Guard dogs become the pet of choice, Ham & High - 12th December 2008

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AT £15,000 each, they are more like a girl’s prized pet than man’s best friend.

HIGHLY trained guard dogs ready to take a bite out of anyone who threatens their owners are doing brisk business in St John’s Wood. With the onset of the recession Marylebone-born Charles Wall has seen a massive surge in orders for the “personal protection dogs” that his company, A1 K9, sells.

St John’s Wood families, increasingly fearful of audacious daylight burglaries, have been snapping up Mr Wall’s powerful Dobermans and German shepherds for between £5,000 and £15,000 a time.

“We’re experiencing more calls than ever before because the type of crime people are suffering from is changing” said Mr Wall. “Whereas before burglars were breaking into homes when they thought they were empty, now they are targeting houses when the inhabitants are in."

“This week we had someone come to us whose wife was in her own home when an attacker carrying a gun broke in.”

“He said to her, ‘if you set an alarm off I’ll shoot you and if your husband comes to the door I’ll shoot him, too.”

Mr Wall, 44, who has relocated from Marylebone to South Wales, started A1 K9 with his partner Gaynor Probert in 1996 with just four kennels to house his dogs.

He now has more than 40 kennels and trains hundreds of animals every year.

We specialise in supplying dogs that are loyal and loving but are like a family pet that has been trained in martial arts,” he said.

“And when they sense an attack is likely against their owner or their owner’s family they will automatically start displaying controlled aggression.”

“They will bark, growl and snarl and if someone seems to be preparing for a physical attack they are trained to bite much in the same way as a police dog.”

Despite recent reports about the rise in numbers of dangerous dogs, Mr Wall is adamant that the breeds will only become violent when their owners are in danger and are perfectly safe to have around children.

“Once the dogs have neutralised the threat they go back to being a loyal, loving family pet” he said.

“It’s like on-demand security with fur”

In the US, canine bodyguards have long been a popular choice among celebrities and the rich. But the trend had now gripped Britain, with wealthy families taking more extreme security measures against potentially violent attacks.

And according to Mr Wall, women joggers are some of the biggest fans of the pet protectors.

“They’re very popular with ladies who go jogging in the early mornings because these days parks can attract the wrong type of people,” he said.

“If you’re running in the park with one of my dogs the likelihood if a man pulling you into the bush and attacking you is very remote. Put it this way – my money is on the dog.”

The RSPCA warn that any dog which is purchases should be regarded first and foremost as a family pet.