Typical UK price bands
Prices reflect training hours, verified capability, age, pedigree and temperament quality. Anything advertised as 'fully trained' for a few thousand pounds is almost certainly a green dog with basic bite work and no verified control.
- Working puppy from tested European parents: £2,500–£5,000
- Green adolescent with foundation work: £6,000–£12,000
- Family protection dog, fully trained: £12,000–£25,000
- Personal protection dog, proven: £20,000–£45,000+
- Commercial GP security dog: £8,000–£18,000
What you are paying for
A trained protection dog represents twelve to twenty-four months of daily professional work, decoy time, environmental proofing, veterinary care and feeding, plus the risk absorbed by the trainer when a dog washes out. Around one in five candidate dogs does not reach the standard.
Ongoing costs
Budget realistically for the life of the dog: quality food, specialist insurance, veterinary care, secure containment, equipment and quarterly maintenance training. A protection dog that is not maintained is simply a large pet within a year.
How to avoid overpaying
Insist on seeing the dog work in an unfamiliar environment, watch the out and the recall from a decoy, ask for health documentation and pedigree, and take a trainer with you who is not selling the dog. Price should follow verified capability, never claims.