Tottenham ace James Maddison recently revealed that his protection dog is invaluable to his family.
The two-year-old dog is a Cane Corso Mastiff breed named Denzel. But the full-grown pup is not as menacing as he looks.
He’s “part of the family,” proclaims Maddison, who serves as ambassador for UK-based dog trainer Chaperone K9.
Due to rigorous training, the giant dog well understands the boundaries between being a family pet with protective duties. The midfielder has three kids with his partner Kennedy, a two-year-old and six-month old twins.
“I’m a big dog lover,” revealed Maddison in an Instagram spot for Chaperone K9’s. The footballer also owns Diego, a petite French Bulldog.
“I’ve build up a brilliant relationship with my dog, Denzel. Me, my girlfriend and my children live in my house and these days you can never be too careful to have that extra level of protection, and Denzel’s brilliant.”
Maddison joins the list of footballers hiring dogs for love and protection over personal security concerns. Prices for the specialized guard dogs can go as high as $50,000.
“Denzel’s absolutely brilliant with Leo, my son. He realizes Leo’s part of the family and is a big soft giant with him. He’s obviously a protection dog and he’s very good at what he does. He’s just a normal family pet who loves going on walks and loves his time at the park, but also has that side to him if needed which is very important.”
Will other footballers follow Maddison in giant but ‘soft’ protective dogs?
During the 2023 holiday period, Manchester City ace Jack Grealish faced a ‘traumatic’ burglary at his Cheshire mansion. Grealish’s family and fiancee were watching the winger play on tv at the residence during the attempted gang robbery.
“My family mean the world to me and nothing is more important than ensuring their safety. This has been a traumatic experience for all of us, I am just so grateful that nobody was hurt,” said Grealish in the aftermath.
Grealish, close friends with England international Maddison, may join the high-profile footballers with protective family dogs list.
Other England stars, including Kyle Walker, Raheem Sterling, and Marcus Rashford, beefed up security at their homes with special protection dogs during the 2022 Qatar World Cup.
Dogs are a man’s best friend, after all.
Photo: Instagram/madders
