Spain has a new symbol of domestic security: the old guard dog, which once lived sadly tied up permanently or surrounding a property, has now returned as a vitamin-rich walking dog. Breeds such as the Cane Corso, the Malinois or the Doberman have found a new home in middle-class family homes and social networks, where footballers, other elite athletes and also influencers exhibiting them has accelerated that trend.
Large, strong, robust dogs that do not appear in the list of Potentially Dangerous Breeds Spanish. All with another link in common: they have bought them for the same reason, fear of theft, harassment and insecurity in general. But perception is one thing and what the data says is another.
what’s happening. According to data from the Royal Canine Society of Spain, of which El País echoesthe two breeds that have experienced the most growth in the records are the Cane Corso and the Doberman, something confirmed by two kennels of these breeds, the Catalan X-Man and the Madrid The Guardians. Depending on the level of training and pedigree, the prices of these breeds range from 2,000 to more than 15,000 euros.
This phenomenon is not unique to the Spanish state: the United Kingdom is experiencing this boomwith the Cane Corso as the star breed. Thus, from 2015 to 2023 their number has quintupled, according to the British Kennel Club. In the United States, the American Pet Products Association documents sustained growth in the acquisition of working and protection breeds since the pandemic.
Why is it important. The fact that these dogs are not on the PPP list means that anyone can acquire them without special procedures, which generates a certain ambiguity: they are stronger than average and are used as working dogs, but there is no need to have special training or pass psychotechnics. All dogs need RC insurance from la Animal Welfare Act of 2023but a 45-kilogram Cane Corso trained for guarding has exactly the same legal obligations as a poodle. The law treats them the same because, formally, they are. Obviously it is a good idea to get a trained Cane Corso and take a training course, but the law does not require it.
The list of Potentially Dangerous Dogs is the classification of the different states of certain breeds of dogs that, due to their physical conditions, require special handling. For the American Veterinary Medical Associationthe risk of bites has more to do with handling and socialization than with breed. Simply put, it’s not the dog’s fault, it’s the owner’s fault. And a level above the individual, the system that does not filter who can have them.
Context. The increase in demand for guard dogs cannot be understood without the feeling of citizen insecurity. The data tells another story: the Statistical Crime Yearbook of the Ministry of the Interior of Spain sample that conventional crime has been declining in the state for years. What is increasing is cybercrime, but a Malinois is of little use against that.
The sociologist Luis García Tojar frames it with surgical precision: The purchase of guard dogs is part of the same phenomenon as anti-squatting alarms or the huge consumption of true crime on digital platforms. Media hyperexposure reinforces that availability biasthat is, we overestimate the frequency of what we see or hear most intensely, even though it does not reflect the reality of the statistics.
The hatchery business. The guard dog market moves shocking figures. He X-Man owner gives the price range of their cane corso: from 6,500 euros to 15,500 euros. To that we must add maintenance costs, veterinary costs, that recommended insurance and continuous training, a notable investment that is not within everyone’s reach. However, the sector has grown thanks to this demand sponsored by fear and amplified by the visibility of social networks.
Within the global pet products and services industry, which exceeded $260 billion in 2023 and growing, the specialized training segment is one of the most added value. Simply put: selling a guard dog is very lucrative.
The risks of these guard dogs. A poorly trained guard dog or in the hands of an untrained owner is a real risk. There is solid studies on canine bites and aggression directed at strangers as a function of education and socialization. The problem with these dogs is the human context that surrounds them.
Regarding insurance, the situation is more complex than it seems. The Animal Welfare Law 7/2023 requires all dog owners to have civil liability insurance regardless of breed. But the regulation that sets the minimum amounts is still pending approval and standard policies usually exclude dogs trained to bite. We insist, in practice a Cane Corso trained for the guard has the same legal obligations as a poodle: generic insurance, without a license, without accredited training, without any additional requirement that reflects its real capacity to cause harm.
Yes, but. That said, it would be unfair to reduce the phenomenon to the consumption of fear. There is legitimate demand ranging from people who know the breed, have experience and assume responsibility to those who have real protection needs such as women who have reported harassment or assault and feel safer with a dog trained to alert.
The problem is not the dog or the responsible owner. The thing is that the system does not distinguish between one and the other. There are trainers who filter buyers, reject sales if they detect that the buyer is not prepared and include mandatory training for the owner as part of the process, as Marga Dernoncourt of Los Guardianes explains. It is an ethical and necessary practice, but completely voluntary. In Germanythe European country with the most demanding regulations, states such as Bavaria classify the Cane Corso as a dangerous breed and require authorization, an animal temperament test and specific insurance, and the Doberman falls into a restricted category in several Länder with similar requirements. In Spain, none of these breeds trigger any additional requirements beyond general liability insurance.
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