These days protecting your home and living in a safe environment is an important issue on most people’s minds. You can find all sorts of home alarm systems on the market, but choosing which one to invest in can be a complicated decision. While having a home alarm system can add a great deal of security to your home, they can also be quite costly to purchase and to have continually monitored. Getting a dog to guard your home could be an excellent alternative for some people.
Dogs have been used for protecting property for hundreds of years now, mostly because they are so good at doing this job. From a thief’s perspective, that is the last thing they want to see when breaking into a home. A trained guard dog can cause serious injury to a burglar, as these dogs will do whatever it takes to protect their owner’s property. Most often just the sound of a dog barking from inside a home will be enough of a deterrent to encourage the burglar to stay away.
Getting a dog would generally be cheaper than a home alarm; however, many people choose the option of getting a dog for more personal reasons. Dogs can also be an affectionate new member of the family that also just happens to protect the family and home as well. If you do decide to get a dog, you have to remember that this comes with some added responsibilities on your part such as remembering to keep food and fresh water out at all times This may sound trivial, but with today’s busy lifestyles it can be more difficult than it sounds. You will also need to let the dog outside during the day so they can relieve themselves. If you do not have a fenced-in yard, you may have to keep the dog tied up.
Not all Dogs are Guard Dogs
One of the first things to consider before getting a dog is whether you want a real guard dog or a watchdog. Most dogs are watchdogs by instinct as they will bark and become suspicious whenever something disturbs them. However, there are some dogs that will often approach strangers in the hope that they have food or some kind of doggy treat. Some breeds are naturally more alert and would make better watchdogs than others. Additionally, almost large sized dog has a certain intimidation factor to them that can make strangers a little nervous.
When talking about an actual guard dog, remember these are not your typical type of household watchdog. A guard dog is a dog that has been specially trained, and often bred, for the sole purpose of guarding and defending someone’s home. While a watchdog may bark and cause a lot of commotion, the threat to a potential burglar often ends there. However, with a guard dog the barking is just the beginning of how it will react if someone breaks into your house. A guard dog has to be trained for its role, which some people have been able to do themselves. However, it would be better to enroll in training classes, or seek out private instructors if the dog has not already been trained as a guard dog.
Most dogs will judge people and their intentions by their scent. It is a well-known fact that fear in humans produces a strong scent that dogs can pick up on. This can lead to a problem if you have a welcome visitor in your home that happens to be afraid of dogs because they will send out this scent. This often leads to some aggressive behavior on the dog’s part, which in turn makes the person even more scared. On the other hand, a burglar could also be dog lover who does not fear dogs at all, which may cause the dog to be welcoming or even playful with them. Unless specially trained, a dog may not be able to produce the exact and precise results you need to protect your home.
It may be necessary for some people to board their dog while they go away on vacation, especially if they plan to be away for more than a few days. Whenever your dog is not home, your home and all of your possessions are left unprotected. Many homes are broken into while the occupants are away on some kind of vacation. An alarm system will of course be able to protect your home whenever you need it, but using a dog can leave many security gaps where you have nothing to prevent people from breaking in.
An alarm system on the other hand, is very low-maintenance and works whether you are home or away. They cost more than a dog in most cases, but remember a dog has a lot of upkeep involved as well as other costs such as getting shots, licensing, and various medical bills that can come up. Not to mention that as a dog gets older, its ability to protect your home will start to decrease.
If you are trying to decide between getting a home alarm system or getting a dog, you will have to weigh the pros and cons of each. As a purely technical solution, the alarm is better as it will work the most reliably and consistently at all times day or night. However, if someone broke into your house while you were home, nothing would be better than having a large aggressive dog to scare them away. Having a dog in your home would be a big responsibility, but the dog can also serve a dual purpose as a loyal and loving companion, which is something the alarm system could never quite measure up to.
