Upgrading Your Home’s Security: Is a Protection Dog the Right Investment?

Home security is a serious concern for many families for a variety of different reasons, and identifying the best home protection for your family isn’t always straightforward. Many people consider one of two options: A home security alarm system or a protection dog.

So, how do you decide which choice is right for your family? There are a number of different factors to consider, and some of them might surprise you. Read on to learn more about your options for upgrading your family’s home security.

Active Threat vs. Advance Warning

Home security is about more than keeping your home secure—it’s also about peace of mind! Accordingly, the majority of families are looking for a security option that provides advance warning so they are aware of threats as soon as possible. Once the threat is active in your home, it’s harder to get to a safe location.

While an alarm system can let you know as soon as someone has entered your home, a protection dog is trained to detect and deter someone well before they enter. Protection dogs can warn potential intruders to back off by barking for everyone around to hear. This gives you the time you need to take any necessary action and make sure your family can quickly get to safety.

Alerting vs. Taking Action

A home alarm system alerts you to what is happening, which is vital information, particularly at night while you’re asleep. However, an alarm system can’t do much for you beyond alerting you to the problem while you wait for help to come. Some systems are able to make an automatic call to the alarm company or the authorities when they’re set off. However, the alarm company and authorities then have to determine whether to take action by deciding whether the threat is credible or not. Unfortunately, that time spent waiting for action to be taken can be detrimental to both your property and your safety.

A protection dog can alert you to potential danger as well, but it can also take action on the spot against the threat. Protection dogs are trained to patrol the home and property, issue warning barks, and restrain suspects (when necessary) in order to protect your home and the people in it. That means with a protection dog, you get alerted of potential threats and protective intervention should someone choose to ignore the dog’s warning and enter your home.

Technology vs. a Protection Dog

There are certainly positive aspects of alarm systems, and installing one can help keep your home secure. However, technology-based security like alarms, cameras, and sensors are simply not capable of providing the kind of proactive, well-rounded security offered by a protection dog. Technology can fail, and it requires maintenance to ensure it’s electronically sound to provide the benefits you’re already paying for.

A well-trained protection dog can offer 24/7 protection, regardless of the status of your electricity. In fact, studies have shown that the mere presence of dogs can reduce the likelihood of crime in your neighborhood and home. Moreover, a properly trained protection dog can also offer companionship, bringing significantly more benefits to a family than any technology could.

Benefits of a Protection Dog

Let’s take a look at some of the benefits of a protection dog and why you might prefer a protection dog over an alarm system when it comes to your home security.

At the Ready: Constant Alertness

An alarm requires arming and disarming, which ultimately relies on your memory. If you forget to arm your system before leaving your house, your security is threatened. And if you forget to disarm it at any point, you may be in for a big bill (or scare) for a false alarm.

Additionally, depending on the type of system you have, you may actually need to keep it disarmed while you’re at home and moving around, making it ineffective for protection at that point. A protection dog, on the other hand, provides 24/7 security. They do not need to be armed or disarmed, as they’re constantly alert and monitoring for threats.

Understanding When a Threat is Present

An alarm system is unable to distinguish between a true threat and, for example, a member of the household. If you or a family member forgets to disarm the alarm, it will go off, regardless of who set it off and how. Protection dogs use their senses to identify a threat so they can discriminate between actual danger and non-threatening visitors like delivery drivers, guests, or other animals. There’s no danger of your protection dog mistaking you or your family members for a threat, either. You can feel confident knowing that you can come and go safely while your protection dog remains on alert for true threats.

Deterring Threats Before They Happen

One of the greatest benefits of any kind of home security system is that it typically deters most criminals. Alarm systems are certainly a deterrent, but some criminals are willing to take on an alarm system, knowing they can potentially hack or disable it. A protection dog, on the other hand, cannot be hacked and is very hard for a criminal to take down. Protection dogs are trained to bark threateningly to deter intruders and alert anyone in or near the home (e.g., your neighbors) of dangers. Intruders are less likely to enter if they hear a dog, but even if the intruder still chooses to enter the home, the protection dog can physically intervene.

Family Companionship

Perhaps the most obvious benefit of a protection dog over an alarm system is that a protection dog can bond with you and your family. You build a close relationship with your protection dog, making them even more effective at their job. Professionally trained protection dogs also go through rigorous training for confidence and safety around children and other pets, in social situations, and with any non-threatening guests. They go through strict obedience training and real-life stimulation, ensuring they can discern when to be active and when to relax so you can trust them to be the best investment for your safety.