,000, according to its website.
However, they use the Dog Training Institute to coach the pups.
FOX Business reached out to Debut Shepherds for comment.
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One Svalinn canine owner, who declined to give her name and location for privacy reasons, said she purchased one of the dogs since her husband travels for work.
"I found myself wanting an extra layer of protection beyond my home alarm system. My dogs are protectors, companions, and incredibly cuddly and loving pals," she told FOX Business via email.
Svalinn sells about 18 to 20 dogs per year.
"There are hundreds of thousands of great dogs out there. I'm not a dog snob, but what separates Svalinn from anybody else in the market is that we are purposefully cross breeding in-house," Greene said.
With the hefty price, clients get 24/7 support throughout the pups' lives.
"It's a labor of love to raise the animals, and it's a labor of passion to stay connected to all of our canine owners," Greene said.