OK, so I know that what I am after is not likely to be available, but I've never been afraid to ask a silly question... I'm fairly sure we have some folks who are in the know about professional working (protection) dogs here on the site. I know that these dogs are the product of years of love, blood, sweat, and tears from their breeders/trainers. This post is not intended to show any disrespect towards nor devalue those efforts.
I am simply not in a place to spend tens of thousands of dollars for a "varsity' canine. So, the question is - are there JV dogs out there that would suffice for me and my family. I understand that many times these dogs retire and their handler assumes ownership, but are there retired dogs that would, perhaps, work for me? I'm looking for a protective companion for my wife and two girls. Someone to go running with them, and accompany them on solo hikes, etc.
Any wisdom from the 'Hide is appreciated.
I'm near sure from your question that you would NOT want you think you want.
It's going to be a pretty bad idea to get what you are thinking of and may wind up having bad consequences for your family.
Since you mentioned that your wife and daughters like to go running & on long hikes, I'm going to suggest that getting 2 or 3 Rhodesian Ridgebacks would actually be a good fit.
IF:
You make sure to get at least 2 of them
You plan to have them live in the house with you as part of the household, sleep with you, hang around you etc.
You will get them as puppies and train them well
You will be sure to socialize them around humans to a great extent from the time they are puppies going forward.
You, your wife and your daughters all are fit, in good shape, can exercise and run hard, and have a decent amount of strength.
You can devote plenty of time each day to being with them.
All of your family are on the same page with being consistent with training, commands and positive behaviour reinforcement.
You are comfortable with big dogs and are not going to be scared by big dogs, and are able to confidently play with them.
You don't have any cats or other small animals or smaller dogs that will be in your house / yard
You have a decent back yard with a good high fence and can put in a large dog door so they can go in and out as needed.
You understand that food, medicine, vet bills and such will not be cheap due to the size of the dogs.
You understand that they will have a 9 to 12 year lifespan (unless you are really an outlying case).
You understand that for large, heavy dogs, you need to have plenty of soft cushions or mattresses or such for them to lay on as lying on hard surfaces for a long time will cause them problems.
They don't tend to like confined spaces and tend to be more comfortable with as much open space around them as possible.
The positives if all the above fit:
They make great house dogs, their short hair means minimal mess.
They can almost house train themselves if given free access to a dog door and outside
They only bark for the most part if something out of the ordinary catches their attention
They are safe to be around and highly unlikely to ever hurt you or your friends / guests / visitors you introduce.
(note that rough play with a big dog is going to give you a few scratches just because humans are thin skinned and nails scratch it. Also if you hand feed them you have to understand and pay attention so you don't still have your fingers in their mouth when they go to start chewing the food).
They are very loyal and courageous, and will naturally want to protect you and put themselves between you and any perceived threat.
They are very intelligent and learn commands and routines well.
Typical of the large hound breeds, they play / exercise hard then crash hard when done, so you don't need to worry about them being always on like many of the shepherd breeds.
They are very affectionate (especially the males) and will love to curl up in bed with you or sit beside you on the couch.
If your wife and daughters are out running or hiking with 3 of them and at least 1 or 2 are intact males, chances are nothing you'd come across will get through them.
(now if you are expecting a complete wolf pack to attack you or a Grizzly bear, then you best be carrying guns, or having a whole pack of some much more dangerous dogs with you, that have armoured collar plates on).
They come with a naturally suspicious nature, strong owner bond and incredibly intelligent. I'm not sure your exact circumstances, but I highly recommend these. My girlfriend takes both of mine on walks and it would be a rare fool to look sideways at them. 
