Protection dogs trained to handle burglars as sports stars boost home security

The Star

3 days ago

Scream all you want, but Lobo isn't letting go.
The young German Shepherd has chomped into the arm of a would-be attacker wearing a padded suit at K9 Protector in southwest England.
A command later, Lobo is back at the feet of Alaster Bly and awaiting his next instruction.
'I describe them as pets with a toolkit built into them. A toolkit that you hope you're never going to use,' said Alaster, the K9 Protector co-owner.
Expensive protection dogs like Lobo have been in demand among professional athletes to guard against burglars who target wealthy homes, often as part of sophisticated crime rings.
Athletes are particularly vulnerable while they're away at games.
'He will end up in somebody's home with high net worth that is potentially at risk from more than your opportunist burglar,' Alaster said of Lobo, who costs £45,000 (RM257,000) and boasts a Bava-rian bloodline that is 'second to none.'
Lobo attacks a pretend criminal during a training session.
The lengthy list of athletes whose residences have been hit includes Premier League stars Jack Grealish and Alexander Isak.
England cricket captain Ben Stokes' home was burglarised while he was playing in Pakistan.
It's becoming a major problem in the United States too, with former L cornerback Richard Sherman a recent example.
The homes of Kansas City Chiefs teammates Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce were burglarised in October as part of a wave of break-ins that also targeted Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow.
Seven Chilean men were charged in connection with those burglaries, as well as the break-in at Milwaukee Bucks forward Bobby Portis' home, where nearly US$1.5mil (RM6.39mil) in cash and valuables were stolen.
After consulting the FBI, the NBA drew up guidance for players.
One of the recommendations: 'Utilise dogs for home protection.'
Specific breeds
While almost any dog can provide some deterrence, protection-dog providers offer breeds like German Shepherd, Belgian Malinois, Rottweiler, Doberman and Cane Corso.
Alaster and his wife, K9 Protector co-owner Sian Bly, work predominantly with German Shepherds.
'They are the most proven dogs at being family dogs,' Alaster said.
They begin to differentiate early on which pups show potential.
'If we've got a puppy that's really confident, is chasing a rag, biting hold of the rag, and their food drive is high, that's a good starting point,' Sian said.
'We look at how competitive they are with their siblings as well. You're looking for quite a strong dog.'
The family protection dog awaits commands.
Dogs that don't make the cut might get routed to prison service or police duty.
'You can't place a dog with young kids that's nervous or that the temperament isn't 100%,' she said.
The handful of K9 Protector dogs that reach 'high-threat environment' status cost up to £75,000 (RM325,880).
It can take a couple of years to train for all sorts of scenarios.
'It's vast – the ability to deal with four intruders at once, vehicle carjacking tactics, being acceptant of multi-handlers,' Alaster said. 'Husband, wife, nanny, housekeeper, estate manager all being able to handle that dog in an equal way in a threat scenario – and the dog still responding in the same way – is very different to a pet-level-trained dog with protection training.'
Clients must be a good match, though. Sian said if they think a buyer 'might use the dog in the wrong way, then we don't sell them the dog. It doesn't matter about the finances'.
Between 10%-15% of their clients are professional athletes and they typically require nondisclosure agreements, as do the actors and singers who come calling.
They sell about two or three dogs per month. When the economy is bad and crime increases, demand is higher. Winter months see more sales and the pandemic period of 2020-21 was 'the busiest we've ever been', Sian said.
Dogs for protection
UFC heavyweight Tom Aspinall added a protection dog to his family after moving to a new house. The Manchester native posted a video about it.
'I'm not here all the time. I just wanted someone else kind of looking after the family, as well as me, even when I'm here,' Aspinall said of his German Shepherd.
US soccer midfielder Tyler Adams opted for a Rottweiler from Total K9, the North Yorkshire company that provided Aspinall's dog.
Tottenham midfielder James Maddison got a 145-pound (65.7kg) Cane Corso from Leicestershire-based Chaperone K9, which also counts Grealish as a client.
Grealish's mansion was burglarised just after Christmas in 2023 while the Manchester City midfielder was playing a game at Everton.
Family members called police when they heard noises and after Grealish's Belgian Malinois and Cockapoo reportedly started barking.
Grealish later called it 'a traumatic experience for all of us, I am just so grateful that nobody was hurt'.
The NBA memo urged removing online real estate listings that show interiors.
Some stars have posted their protection dogs on social media along with the pets' names – but they probably shouldn't.
'There is nothing more off-putting to a dog than being called by its own name when you're breaking into the home,' Bly said.
Lobo attacks a pretend criminal during a training session.
The Blys use German commands, which buyers must learn.
On K9 Protector's website, former long-distance runner Mo Farah, a four-time Olympic champion, described turning to a protection dog after his home was burglarised despite an alarm system, video coverage and 24-hour security patrols.
Intruders at Burrow's house eluded manned security at his property while he was playing a Monday Night Football game at Dallas in December. The criminal complaint on the Chilean crew said they liked to approach from 'a wooded or dark area'.
Under Britain's Guard Dogs Act, someone capable of controlling a guard dog must be at the premises, and a notice must be posted at the entrance about the dog.
Legal issues
Technically, there are scenarios that could result in criminal prosecution of dog owners in Britain – even in burglaries.
The National Association of Security Dog Users (Nasdu) 'does not promote the use of dogs as personal/family protection dogs and issues no certification or training courses in relation to this type of dog', said Roger Flett, a Nasdu director.
Samantha Gaines of the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals warned against the 'glamourisation' of painful ear-cropping on breeds like Doberman and Cane Corso. The procedure is prohibited in England and Wales, but it's legal to import them that way.
It's unknown if break-ins at wealthy homes are increasing, but statistics for England and Wales show residential burglaries overall are decreasing.
Lobo listens to Alaster at Strapestone Kennels. — Photos: FRANK AUGSTEIN/AP
From the year ending March 2018 to the year ending September 2024, there was a 42% drop, according to figures from the Office for National Statistics.
Just a small percentage of burglaries get solved, however. Only in late 2022 did police chiefs commit to responding to all break-ins.
Alaster, a former police officer, said it's not just about burglaries. A CEO of a company might be facing a threat, or a person might be dealing with a stalker.
'There are life-changing incidents that take place regularly,' he said. 'The array of problems and crime that's going on in Britain at the moment keeps us busy.' – AP