This dog might look like a cuddly family pet - but the GBP 65,000($128,758) German shepherd could be the future of frontline home security.
The wonderhound has been bred and trained with the sole intention of sniffing out danger and protecting its owners.
Breeders are hopeful that the modern day Lassies - which are called Titans - will rival any home security system on the market.
And prospective owners might want to be reminded that burglar alarms and electric fences can't fetch your slippers.
The super-intelligent dogs undergo two years of extensive and rigorous training in Germany with some of the best handlers in the world.
The regime involves odour detection, search and rescue sessions as well as testing traits such as strength, courage and endurance. The dogs, which were originally used to herd sheep, are also taught to track and trap intruders until the police arrive.
When they have successfully completed the Schutzhund training programme the Titans are shipped to customers around the globe.
The dogs have only been on the market a matter of weeks but are already proving a hit in Japan and the Middle East.
They are the brainchild of British businessman Simon Brodie who now lives in the U.S.
He said: "Primarily these are pets but they are incredibly well trained animals, bred to protect a family. 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. 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," Brodie said. "While we train them to be aggressive, they will not attack and are therefore completely safe for families. And, of course, they are gorgeous looking dogs. I watched one the other day and it was impressive seeing something so powerful in total control."
A standard Titan can be snapped up for GBP 45,000 ($89,151), but for GBP 65,000($128,578) the truly security conscious can get their hands on a Titan Ultra - which is guaranteed to be traced back to champion German shepherd bloodlines.
The dogs can be found on the website www. lifestylepets. com.
The company also this year launched the Ashera which is the world's "largest, rarest and most exotic" domestic cat.
The animal is the size of a small dog and sports eyecatching leopard-like spots and tiger stripes.
Prices start from GBP 12,000($23,771), but they can fetch up to GBP 75,000($148,568).
