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Protection dogs: Former policy advisor sells $175,000 trained companions to wealthy families
Summary
Kim Greene left a policy career to found Svalinn, which breeds and trains protection dogs sold for about $175,000; the company reported $2.97 million in income and was profitable in 2024.
Content
Kim Greene left a policy career to build Svalinn, a company that breeds, raises and trains protection dogs for affluent households. The operation is based on a 170-acre ranch near Livingston, Montana, where up to 46 mixed-breed dogs live while undergoing about two years of training. Svalinn sells dogs that the article reports are priced at roughly $175,000 and says it generated $2.97 million in income and was profitable in 2024. The business began as Ridgeback Ltd. in Nairobi in 2005, moved to the U.S. in 2013, and later narrowed its focus exclusively to protection dogs.
Key details:
- Dogs undergo roughly two years of training in protection, obedience, socialization and agility, and trainers practice an "on/off" deployment response.
- Up to 46 mixed-breed canines are kept on the ranch at a time, and trainers personally deliver each dog and provide in-home instruction and follow-up visits.
- The company cited about $2.97 million in total income and profitability for 2024, and it has not finalized its 2025 financials.
- Svalinn hires trainers from diverse backgrounds, including some without prior dog-training experience, so dogs learn to respond to different voices and handlers.
- The founder built the business after work in policy advising and earlier security operations; an investor bought a majority stake around 2020 when Greene’s then-husband left the company.
Summary:
Svalinn positions itself as a boutique provider of family-oriented protection dogs and has benefited from demand among wealthier residents of the American West and clients seeking private security options. The company emphasizes selectivity and bespoke service rather than broad expansion. It reported profitability in 2024, and the firm’s 2025 financials have not yet been finalized.
