If my dog Tiny was a large dog, he’d be scary. He’s a cranky old man of a dog, and although he’s great with my family, he hates strangers and has snapped at a few people who have been at my house. He was much worse when we first got him, I am trying hard to train him to get used to people coming in and out of my house.

Seems I’m doing it backwards. Come to find out, people are actually paying $85,000 for dogs who have been trained to be aggressive to non-family members. Some people might think this is a good idea, I find it to be sad for the dog:

Prospective owners face a two-year wait as each Titan dog undergoes
extensive, rigorous training at special training camps with some of the
world’s best handlers. The Schutzhund training involves odor detection, search and rescue, as well as strength, courage and endurance.

The brainchild of American-based Simon Brodie, the idea originated
after speaking with people about their concerns regarding their home
safety.

“Primarily these are pets but they are incredibly well trained
animals bred to protect a family,” says Brodie. “You can have the most
expensive CCTV cameras and alarms in the world but if someone climbs
into your garden when your children are playing they can be useless.
The Titan will alert people to danger as well as acting as a deterrent,
while being completely safe. They are genetically tested to make sure
the animal is suitable and then undergo two years of the most extensive
training to make sure they are safe.”

So, they spend 2 years in training and then come home to a family who expects them to guard the house. I don’t know why, I just find this incredibly sad.