Demand has increased, without a doubt: the rise of personal protection dogs

Butch Cassidy, a 40kg Belgian shepherd owned by Grahame Green, is shown responding to a command by clamping on to a trainer's arm in a controlled demonstration. The article notes how such displays underline the potential for harm if a highly trained animal misfires or is handled by someone less experienced.

Personal protection dogs are being bred, trained and sold in the UK, with purpose-bred German shepherds, Belgian malinois, dobermans, rottweilers and cane corsos sold at the top end for tens of thousands of pounds and marketed as family pets that double as security.

The piece links growing mainstream interest to celebrity endorsements, social media and anxieties about crime, and cites Alaster Bly of K9 Protector saying demand has increased. The market is largely unregulated: such dogs do not fall under the Guard Dogs Act and are legally treated like any other dog, dependent on behaviour and owner control.

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