Getting a Dog for Home Security

While a guard dog can’t replace a home security system’s level of protection, it can be a useful deterrent against crimes of opportunity. Most burglaries are exactly that – crimes committed at the last moment, without much planning. A guard dog won’t deter someone who knows you and knows your home from breaking in, of course, which is why a home security system is still necessary.

Is a Guard Dog the Right Choice?

Here are some things to keep in mind if you’re thinking about getting a dog for home security purposes:

• Don’t get a dog only for home security. Dogs are more than noise machines designed to keep crooks away. Dogs are companions. They’re an expensive investment for what you get in terms of security. Between vet costs, feeding, training, and more, dogs don’t produce nearly as much return as other security methods. That being said, having a dog as a loving member of the family does provide an enormous return on your investment. Home security is an added benefit, not the primary reason, for buying a dog.
• The best guard dog is a noisy one. Your dog doesn’t have to be big or mean. She just needs to make noise when someone enters the house, or when someone’s hanging around outside a window or your door. If you don’t want a noisy dog, that’s fine too. He just won’t be much use for home security purposes.
• Mean dogs are more dangerous to your family than to others. Getting a dog with a mean disposition – or one bred to have a mean temperament – puts your family at risk. Those dogs are likely to bite, and they’re likely to bite just about anyone in the house. Usually, that’s you and your family.

Most any dog will make a good watchdog because they are territorial by nature and bark at strangers, but it takes a special dog to respond to attack commands.   Learn about what important qualities make up a good guard dog.  Observe the dog when walking him in public and how he responds to other people and whether or not he listens well.

Most dogs require training and some are more trainable than others.  Important features to look for in guard dogs are trainability, a sense of territory, strength, intelligence and of course a sense of protectiveness.   One aspect in choosing just the right one is to make sure their temperament displays courage, loyalty and good judgment decisions.

Dogs make great companions, and wonderful members of a family. They can be a source of comfort, joy, and even stress relief. The right dog can act as something of a home security system add-on, letting you know when someone’s outside the home or when someone’s broken in. However, you can’t and shouldn’t rely only on that dog to protect you and your family. That’s what home security systems are for.

At HSS Net, Madison Parker has been researching and evaluating home security companies and their products as well as analyzing hundreds of videos and documents from actual robberies. Her advice and findings are a great way to understand the ways in which you can improve the safety of your home.